About LIVING DEAD GIRL

A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and picked as one of the top novels of the year by January Magazine, Living Dead Girl is now available in trade paperback from Soho Press.

Reviews:

"Tod Goldberg's striking and affecting second novel, told in the first person and in the present tense, makes smart use of the unreliable-narrator device. Paul Luden, who tells Living Dead Girl in a narrative that moves easily and poignantly between present and past, can't be completely trusted by readers -- because he can't fully trust himself. Emotionally unstable since childhood and prone to odd obsessions, he doesn't always remember what happened and can't guarantee he hasn't succumbed to violent impulses. Nevertheless, Paul -- an anthropology teacher living in Los Angeles -- persists in trying to find out what's become of his estranged wife, Molly, missing from their lake cabin in Granite Point Park, Washington. With his 19-year-old girlfriend (a would-be filmmaker), Luden drives up to look for Molly -- and for what may remain of his sanity. Goldberg is a gifted writer, poetic and rigorous. And Living Dead Girl -- be it a suspense tale, a psychological mystery or a fiction tour de force -- is a haunting book -- January Magazine

Goldberg ratchets up the suspense with a steady hand...Although Living Dead Girl is posed as a mystery, the real theme here is a psychological exploration into both the magnificent strength and barely contained fragility that resides in all of us -- and how shockingly easy it is for our resiliency to slip away when emotional trauma overwhelms the heart -- Pages Magazine

Goldberg rises above the sleazy glamour of his well received debut and takes a far deeper cut into his material. Strong stuff as the world wavers -- Kirkus Reviews

The flow of this work is simultaneously convincing, confusing, and enthralling. Anyone fascinated with the human psyche will quickly lose himself in these pages...For an engulfing, stimulating read, this is definitely the book to order -- The Mystery Review

An evocative read full of seductive prose, sharply focused characters, and a microcosmic world fraught with human sadness -- Library Journal

Tod Goldberg takes a huge risk with Living Dead Girl and it pays off...The author takes the unusual step in writing the novel by giving his main character a stream of consciousness while describing the action of the book. This means that the reader is going to be privy to every thought and sensation Paul is experiencing while he is telling the story. Several authors have tried using this narrative method in their works and failed to hold reader attention. Tod Goldberg's Living Dead Girl benefits from this literary device and gives the reader something to think about after finishing reading the book...Tod Goldberg knows how to create an impact with his latest novel -- Reviewing The Evidence

Goldberg's second novel is both a page-turner and a complex study of human relationships. Fans of psychological thrillers will find a lot to like here -- Booklist

Engrossing and atmospheric...Goldberg shows plenty of promise and may yet become a leading suspense writer -- Publishers Weekly