Mari never imagined she'd end up with someone as handsome and charming as Mason Goodridge. After six years of marriage, their relationship is far from perfect, but she refuses to give up on what they've built together. Little does she know, Mason's got other plans, and in one horrific night of discovery, her world comes crashing fatally down.
Now that MAri's gone, Mason is determined to reclaim his life on his terms, but something always gets in the way. He's gone from hometown hero to the most hated man alive, plagued by threatening phone calls and strange occurrences; his increasingly possessive mistress if off the rails; his mom is becoming dangerously suspicious; and even though Mari's death was rule and accident, the detective assigned to her case seems to believe otherwise.
No matter how hard Mason tries to control them, each woman is inching closer to a secret that, if discovered, would mean his total destruction. For one of them, that's the goal.
Mari never imagined she'd end up with someone as handsome and charming as Mason Goodridge. After six years of marriage, their relationship is far from perfect, but she refuses to give up on what they've built together. Little does she know, Mason's got other plans, and in one horrific night of discovery, her world comes crashing fatally down.
Now that MAri's gone, Mason is determined to reclaim his life on his terms, but something always gets in the way. He's gone from hometown hero to the most hated man alive, plagued by threatening phone calls and strange occurrences; his increasingly possessive mistress if off the rails; his mom is becoming dangerously suspicious; and even though Mari's death was rule and accident, the detective assigned to her case seems to believe otherwise.
No matter how hard Mason tries to control them, each woman is inching closer to a secret that, if discovered, would mean his total destruction. For one of them, that's the goal.
Marilys Daniels prided herself on being a highly punctual person, but even she had to admit she mightâve gone overboard this time. Her dinner reservation wasnât until eight, but sheâd been parked outside the restaurant since seven-fifteen, fighting the urge to turn around and go home.
Her friend, Amanda, had convinced her to come out for a blind double date with her, her fiancĂ©, and one of his single friends. Mari thought arriving early might help her get over her nerves, but the longer she sat there, the more nervous she felt. She wasnât really the âblind dateâ type. She was practically allergic to small talk, let alone small talk with a stranger sheâd never seen before under the pressure of a date, but Amanda was not an easy person to say no to.
âYou are so great, and Greg has great friends!â she insisted as they left yoga together one day. âAnd Iâm dying to get more female energy in the group. Itâs a total sausage fest!â
Mari laughed at that but remained unconvinced. âSo, basically, misery wants company?â
âExactly!â Amanda exclaimed. âAnd what better company than my very best friend and new girl in town, Mari Daniels?â
Mari rolled her eyes, but Amanda soldiered on.
âGirl, trust me! When you meet Mason, you will be thanking me. Heâs charming, heâs sexy, heâs ambitious, and heâs a really good guy!â
âThen why does he need you to fix him up?â Mari countered.
âBitch, becauuuse!â Amanda groaned, tossing her braids. âDespite being one of Gregâs smartest friends, he makes the dumbest dating choices. Heâs a sucker for blonde, big-boobed, big-lipped Insta-baddies. And even though we graduated years ago, he keeps going after these community college girls. Itâs embarrassingâŠwe need to save him!â
Mari laughed again, but internally, she was cringing. Amandaâs description of Mason was intriguing, but a man pushing thirty who was exclusively attracted to college-aged blondes didnât sound like her type in the slightest. Being the same age as him, she doubted sheâd even have a chance if that was his preference. Plus, she had dark hair, brown skin, and pretty standard B-cups. The odds were not in her favor.
âHe doesnât sound like he wants saving,â she pushed back.
âThen save me!â Amanda threw her hands in the air. âI canât talk to these girls! I mean, theyâre fine or whatever. Iâm sure theyâre good people, but thereâs never much below the surface, and Mason always ends up in some annoying, immature drama that Greg and I get sucked into. Itâs so annoying. I swear, sometimes it feels like weâre back in college, you know? Plus,â Amanda leaned in. âI think heâs bored with the women in this town, and youâre new and exciting! Youâre fresh meat! I think heâs going to like you. Youâre just what he needs.â
âHow do I not already know this friend of Gregâs if he went to Wazzu with us?â
âHe didnât go there with us,â Amanda clarified. âI just mean it feels like weâre all back in undergrad when he brings those girls around. Heâs actually an Eastview townie. He and Greg grew up together. But donât worry, heâs not a deadbeat,â she added quickly, noting the look on Mariâs face.
âGreg actually said he was kind of a big deal around town when they were younger. Super popular and all that. He just, you know, has a little growing up to do.â
âAmanda, I donât want to date someone who isnât a grown-up already,â Mari replied seriously. âWhy would you want that for me?â
âJust meet us for dinner and see for yourself,â Amanda insisted. âIt doesnât have to be a double date; think of it as us helping you make new friends in town. If you donât like each other, you can go home after, and you never have to see him again. And you can tell me to fuck off if Iâm wrong⊠but Iâm not,â she grinned.
Mari knew her friend well enough to understand that any further resistance would be futile. âFine. You win. For now.â
Despite her misgivings, it was worth saying yes for Mari to see the way Amanda lit up. Between excited squeals, she gave Mari the date, time, and location but refused to say anything more about Mason or even show her a picture of him.
âAnd donât try to look him up online, or Iâll kill you,â she warned. âI donât need you talking yourself out of it before you even meet him like I know you will.â
Since then, Mari had done her best to be cool about the whole thing, especially after Amanda shamed her so accurately for her potential premeditative misbehavior. She told herself whatever would be, would be, but now double-date night was upon her, and she was spiraling faster with every passing minute. As she reached for her phone to recheck the time, it buzzed with an incoming call. She saw the ID and answered immediately.
âHi, Mom.â
âHi, lovey,â Meena Daniels replied. Her voice was slightly more wavery than usual.
Mari sat forward, instantly alert. âWhatâs wrong? Are you okay?â
âOf course, baba, of course! Everything is fine!â Meena answered brightly, then paused. âActually, I was just feeling a little bit down, so I thought Iâd call and see what you were doing.â
âOh. Well, Iâm good. Everythingâs fine here,â Mari replied, allowing herself to relax a little. âWhy were you feeling down?â
There was a long pause. âDid I ever tell you Mikul was conceived on this date?â
Mari smiled and shook her head. Mikul was her older brother whoâd been killed by a drunk driver when she was little. Meenaâs grief over the loss of her son shaped the rest of Mariâs childhood, and to this day, Meena often relied on her daughter for grounding whenever memories of her son threatened to unmoor her. Mari was twelve the first time Meena shared this particular story, and sheâd heard it enough times since to get over the weirdness of it. Most people would probably rather die than hear about the night their parents made a baby, but patching her mother up right now was a welcome distraction from Mariâs own current anxiety. âTell me again,â she said warmly.
âWell, when we first got married, your dad and I were working a lot, but we made a deal that every second Tuesday of every month, no matter what, weâd have a date night. We went to this beautiful little old-school Italian restaurant⊠you know, the kind with the candles that melt down all over the wine bottles? Anyway, we had dinner, and then⊠wellâŠâ Meena faltered. âI guess thatâs all. Just a regular date night between your dad and me, and then there was MikeyâŠâ she trailed off absently, lost in her memories.
âItâs a nice story, Mom,â Mari smiled into the phone. âDo you feel a little better?â
âYes, IââI think I do,â Meena replied, returning to the conversation. Her voice was stronger. âThank you, beloved.â
âYouâre welcome, Mom.â They sat silently on the phone for a long time, feeling their feelings together.
âSo, what are you up to, darling?â Meena finally asked.
âActually, Iâm about to go on a date,â Mari declared, sounding much more excited than she felt.
Meena gasped with delight. âA first date?â
âMmhhm.â
âOh, thatâs wonderful, baba! On a second Tuesday! What a good sign. Maybe heâll be your forever person, just like your dad and me! Who is he?â
âI donât know. Itâs a blind date. Amanda set it up. All I know is his name is Mason.â
Meena gasped again. âAnother M! Oh Mari, heâd fit right in with us. I like the sound of this.â
âEasy, Mom, letâs not get ahead of ourselves, okay?â Mari kept her voice level, but her motherâs reaction sent a fresh shot of panic through her system. Sheâd been so worried about the threat of rejection by this mystery guy that sheâd failed to consider the opposite possibility. What if Mason was âThe Oneâ? Was she ready for that? At first, the idea was as terrifying as the possibility of rejection, but the longer she considered it, the more excited she began to feel.
âI didnât know you were dating again,â Meena replied. Mari could practically hear her mother pouting through the phone. These were the kinds of updates she was used to getting without having to ask. âI thought you were taking a break after the last few didnât work out.â
âI was,â Mari replied. âI mean, I am...â she added, cringing at memories of her most recent dating disasters.
It had been so long since sheâd last gone on a good date that Mari swore off the practice a while ago, choosing to focus on herself instead. It wasnât a happy choice. Moving to Eastview, Washington was supposed to be the beginning of Mariâs fairytaleââan idyllic Pacific Northwestern nesting ground for her to build the domestic life of her dreamsââbut so far, trying to date here was a dismal experience. She tried dating apps for a little while, but everyone she met was either painfully dull, creepily over-sexed, acting utterly insane in her DMs, or ghosting her entirely. Mari did her best to play the game, but she always came away pining for the good old days when youâd bump into someone great in a store or at a bar.
Or through mutual friends, she thought. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered excitedly.
âThis is just a one-off because Amanda wouldnât take no for an answer,â she told Meena, shooing them away.
âYou know, you could always come back to Chicago,â Meena offered. âThe city is full of nice young men who would be great for you! You donât have to stay with us, of course, but you could until you find your own place. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Rocco around the corner are selling their house! It could be a nice starter home for you. Your dad and I could help out with the down payment.â
âNice try, Mom,â Mari smiled ruefully.
Leaving her parents in Chicago to go to Washington State was one of the hardest things sheâd ever done, and while she often felt guilty about separating from them, it wasnât enough to compel her to return. After grad school, theyâd tried to entice her back home, but once Mari had gotten a taste of independence, there was no going back. Instead, she had allowed Amanda to convince her to try out Eastview, a small but fast-developing town near Portland that was attracting lots of recent grads ready to jumpstart the rest of their lives, just like her.
âNo, really,â Meena persisted, âI can call the Roccos in the morning. I bet theyâd be happy to sell to us!â
âDonât call the Roccos, Mom.â Mari kept her voice gentle but firm. âI donât want to move back to Chicago. My life is here now, okay?â
Meena sighed. âIt would just be nice to have you close again.â
âI know, Mom, but Iâm right here, arenât I?â
âYes. Yes, you are, beloved,â Meena conceded, changing the subject. âSo, what time is your date?â
Mariâs eyes darted anxiously to the dashboard clock. âTen more minutes.â
âAnd you have no idea who he could be? What about Amandaâs Instagram?â
âI promised I wouldnât look.â
âWell, I didnât promise. Let me seeâŠâ
Mari listened indulgently while her mom went through her social media. Meena was linked with all of Mariâs closest friends online, but it didnât bother Mari at all. She liked having all her loved ones connected.
âHmm, there isnât any Mason tagged in her pictures,â Meena murmured as she examined Amandaâs profile.
âWell, heâs Gregâs friend, not hers,â Mari explained. âThey grew up together here in Eastview.â
âOh, her fiancĂ©?â Meena asked. âI donât think Iâve met him. His profile is private⊠there.â
Mari chuckled quietly as her mother added Greg as a friend and made a mental note to explain the random request when she saw him.
âOh, heâs very handsome, good for Amanda,â Meena continued. âI didnât realize he was from Eastview⊠and this Mason is, too⊠ah, I see.â
âSee what, Mom?â Mari sat up straighter. âDid Greg add you back already? You found Mason?â
âNo, I see that if this works out, you really arenât ever coming back to Chicago,â Meena clarified wistfully.
âOh, Mom,â Mari laughed, feeling her tension dissipate.âListen, itâs time for me to go. Wish me luck, okay?â
âOkay, good luck, baba. I love you.â
âLove you too, bye.â Mari waited until her mom disconnected the call before she put the phone down. Her nerves returned in full force as soon as she was alone with her thoughts again.
âGet a grip, Marilys,â she whispered as she flipped the sun visor down to check her makeup in the mirror one last time.
A moment later, her phone pinged with a text from Amanda, letting her know theyâd arrived. She checked the timeâ7:57 p.m.âjust long enough to take a few deep breaths, touch up her lip gloss, and walk in casually late.
Gathering her purse under one arm, Mari stepped out of her car and turned resolutely towards the restaurant. It was an unusually warm night, and as she walked across the parking lot, a full moon shone brightly overhead. In her mind, she heard her motherâs voice declaring it yet another good omen. She noticed jasmine flowers spilling out of planters near the restaurantâs entrance, filling the air with their romantic scent. With each step forward, Mari felt an increasingly powerful sensation of being drawn in like a magnet; she had the strangest feeling that she was walking toward her destiny.
Her stomach lurched when she noticed a tall man with a broad, handsome face and wavy, golden hair approaching from the opposite direction. His piercing green eyes gave the impression of a hungry tiger stalking toward her. Mari nearly stopped in her tracks. She wondered if this was Mason, and if so, should she introduce herself? Then again, what if she did and it wasnât him? Even if this wasnât her date, Mari had absolutely no desire to embarrass herself in front of this⊠specimen.
While she was busy stewing about the impending interaction, he reached the door first and held it open for her with a dazzling smile. She smiled back and thanked him politely as she went past, hoping she didnât look as nervous as she felt. Inside the restaurant, she spotted Greg and Amanda waiting near the hostess stand.
âI see you two found each other!â Amanda beamed.
Mari glanced back at the man, who had followed her closely into the restaurant. He was taller than she realized; she had to tilt her head back to look at his face.
âYouâre Mason,â she murmured. It was meant to be a question, though it came out more like an awed statement. Her face flushed with embarrassment. She was sure her cheeks were glowing neon red.
Mason graciously pretended not to notice. âGuilty,â he replied with an easy smile. "Mason Goodridge.â He took her in boldly from head to toe. Mari was so busy melting under his appraisal that she forgot her own name. She started to put her hand out, but he surprised her by leaning in for a hug. His scent made her dizzy. âItâs great to meet you, Mari. You look great; I like your dress.â
Mari barely had time to mumble her thanks before the hostess announced their table was ready. As they followed her through the dining room, Mari felt Masonâs hand on her lower back, guiding her forward. At the table, she eased herself into the chair he pulled out for her, grateful to be off her legs, which were quickly turning to jelly. As Mason settled beside her, his arm brushed against hers, sending a crackle of electricity through her.
While everyone busied themselves with their menus, Mari used the next few moments to calm down and think of something interesting to say. By the time the server left with their drink orders, she was back in control. She turned to Mason, prepared to strike up a conversation, only to find him gazing intently at her. She stared back, determined to keep her wits about her.
âSo, Marilys. Thatâs an interesting name.â His voice was deep and assuring, and his eyes were such a mesmerizing shade of green that, for a moment, she forgot she was meant to respond.
âWhat? Oh, thanks, my dad picked it. It means âshining seaâ or âbeautiful seaâ? Depends, I guess. My parents had this deal that since my mom named my brother, my dad could name me. My momâs name is Meena. It means âfishâ in Hindi, or, um, âeyes that are like a fishâ? Beautiful like a fish, not weird. Unless you think fish eyes are weird⊠I guess they kind of are. Anyway, my dad thought it was a nice pairingââthe names. And since my brother had an Indian name, they gave me an Anglo one. My brother was named Mikul. It meant âfriend.â My mom is Indian, my dad is white. We all called him Mikey. My brother, I mean, not my dad. Mikey was my brother.â Mari cut herself off, finally realizing the horrifying extent of her ramble.
At that moment, their drinks arrived, and Mari accepted hers gratefully. She sipped from her glass and forced herself to get a grip. Mason seemed like a great catch so far, but she reminded herself that she was, too. There was no need to be this flustered, just because he was beautiful.
âSorry, thatâs a much longer story than you asked for, isnât it?â She laughed and shook her head, feeling more like herself.
Mason smiled. âThatâs okay. It was a nice story.â They were the same words sheâd offered her mother earlier on the phone; his tone was the same, too. He was trying to put her at ease. Mari melted all over again.
âSo, half-Indian,â Mason continued. âI guess that explains why youâre so beautiful.â
It was a complete line, one sheâd heard a million times before, but it felt different coming from him. Blushing again, she retreated into her wineglass for a much-needed break from his intense charm, but his attention didnât waver from her face.
âYou said your brother was named?â Mason asked.
âOh. Right.â Mari set her glass down gently. âHe, uh⊠he died when he was fifteen. Drunk driver. I was ten.â
Masonâs expression softened. âIâm so sorry.â
âThanks. Itâs okay. It was a long time ago.â
âEven so. You must miss him a lot.â
âI do, but⊠itâs weird. He was my brother, and obviously I knew him, and I loved him, and I miss him, but⊠I was so young. Iâm just as accustomed to living without him as I was to him being here. Does that make sense?â
Mason nodded. âYeah, it does.â
Mari nodded back, encouraged. âMy parents took it a lot harder than me. That was the worst part. My mom completely disappeared.â
âYour mom left you?â Mason asked, horrified.
âOh, no, not literally,â Mari replied quickly. âI mean, she disappeared into herself. She went kind of catatonic. It took a while, and it wasnât easy, but my dad and I managed to get her back eventually. Sheâs okay now.â
âThatâs a lot to ask of a ten-year-old,â Mason observed. âYou must be incredibly strong.â
âWell, I canât lift a bus, but I could probably kick your ass if I needed to,â she joked.
Mason smiled with understanding. âI promise Iâll never give you a reason to.â There was so much care in his voice that, even though theyâd only met a few minutes ago, Mari had the disorienting feeling that theyâd known each other for years.
âThatâs a big promise to make on a first date,â she mused.
âWell, if I break it, youâll kick my ass, right?â Mason winked.
Mari considered him, feeling suddenly skeptical. âYou know, most men would find that off-putting.â
Mason frowned. âFind what off-putting?â
Mari shrugged. âMost men seem to lose interest if a woman comes off too strong.â
âWeak men,â Mason snorted, then looked her up and down appreciatively. âYou shouldnât have to hide yourself like that. You certainly donât for me. So far, I like you in all your glory.â The twinkle in his eye nearly knocked Mari off her chair. She felt a strange and sudden swell of emotion threatening to overtake her. She needed to change the subject.
âDo you have any siblings?â she asked.
âNah, only child,â Mason obliged, easily picking up her cue. Mari marveled at his sensitivity. âUnless you count that idiot over there,â he added, grinning at Greg, who was wrapped up in conversation with Amanda. Mari had almost forgotten they were there.
âAh, so youâre a big brat, huh?â she teased. Something dark flickered across Masonâs expression, so fleeting Mari wasnât even sure sheâd seen it, but it was enough to send a small jolt of alarm through her. âIâm just kidding,â she added quickly, but the damage seemed to have been done. The atmosphere between them chilled.
Mason had leaned closer as they were talking, so his face was now only inches from hers. Mari held herself still while he studied her with an unreadable expression. She smiled uncertainly, but he didnât smile back. She scolded herself for speaking so carelessly. Just when she was sure sheâd blown the entire evening, as suddenly as clouds parting to reveal the sun, Mason morphed back into himself.
âWell, letâs just say Iâve pretty much always gotten whatever I wanted,â he laughed. Those green eyes twinkled mischievously.
Mari was speechless. Masonâs change in demeanor was so sudden, she felt as though she were witnessing two people in one body. A vague instinct tugged at the back of her skull, but it was drowned out by relief flooding her heart. She had the sense that sheâd just narrowly escaped being devoured by him, and as she took in his glittering smile, she realized a part of her wanted to be.
âWell, first time for everything, right?â she parried.
Mason didnât reply, but the way he looked at her was electric. Mari began to feel overwhelmed by his intensity again, and though she didnât want to be the first to look away, she was forced to break eye contact in order to breathe. She caught Amanda watching them from across the table with a victorious grin.
For the rest of the evening, the conversation flowed effortlessly among the four friends. Mason and Mari got to know each other easily. Everything Amanda had told her about him was trueââhe was intelligent, funny, engaging, and totally at ease with her. Occasionally, the light scent of his citrusy cologne would drift past Mariâs nose, and her stomach would growl with a hunger that had nothing to do with food. Over and over that night, she caught him studying her intently and was startled by his attentiveness.
Mari was used to fighting for connection with guys who were barely half-interested. This was so unlike any date sheâd ever been on before that she began to fear Mason was too good to be trueââtoo smooth, too gorgeous, too⊠into her. All sheâd ever wanted was to be seen back by someone, to be attended to, and now, here was Mason, looking at her like some buried treasure heâd just unearthed. His appreciation for her was intoxicating.
As the evening drew to a close and Mason kissed her by her car under the full moon, Mari realized two things: first, sheâd spent her whole life searching for a connection she didnât actually believe existed until she felt it with Mason, and second, that her search was finally over.
I've always enjoyed psychological thrillers, but I have a particular interest in alternating viewpoints between the potential victim and the serial killer, as well as books that pivot into the point of view of a victorious killer. The Plot and The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz come to mind, as well as the dramatic relationship shift in Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, and even the reveal in Delia Owens' Where the Crawdads Sing. I just find these glimpses inside the stalker or serial killer's mind and motiviations in psychological thrillers to be very interesting, and I'm excited to see more books capturing it.
What's Coming to You by Shivani Jai does not shy away from the dramatic shift by moving between Marilys (Mari) Daniels and her eventual husband, Mason Goodridge, but with a special twist that you'll have to uncover for yourself!
The story opens with Mari getting set up for a blind date by her friend, Amanda, who's eager for a change in scenery and relationship politics. Mari's clearly not sure about it, but between her friend pressuring her to go and her grieving mother basically seeing it as divine intervention between the guy's name and the date on which they were having a blind date, she decides to honor the women in her life and give the date a chance.
Mari even walked into the date feeling apprehensive, at least until she caught sight of the guy she'd been set up with. The whole first date is a little unsettling as Mason asks Mari a lot of very personal questions that feel like they should come a little later in the dating process, but his closeness and intimacy work for her. To be perfectly honest with you, fellow reader, red flags were waving in my mind from the very first page, between how hard Mari was being pushed in this world and how quickly she gets sucked into Mason's world, and I could not help but expect something bad to happen.
Fast forward to Mari and Mason being married, and while their relationship isn't perfect, Mari's eager to continue to work on their relationship and to salvage what they've built together. Terribly and unfortunately for Mari, Mason clearly has other plans, which you can probably gather simply from the genre.
The rest of the story follows the aftermath of Mason's choices and actions, and the process of more people discovering that there might be more to Mari's demise than a tragic accident. What I couldn't help but think about was the possibility of other people being involved, and how that might explain why they were so eager for Mari to pair up with Mason, but I won't disclose here if there's any weight to that theory, since I don't want to give you any spoilers. Let me just say, between Mason's psychological turmoil, the external pressures and theories, and more twists and turns you're probably not expecting (yet), you are in for a ride that I did not see coming!
Though the language occasionally felt a little stilted, I thought this was an incredibly fun and interesting read, and certainly immersive into one of the many twisted minds existing on the other side of the psychological thriller. If you're looking for a refreshing, surprising point of view on a common trope, What's Coming to You by Shivani Jai is an excellent, excellent choice.