I'm thrilled to have received this glowing review from Robin Agnew at Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Makes all those months (*ahem* years) of tearing one's hair out seem worthwhile!
"If I were pressed, I would have to say this was my favorite book of the year—in my initial review I said that the best books are read with a lump in your throat, thanks to a combination of emotion, narrative and character. The third in Hart's fine Nora Gavin series, this is just such a book. Hart's time off has matured and deepened her writing even more—which is saying a lot. In this one she weaves together myth and metaphor to tell the surface-simple story of Nora returning home to Minnesota from Ireland to find out who was responsible for her sister's five year old murder. Grief and distance have created an estrangement between Nora and her parents; she's coming home to old family entanglements that have to be dealt with as well. Hart is a writer who has many similarities to Elizabeth George, P.D. James, Louise Penny and Deborah Crombie, with a similar skill set of complex character development and a story that accumulates more depth as the book progresses. She also shares some of Penny's poetry. This is a compelling and well crafted story of grief and attachment, highlighted by lovely writing. Welcome back to a major talent."
— Robin Agnew, Aunt Agatha's Mystery Books
Read all of Robin's Top Ten for 2010 reviews at Aunt Agatha's website.
