Young Manhattan mom cut down in the prime of life lands at the pearly gates with some unfinished business in a frothy whodunit liberally sprinkled with Our Towntype wisdom. Molly Marx is fuzzy on the details of her untimely demise. That her bloodied and battered body was found with her bike in a ravine near the Hudson River is indisputable. But was it an accident, suicideor murder? With the help of spiritual guide Bob, Molly visits her earthly home (located on the Upper West Side) to watch over her loved ones and figure out why anyone would want to kill her. The cast includes her casually philandering husband Barry, a self-absorbed plastic surgeon, his lupine new girlfriend Stephanie and Molly's adorable four-year-old daughter Annabel. There is also her devoted best friend Brie and her volatile twin sister Lucy, who, wracked with grief, nearly kidnaps Annabel from preschool. Molly's lover Luke is also suffering after her death, and no wonder. A sensitive photographer, he was her perfect match in and out of bed; her reluctance to leave wealthy Barry for him preoccupies both the dead Molly and the living Luke, who seems to be hiding something. Enter Hiawatha Hicks, the elegant black detective assigned to the case of the doctor's wife. Hicks finds himself, to Molly's delight, attracted to Brie, a stunning bisexual attorney recently split from her baby-averse female lover. When she isn't matchmaking, Molly finds herself reflecting on the highs and lows of her life, not liking everything she sees. Tough as it is, her new reality provides an opportunity to forgive herself and others, an essential step if she is to have any kind of closure. Koslow (Little Pink Slips, 2007) authentically details the privileged world Molly must leave behind, but her tragicomic heroine is neither tragic nor comic enough. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Molly Marx, 35, dies under questionable circumstances in Manhattan. To all appearances, she had it made married to a plastic surgeon, devoted mother of three-year-old Annabel, and work as a freelance decorating editor. While newly promoted detective Hi Hicks is investigating to determine whether she had a freak accident on her bicycle or was pushed into the Hudson, Molly is in the Duration with other souls learning the rules of the deceased. She knows what the living are thinking and can travel anywhere, only her guide, Bob, tells her that if she abuses her newfound talents, they will disappear. She follows her family and friends as they try to find out what happened to her. She knows that her husband was unfaithful and her sister jealous, and sees that her death takes quite a toll on her parents. As Molly considers her life and death, she realizes what is important. Koslow's story of  a life examined in the hereafter makes readers truly care about her protagonist, foibles and all.--Engelmann, Patty Copyright 2009 Booklist

Molly Divine Marx is dead. No one is quite sure how-murder, suicide, tragic accident?-and even Molly's own recollection doesn't explain much. Narrating this charming novel from an afterlife limbo known as the Duration, Molly follows the investigation of her death while keeping tabs on the living she left behind. Nearly everyone is a suspect: Barry, Molly's philandering plastic surgeon husband; Kitty, her controlling mother-in-law; Luke, Molly's lover; and the cabal of wifely hopefuls who line up for a shot at Barry before Molly's casket is safely in the ground. Longtime magazine editor Kos-low (Little Pink Slips) knows her way around expertly tuned phrasing, and Molly is a delightful gem of a heroine. Equal parts self-deprecating, wry and sassy, Molly is honest about her faults and easily forgiving of the others' as she reviews her life with a hearty dose of honesty and humor. Though the anticipated delicious revelation doesn't quite live up to expectations, the narrative's heavy dose of hilarity and heartbreak will win readers over. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

After the thinly veiled autobiography of Little Pink Slips, Koslow's latest novel treads on sure, fictional ground. The story is told from the perspective of Molly Marx-looking down on her loved ones from the Duration. The 35-year-old mother and decorator watches from the afterlife as a dashing detective investigates her mysterious death. The wide cast of characters includes a cheating husband and his latest girlfriend, a charming three-year-old daughter, a jealous twin sister, a scorned lover, a hovering mother-in-law, and a lesbian best friend. Which one of them is responsible for her demise? As the people in her life move on without her, Molly must reckon with the choices she made-like the ongoing affair. Ultimately, the crime is never solved-although readers find out whodunit-leaving you to wonder what the point was. Part mommy lit, part murder mystery, this novel will attract attention from Koslow's fans. Recommended for public libraries where her first novel was popular. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]-Anika Fajardo, Coll. of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.