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Marriage is Murder
When Charlie Geddis’s wife Barbara chucks him out, he’s more than happy to leave…
But it turns out that bachelor life is not what it is cracked up to be, and soon he yearns for the life he once wanted to flee.
But things have changed, as Charlie discovers when he lets himself into his former home and is confronted by a tall, naked man.
Malcolm Palmer is a rich, charismatic, successful businessman – all the things Charlie is not.
As his reporting career at local paper The Explorer hits the skids, he turns to drink.
Then one day, Malcolm suggests they talk man to man.
He offers Charlie a sum of money for his house, more than it is worth, claiming he and Barbara want to be fair to Charlie.
But Charlie will not let his family home go so easily. And he smells a rat, for property in the Irish town of Ballymenace is not sought-after.
Walking drunkenly home from the meeting, he sees men in balaclavas club a red headed man, and throw him into the pond. But when nobody is found, Charlie’s not sure if he saw it, or dreamed it.
Of course, that doesn’t stop him writing about it, which infuriates his editor and mate Trevor to no end.
Things are looking bad for poor Charlie, when the red headed man falls out of his wardrobe, and onto his bedroom floor.
But Charlie won’t give up, as he thinks the secret to getting Barbara back is to expose Malcolm’s plan to ruin Ballymenace by building a new, modern town.
Soon Charlie is being tied up naked to his co-worker, Jill, who has never been his biggest fan, attacked by a thug undergoing a sex change, and then, just when things are good and crazy, Ireland’s own U2 shows up.
With all the humour of Marian Keyes, Marriage Is Murder will have you laughing and crying for poor Charlie Geddis in equal measures.
Robert McCracken has a PhD in Food Chemistry and has worked for thirty years in research and development relating to issues of global food safety. He has published many papers in scientific journals, and acted as both peer reviewer and editor. His other books include An Early Grave and Lethal Dose
But it turns out that bachelor life is not what it is cracked up to be, and soon he yearns for the life he once wanted to flee.
But things have changed, as Charlie discovers when he lets himself into his former home and is confronted by a tall, naked man.
Malcolm Palmer is a rich, charismatic, successful businessman – all the things Charlie is not.
As his reporting career at local paper The Explorer hits the skids, he turns to drink.
Then one day, Malcolm suggests they talk man to man.
He offers Charlie a sum of money for his house, more than it is worth, claiming he and Barbara want to be fair to Charlie.
But Charlie will not let his family home go so easily. And he smells a rat, for property in the Irish town of Ballymenace is not sought-after.
Walking drunkenly home from the meeting, he sees men in balaclavas club a red headed man, and throw him into the pond. But when nobody is found, Charlie’s not sure if he saw it, or dreamed it.
Of course, that doesn’t stop him writing about it, which infuriates his editor and mate Trevor to no end.
Things are looking bad for poor Charlie, when the red headed man falls out of his wardrobe, and onto his bedroom floor.
But Charlie won’t give up, as he thinks the secret to getting Barbara back is to expose Malcolm’s plan to ruin Ballymenace by building a new, modern town.
Soon Charlie is being tied up naked to his co-worker, Jill, who has never been his biggest fan, attacked by a thug undergoing a sex change, and then, just when things are good and crazy, Ireland’s own U2 shows up.
With all the humour of Marian Keyes, Marriage Is Murder will have you laughing and crying for poor Charlie Geddis in equal measures.
Robert McCracken has a PhD in Food Chemistry and has worked for thirty years in research and development relating to issues of global food safety. He has published many papers in scientific journals, and acted as both peer reviewer and editor. His other books include An Early Grave and Lethal Dose
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 4, 2016
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCracken
19 books32 followersBorn in Belfast. Spent some of my childhood in Australia. Back in Northern Ireland I attended Dundonald Boys High School. Studied Chemistry at University of Ulster, gained a PhD in agricultural food science from Queen's University, Belfast. Worked for thirty-four years at Department of Agriculture, latterly, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute.
My first novel, An Early Grave, was published in 2015. I am married and live in County Down.
My first novel, An Early Grave, was published in 2015. I am married and live in County Down.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 6, 2017
Although I started this book with a smile on my face, and the odd chuckle, my appreciation of the author's flippancy and non-stop wisecracking soon wore thin.
I'm not averse to a little humour with my murder, but this is seriously over done. Not my cup of tea at all, so I chose to abandon this read.
Thank you to Endeavour Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Marriage is Murder by Robert McCracken for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I'm not averse to a little humour with my murder, but this is seriously over done. Not my cup of tea at all, so I chose to abandon this read.
Thank you to Endeavour Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Marriage is Murder by Robert McCracken for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
September 11, 2016
Charlie Geddis is not having a very good day,one year,three weeks and five days after his wife Barbara finally had enough of his behaviour and threw him out he has decided to make one last attempt at getting her to understand that he has changed his ways and is ready to return home.He lets himself into his house only to find Malcolm Palmer,rich,smart,handsome and very naked so obviously he is not there just to have a cup of tea.Obviously Charlie is not very happy about this and sets out to prove that Malcolm is not the nice person that everyone thinks he is and could also be linked to a murder which unfortunately was only witnessed by Charlie who was not exactly sober at the time.
Charlie is not exactly a likeable character but some of his thoughts and the situations that he gets into during his quest to get Barabara to take him back and at the same time save his hometown of Ballymenace are very funny.He just doesn't seem to grasp that if he stopped drinking,actually did some work and stopped trying to sleep with other women he might actually stand a small chance of sorting his life out but then again in Charlie's mind nothing is ever his fault.
There might be a murder in the story but the book is all about Charlie and his everyday problems most of which are caused by his own actions.Its not a fast paced story and I will admit that I did give up on it a couple of times and read something else.There is some very funny lines that made me laugh out loud and the ending was good because all the loose ends were tied up.My only complaint would be that there was one characters story that I personally wish had been ended differently.
As a Liverpool supporter I didn't fail to notice Stevie Gs cameo in this book and the fact that Charlie had a Man United duvet cover which obviously means the author is a Man U supporter and because of that I don't think I will be reading any more of his books in the future....lol
Many thanks to publishers Endeavour Press for a arc of this book via netgalley
Charlie is not exactly a likeable character but some of his thoughts and the situations that he gets into during his quest to get Barabara to take him back and at the same time save his hometown of Ballymenace are very funny.He just doesn't seem to grasp that if he stopped drinking,actually did some work and stopped trying to sleep with other women he might actually stand a small chance of sorting his life out but then again in Charlie's mind nothing is ever his fault.
There might be a murder in the story but the book is all about Charlie and his everyday problems most of which are caused by his own actions.Its not a fast paced story and I will admit that I did give up on it a couple of times and read something else.There is some very funny lines that made me laugh out loud and the ending was good because all the loose ends were tied up.My only complaint would be that there was one characters story that I personally wish had been ended differently.
As a Liverpool supporter I didn't fail to notice Stevie Gs cameo in this book and the fact that Charlie had a Man United duvet cover which obviously means the author is a Man U supporter and because of that I don't think I will be reading any more of his books in the future....lol
Many thanks to publishers Endeavour Press for a arc of this book via netgalley
August 10, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of Marriage Is Murder, an amusing tale of ineptitude set in Ballymenace, County Down.
Charlie Geddis was unhappy in his marriage, thinking there was something better out there than the life he had. His wife, Barbara finally asked him to leave. One year, three weeks and five days later he decides the grass isn't greener and returns home only to find that Barbara isn't interested and has a new man, Malcolm Palmer. Malcolm is everything Charlie isn't - smart, rich, successful and handsome - and Charlie doesn't like it. Vowing to win Barbara back Charlie sets out to discredit Malcolm, preferably by linking him to a murder only he saw or as a second option via his dodgy business practices.
Marriage Is Murder is a fun read. Charlie seems to have his finger glued to the self destruct button and the other hand firmly wrapped round an alcoholic beverage. His self delusion and inept attempts to win Barbara back have the authentic ring of a dreamer well out of his depth and it leads to some very funny scenes.
This novel will not appeal to everyone as Charlie is a real loser and not a very attractive personality but if you stick with it you end up rooting for him and hating nasty Malcolm. It appeals to my sense of humour so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
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Charlie Geddis was unhappy in his marriage, thinking there was something better out there than the life he had. His wife, Barbara finally asked him to leave. One year, three weeks and five days later he decides the grass isn't greener and returns home only to find that Barbara isn't interested and has a new man, Malcolm Palmer. Malcolm is everything Charlie isn't - smart, rich, successful and handsome - and Charlie doesn't like it. Vowing to win Barbara back Charlie sets out to discredit Malcolm, preferably by linking him to a murder only he saw or as a second option via his dodgy business practices.
Marriage Is Murder is a fun read. Charlie seems to have his finger glued to the self destruct button and the other hand firmly wrapped round an alcoholic beverage. His self delusion and inept attempts to win Barbara back have the authentic ring of a dreamer well out of his depth and it leads to some very funny scenes.
This novel will not appeal to everyone as Charlie is a real loser and not a very attractive personality but if you stick with it you end up rooting for him and hating nasty Malcolm. It appeals to my sense of humour so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
Comment Comment | Permalink
August 22, 2016
I enjoyed this book for the most part, although the ending wasn't quite what I had hoped for. The luckless, hilarious and down to earth main character kept the story driving forward. The reader never knows where his adventures will take him next and the strange occurrences he manages to survive make you like him that much more.
This is the kind of book that starts out simple enough and as more characters are added becomes more and more complex as the story moves forward. I was impressed that the main character still stayed focused on his original goal, even though he was distracted. The imagery was good and the characters were funny, original and interesting.
The ending just didn't give the main character the kind of personal justice I wanted him to have, but all the ends were tied up and it made sense, so it wasn't much of a problem. I think people who like cosy mysteries will like this book.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This is the kind of book that starts out simple enough and as more characters are added becomes more and more complex as the story moves forward. I was impressed that the main character still stayed focused on his original goal, even though he was distracted. The imagery was good and the characters were funny, original and interesting.
The ending just didn't give the main character the kind of personal justice I wanted him to have, but all the ends were tied up and it made sense, so it wasn't much of a problem. I think people who like cosy mysteries will like this book.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
August 30, 2016
GNA I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Robert McCracken, and Endeavour Press on August 8th in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, folks, for sharing your work with me.
And this novel is a hoot. I have read enough aloud so that both my husband and daughter can't wait to read it themselves. You KNOW these people. Charlie is that guy - never really happy with his life, too lazy to do anything about it, you could call him a dreamer but that's giving him too much credit. Malcolm is the privileged rich kid, spoiled rotten, follows no rules but his own. In head to head battle, who will win? Is the battle over trees, or women, or crowing rights? Read this book. It takes you right out of your world and into a fun time.
Pub Aug 5, received Aug 8
Endeavour Press
Not available for review at B&N
And this novel is a hoot. I have read enough aloud so that both my husband and daughter can't wait to read it themselves. You KNOW these people. Charlie is that guy - never really happy with his life, too lazy to do anything about it, you could call him a dreamer but that's giving him too much credit. Malcolm is the privileged rich kid, spoiled rotten, follows no rules but his own. In head to head battle, who will win? Is the battle over trees, or women, or crowing rights? Read this book. It takes you right out of your world and into a fun time.
Pub Aug 5, received Aug 8
Endeavour Press
Not available for review at B&N
February 20, 2020
Pleasant little read, enjoyed from start to finish
January 26, 2021
I felt like I’d spent the weekend smoking some illegal substance. What a weird little book! It was all over the place. Affairs, sex scenes, tree huggers, murder and underhand business deals. My head almost couldn’t cope.
Our hero, Charlie is supposed to be 35 but he often talks like an old man addressing people as “old chap”. All the other characters sound like old people with names like Barbara (his wife of a similar age) Joan, Jill, Trevor, Malcolm etc. Nobody under 65 that I know has names like these. The author needs to get more up to date with names if he wants to be believed.
I did finish the book though because I kept thinking there just has to be a story in here somewhere.
Our hero, Charlie is supposed to be 35 but he often talks like an old man addressing people as “old chap”. All the other characters sound like old people with names like Barbara (his wife of a similar age) Joan, Jill, Trevor, Malcolm etc. Nobody under 65 that I know has names like these. The author needs to get more up to date with names if he wants to be believed.
I did finish the book though because I kept thinking there just has to be a story in here somewhere.
August 11, 2016
First most, I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for provided me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I was captivated throughout the entire book, including staying up too late and falling asleep just wanting to read more and more of it to find out what happens next. There were many twists and turns throughout the book, that just kept me guessing and wondering... what next?!?
However, I do feel that there needs to be another look through and further editing of the story (but I am very particular about errors when I am trying to read); also, I wasn't familiar with a bit of the terms used (but I could understand the intentions and the point got across); and lastly, there were parts in the story where things just sort of happened or switched, which left me feeling a bit confused at times.
Regardless of those, I was satisfied with the ending, and just love when there is an ending that I cannot predict. I look forward to checking out some of Robert McCracken's other literary works.
However, I do feel that there needs to be another look through and further editing of the story (but I am very particular about errors when I am trying to read); also, I wasn't familiar with a bit of the terms used (but I could understand the intentions and the point got across); and lastly, there were parts in the story where things just sort of happened or switched, which left me feeling a bit confused at times.
Regardless of those, I was satisfied with the ending, and just love when there is an ending that I cannot predict. I look forward to checking out some of Robert McCracken's other literary works.
August 12, 2016
Barbara Geddis has had enough of her husband Charlie, and kicks him out of house and home. Charlie is at a loss. He still loves Barbara, but his life gets worse when he returns home to find a naked man wandering around, and Barbara just emerging from the shower. His career as a reporter at The Explorer is going from bad to worse, and the bottle looms large in his life. Malcolm Palmer, Barbara's new love interest, meets with Charlie and offers to 'buy him out' with a ridiculous offer for his house, but property in Ballymenace is not worth that kind of money. . . . what's going on? Things just get worse, Charlie witnesses a murder - a man despatched into a pond - but the police find no body, and then the dead body tumbles from his wardrobe . . . and just as quickly disappears.
Dirty property dealing is going on in the background and Charlie becomes more and more embroiled, always eager to put one across on Malcolm Palmer. Does he succeed? Suffice it to say that the outcome to this witty romp of a mystery novel is satisfactory.
Thanks to NetGalley and Endeavour Press for an ARC.
Dirty property dealing is going on in the background and Charlie becomes more and more embroiled, always eager to put one across on Malcolm Palmer. Does he succeed? Suffice it to say that the outcome to this witty romp of a mystery novel is satisfactory.
Thanks to NetGalley and Endeavour Press for an ARC.
August 24, 2016
I was quite disappointed by this book I'm afraid. I found that I had to make a real effort to actually finish it. I never found that moment where I managed to engage with the book and not be able to put it down. The plot focused more on Charlie and his personal life than the actual problem at hand. The only real reason to read it was to see if Barbara and Charlie ever reunited but actually I thought both of the characters were quite annoying!
For once the conclusion was good because it tied up all of the loose ends and was relatively satisfying in that everyone had the fate that you'd expect and you felt they deserved.
Overall I'd give it 2.5 out of 5. It was just below average for me. For crime and mystery lovers, I wouldn't recommend it. However if you like to read about people's lives and their struggles and personal problems, then give it a go. It just wasn't for me.
For once the conclusion was good because it tied up all of the loose ends and was relatively satisfying in that everyone had the fate that you'd expect and you felt they deserved.
Overall I'd give it 2.5 out of 5. It was just below average for me. For crime and mystery lovers, I wouldn't recommend it. However if you like to read about people's lives and their struggles and personal problems, then give it a go. It just wasn't for me.
August 30, 2016
Thanks to the author/publisher and Netgalley for a digital copy in return for an honest review.
This really is a comedy of errors, written with such great humour as our hapless hero, fights for his marriage and his job. Enter other larger than life characters along the way which only enhance the story.
Definitely fun and lighthearted and I look forward to reading more from the author.
This really is a comedy of errors, written with such great humour as our hapless hero, fights for his marriage and his job. Enter other larger than life characters along the way which only enhance the story.
Definitely fun and lighthearted and I look forward to reading more from the author.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews