The Late, Lamented Molly Marx

I don't want to repeat a lot of what the other reviewers have already said so I'll just say that I really enjoyed this book. Molly is quite a character! The author did a great job of moving back and forth between past and present along with intertwining Molly's experience in the afterlife. I was sad to get to the last page, I didn't want it to end. It's a charming, wonderful, engaging read that you'll have a hard time putting down.

If after death you had the choice to visit your family and friends, and understand their thoughts, would you? Molly Marx is 35 when she dies in an unexplained bicycle accident, and she chooses to "visit" during the first year after her death. Molly is married to a successful plastic surgeon (who comes equipped with a stereotypical over protective Jewish mother), has a four year-old daughter she loves with all her heart, close relationships with her family, good friends, a fulfilling and creative career, and a handsome, romantic lover. Molly's life is cut short during a bicycle ride in Riverside Park on a rainy day, and she suddenly finds herself in a place called the Duration. From the Duration, and newly equipped with a fully functioning bull* & $) meter, Molly watches as life goes on without her. Nicely juxtaposed with important events that occurred before Molly's death, the reader is treated to perspectives of Molly's life from her memories, current events, the thoughts of her loved ones, and even an NYC detective who is trying to discover how Molly died. In the end, we discover how Molly died is less important than how she lived, and how pieces of Molly lived on in other long after she was gone. The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is simultaneously funny and sad. Molly's life was complicated and messy, and her death brought out the best and worst of her family and friends. It is an engaging book, keeping the reader immersed to discover how Molly died and what happens afterwards, and an enjoyable read from beginning to end.

This book starts at Molly's funeral, with Molly narrating.She is dead and gives a witty description of the people at the funeral as seen from her seat in "The Duration" with her mentor there named Bob.The Duration seems to be a special place in the afterlife where the dead can see the living and read their thoughts and hear what they are saying which is not usually what they are thinking. This may sound a bit grim but this book is witty, charming and just plain wonderful, like hanging out with your most fun best friend.It is the most original book I have read in a long time.After looking at the cover I thought it would be just another "Chick Lit" book but it is much more than that.Molly was riding her bike in Riverside Park in February and ends up dead on the side of the Hudson. She is a beautiful 35 year old woman with a husband and four year old daughter. Was it an accident? A murder? A suicide? The book is not a mystery but a delightful novel about life, relationships, friendship, , parents and the randomness of life.It is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone and I am eagerly awaiting this writer's third book.

This was a very entertaining read, even a bit thought provoking in a surprisingly light hearted way. Though the book is about the LATE Molly Marx, she does not dwell on her death, as much as look at her life and now a lack thereof. There is a mystery as to how she died,in fact even she is curious since it seems to have happened without her catching the details. However, I would have to say that I felt like this was less of a mystery and more of an observation on life, sometimes sad but more often humorous. Sally Koslow has managed to perfectly depict difficult situations and feelings while maintaining a bit of wit about them. I could totally relate to Molly's life and the typical ups and downs we all seem to have. The jealousies, inadequacies, wish-we-could-do-overs as well as the whoohoos for things turning out as we hoped! Her admission at the life she lived sums up what we might all be thinking if things were cut short: "I had flaws. I liked to gossip..... I occasionally forgot birthdays and relied too much on takeout food....ate dark chocolate every day in excess of the 6.3 grams that might have lowered my blood pressure....I should have lost five pounds. Okay, eight. I sometimes went to bed without taking off my makeup...e-mail chain letters were terminated on my watch...I subscribed to two cheesy celebrity magazines....My abs were going to hell becuase I only did crunches sporadically",etc. Molly observes her family and friends from the "Duration" where she follows the investigation of her death and makes her own guesses at who might have been responsible. She also sees the truth about everyone who was left behind and has an ability to hear their thoughts as well. Sometimes this is a blessing, sometimes a curse, but it is always interesting. If I had to spend the Duration with anyone, it would be Molly. You will like her, too.

Molly Divine Marx is dead! But that's just the beginning of this book. Molly is in her "Duration". Duration= being able to see your friends, family, etc. and hear their thoughts, yet not be able to do anything to contribute to what they're thinking, feeling, etc. (a little reminiscent of The Lovely Bones). With her guide "Bob" she is able to navigate through this new state of being and is able to flit from one person to another as they try to solve the mystery of her death. The story starts at Molly's funeral and shows us how her husband, daughter, parents, sister and friends are all affected and are coping with her untimely death. Oh yea, and of course, the investigator who is handling her case and is trying to decipher whether her death was an accident, suicide or murder. Through flashbacks we are able to read about Molly's relationships with her husband (who is quite the cheater and a very despicable character) and then there's Luke (the man that Molly was in love with). We are able to relive some of the best moments as well as some of the mistakes she made in her life. I absolutely - hands down - adored this book. I thought Molly was such a lovely narrator. She was just so funny, likeable and so full of life - that it was sad to think that she was dead from the start of her story. Ms. Koslow's characters are well-developed and singularly distinct with little quirks and flaws that make them real. This is one of those rare books that draws you in and you feel as if you are experiencing it rather than just reading it. Was Molly in such a slump in life that she couldn't find any other way out of her situation other than to kill herself? Or was she murdered? You'll have to read this gem of a book to find out - but I will warn you, this book isn't so much about solving a mystery as it is about relationships. I enjoyed this very much and I highly recommend it.