The Good Life

In this arresting psychological portrait of an obsessive husband and an ineffectual wife, Thurm (The Clairvoyant) dissects the lives of Roger and Stacy Goldenhar, a couple who make their home in Manhattan, where they were born in the same hospital on the same day 10 years apart. In flashbacks, Stacy works with the homeless at a nonprofit, while Roger enjoys success as a commercial real estate developer. An accidental meeting leads to romance, marriage, and two children, Olivia and Will. In the present, Stacy has no idea that Roger, who struggles to keep up appearances, is falling apart emotionally, because the two rarely communicate. The focus on Stacy and Roger means all the other characters, including Olivia and Will, pale into insignificance. Despite Stacy’s staunch support, the self-absorbed Roger pursues a solution that involves buying a gun and crafting a letter to explain the desperate act he’s about to take. The outcome will catch most readers by surprise. (Apr.)