The GoodLife

Keith Scribner has written both a psychological drama and a suspense thriller in his first novel. The Goodlife, based on an actual event, begins with the kidnapping of a chemical company executive and follows the crime over a three day period. The plot unfolds through the points of view of the five main characters, moving the story forward, from different directions, to it's completion. This is a very complex, yet readable,... Read Full Review

This book deserves to be on everyone's "must read" list, including Oprah's. Keith Scribner begins with an ordinary middle-aged suburban couple, Theo and Colleen, who are full of baby-boomer dreams and reality failures. Then he has them perform a most extraordinary act - kidnapping a petrochemical executive in order to get what they have always rightfully deserved, an $18.5 million ransom. The story is told from five... Read Full Review

Every one or two years, I find a book that I read in one sitting. This was one of those rare finds. I bought it for no reason other than I liked the look of it and thought that the subject matter referenced on the cover copy sounded interesting. 267 or so pages later, I put the book down and sat there for a minute in awe. This book is such a great commentary on the disease of "get rich quick" mentality of this country... Read Full Review

I was impressed by the intricacy of the plot and the wonderfully drawn characters, each unique in their pathos. Kidnapping is nothing to laugh about, but Scribner's prose is so pointed and at times, wicked, I couldn't help myself. This book is a page-turner on many levels. From his arch observations to the riveting dialog, Scribner's writing is superb. I think this debut novel is the beginning of an impressive career.

This is a diturbing and powerful book -- a real condemnation of these shallow times -- and yet it is moving, too. I hope we see more from this young writer.