Book review: ‘Good Intentions’ a darkly witty debut about grief gone wrong

There’s an old saying that the “road to hell is paved with good intentions,” and that certainly seems to be the case for the narrator in Marisa Walz’s debut novel, which is aptly titled “Good Intentions.”

Cady is a luxury event planner whose life is upended by tragedy. The story unfolds through her eyes, as grief sends her spiraling on a dark, twisty road into a metaphorical hell.

She fixates on a woman she meets in a hospital waiting area who is dealing with her own tragic loss. Eventually, she becomes friends with Morgan – sort of. But Cady’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and her relationship with Morgan starts to affect her marriage, her career and more.

Cady’s actions are sinister, but she insists she’s just trying to help. And you almost want to believe her, because her narration is so charming and witty.

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Like this spot-on observation about winter: “As far as I’m concerned, February is the Wednesday of the Midwest winter – three months of cold and gray under the belt, another three looming ahead. I mean, what is there to love about five o’clock sunsets and snow that’s no longer clean or pretty?”

Her musings on marriage and family are equally entertaining. This is how she describes her deteriorating relationship with her husband, Matt, as he works from home to try to help her through the loss: “Now look at us. Matt, tiptoeing around his offer to get my car fixed. Me, driven to the outskirts of my sanity by the sound of his Teams chat alerts.”

And when she has an emotional outburst in front of her parents and other family members, she resigns herself to a fate that readers might find familiar: becoming the subject of gossip.

“I went to the living room, knowing full well I would become the new topic of conversation, and sat on the couch while they talked in hushed voices in the kitchen.”

Walz studied journalism for a time and wrote for her campus newspaper at Northern Illinois University. That background comes through in her writing style, which is vivid and descriptive without being overly wordy.

The action unfolds over the course of one year, beginning and ending with Feb. 14. Walz expertly ratchets up the tension throughout, so that by the time you reach the second Valentine’s Day, it’s impossible to stop reading.

As Cady’s compulsion intensifies, so does the reader’s desire to figure out the answer to one key question: Why is she doing all this?

All is eventually revealed in a satisfying ending that sheds some much-needed light on that question. But as with any good book, bigger questions remain for readers to consider -- about the nature of good vs. evil, grief, family and relationships.

Ultimately, taking this journey with Cady -- and coming to your own conclusions about these overarching questions -- is a good way to pass the time as we head into “the Wednesday of the Midwest winter.”