Good Intentions
- Judith D Collins
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By: Marisa Walz
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 9781250433787
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 02/03/2026
Format: Audiobook/e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ALC) (ARC)
"A stunning debut with razor-sharp tension and surprising twists." —Jeneva Rose
Even the best intentions can grow into obsession . . .
On the surface, Cady has the perfect life. She has a thriving luxury event-planning business, the man she’s loved since she was seventeen, and a social calendar she can barely keep up with. She also has Dana, her identical twin, her most trusted confidante. But when Dana dies suddenly, before Cady can say goodbye, everything shatters.
Yet to her family’s alarm, it isn’t grief for Dana that consumes her. It’s Morgan, a stranger Cady meets in the hospital waiting room that same day—a grieving mother whose tragedy mirrors her own. Cady doesn’t believe in coincidences. She becomes convinced that helping Morgan is the key to facing her sister’s death.
But is that really what she wants? Or is Cady drawn to Morgan for reasons far more complicated—and dangerous—than she’s willing to admit?aL
Sly, twisted, and irresistibly provocative, Good Intentions explores the moral gray zones we enter when the unthinkable happens—and the dark places obsession can take us.
About the Author
Marisa Walz writes books about people behaving badly. Her debut novel, Good Intentions, will be published by St. Martin's Press in February 2026.
A lifelong writer and an alum of The Writers' Loft in Chicago, Marisa's authorly aspirations started at the age of seven with her painstakingly detailed childhood diaries and some horrible poetry. In her teen years, off the avocado-green Acer in her parents' basement, she ran e-zines that regurgitated the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle advice she read about in Cosmo and Seventeen. She finally got her first paid writing gig in college as an opinion columnist and reporter for the campus newspaper, where she may or may not have fabricated a couple man-on-the-street quotes.
These days, Marisa sneaks her writing in before her two young children wake up and after they go to bed. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, kids, and a labradoodle that throws balls to itself and eats whole entire sock. WEBSITE
Praise
"Compelling. [For] readers who enjoy psychological suspense about grief, obsession, and unraveling relationships."
―Library Journal
"Good Intentions is an absolute feat of a debut. Both an honest and unflinching exploration of grief and an extremely unsettling peek into one woman's snowballing obsession, Walz has managed to create one of the most complex and morally grey characters that I have encountered in a very long time."
―Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of Forget Me Not
"A stunning debut with razor-sharp tension and surprising twists. Good Intentions is a compulsive and chilling exploration of grief, obsession, and voyeurism. Walz is an author to watch!"
―Jeneva Rose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Divorce
"Walz’s delicious debut offers a gasp-inducing wild ride that will have you racing through the pages. When Cady's sister dies in a haunting accident that flips her world upside down, it becomes clear that she has her own dark, twisted past that she can no longer ignore. With an intense pace, captivating characters, and breathtaking prose, this is a must-read for anyone who loves a heart-pounding thriller."
―Jessica Payne, author of Never Trust the Husband
"With a fast pace and a constant sense of foreboding and unease, fans of psychological suspense will be obsessed with Marisa Walz's debut. Good Intentions is a shocking, gritty exploration of grief and guilt with an ending that will leave readers stunned."
―Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing and She's Not Sorry
"I can't remember the last time I inhaled a novel as quickly and eagerly as I did Good Intentions―I simply couldn't stop flipping the pages until I reached its mind-blowing end. This is a masterfully twisty debut; psychological thriller lovers are in for a delicious treat. I can't wait to see what Walz does next."
―Carola Lovering, bestselling author of Tell Me Lies
"Eerie and provocative, Good Intentions kept me turning the pages until the last shocking twist. Marisa Walz’s debut is a captivating study of grief, obsession, and guilt for fans of domestic thrillers and Caroline Kepnes’ You. This story is a unique take on the stalker narrative and the perfect one-sitting read."
―Lauren Ling Brown, USA Today bestselling author of Society of Lies
