The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way

About the book

From internationally acclaimed and bestselling author RAYMOND BENSON comes a wry and darkly comedic work in which a quaint suburb of Chicago finds itself rocked by more than just the uncertainties of 2020. Perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and the twisted prose of Tom Perrotta.

For Scott Hatcher, a former television writer turned struggling novelist with a failing marriage to boot, social-distancing and mask-wearing feel like fitting additions to his already surreal life. When his wife Marie and neighbor John Bergman disappear in the middle of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Scott is naturally mystified and disturbed, but he is also about to learn that his picturesque neighborhood hides more than just the mundane routines of suburban life.

When a fire claims the empty house for sale next door, the entire community is shocked when the charred remains of Marie and John are found inside. Stranger still, stockpiles of valuable Personal Protection Equipment, clearly stolen, were destroyed in the blaze alongside them. As the neighborhood reels from the loss, Scott and Bergman's earthy and enticing widow, Rachel, not only find themselves under investigation for the crime, but also inexorably drawn to one another. As tensions reach a fever pitch, the tale-which is at once familiar and ordinary, yet bizarre and eerie-shows that, just like life in 2020's uncertain times, dread and danger lurk below the hidden underside of everyday suburbia.

Fans of Thornton Wilder's classic Our Town and films by the sardonic Coen Brothers will be captivated by the warped Americana of The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way.

Praise for this book:

"Raymond Benson's The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way is absolutely brilliant; truly one of the most original stories I've ever read. Clever, witty, unexpected, and utterly engaging, I loved this book!" - Karen Dionne

"The quirky structure of the novel, evoking a stage play, lulls you into a false, cozy sense of security... but don't be fooled--violence and murder are lurking in the background. Benson is a deft and assured storyteller with an amiable, warm and gentle voice reminiscent of Burl Ives or a grown-up John Boy Walton, and this may just be his masterpiece." - Lee Goldberg

"Imagine a chatty narrator walking you through a sunny suburban neighborhood and revealing things the smiling residents would rather stay in the dark. Intriguing, shocking, and bleakly comic, one thing is certain; nothing is as it seems on Marigold Way." - A J Hartley