WATERBURY WINTER

Art-theft mystery meets small-town romance in Henley’s novel.

This tale tackles midlife crises in the town of Waterbury, Connecticut, which is portrayed as a run-down but friendly place. Forty-five-year-old Barnaby Brown is an artist and recovering alcoholic who works at a hardware store, struggles to stay sober, and is trying to move on from his wife’s early death. The disappearance of his pet parrot, Popsicle, leads to a search that introduces readers to other Waterbury residents. Barnaby experiences romantic entanglements with Lisa Nettler, a friendly if overbearing social worker, and Julia Morgan, an old friend. When one of his paintings is stolen, he turns to Lisa and Julia for help, and the investigation unearths unexpected history and emotion. The resolution of the theft occurs about 100 pages in, though, as this is not a traditional crime novel. Instead, little mysteries are sprinkled throughout the book to explore characters’ mistakes in the past, their dreams for their futures, and the town’s past. In doing so, Henley makes astute observations on youth and aging, community, and the relationship between art and life. Barnaby’s life, however, revolves around his local pub, O’Malley’s, as do the liveliest moments in the novel. The regulars at this establishment, from a sympathetic bartender to a rambling college professor, ably explore different character archetypes and give the setting a sense of history. Despite the dynamic relationships depicted at O’Malley’s, the bar chatter on the value of art comes across as a bit artificial, and Barnaby and Julia’s conversations occasionally sound stilted, as if they’re explaining their relationship to readers, rather than each other. Yet the author excels at expressing the book’s larger themes through dialogue about nostalgia and youth. Overall, the book creates a suspenseful journey for characters—and readers—trying to navigate life’s big questions.

A reflective, witty, and fun story that elegantly crosses genres and addresses intriguing themes.