THE UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS

The murder of her husband drives a highflier to change careers and flee to a small town—where the killing continues.

Since leaving behind a well-paying job in Manhattan, Greer Hogan works at the broodingly gothic Raven Hill Public Library in upstate New York. When the body of Joanna Goodhue lands at her feet, it brings back unsettling memories of her husband’s murder. A suspect was convicted, but Greer still has her doubts about his guilt. Greer was Joanna’s Resident Assistant at NYU, but they’d lost touch until Greer landed the library job. Unable to put her friend's murder behind her, Greer resolves to use her research skills to unearth possible motives. The police are naturally suspicious of Greer, and the husband is always high on the list of suspects, but Joanna’s death may be a good deal more complicated than it appears, with tangled roots in the past. The town is split between funding a new library and keeping the quirky old place so many love, but Greer can’t believe that quarrel could amount to a motive for murder. She’s made enough new friends to soak up gossip about the past. One of the police investigators is impressed by what she’s learned but warns her to be careful, advice she’ll ignore at her peril. As she discovers more clues, Greer is targeted by a killer desperate to avoid capture.

An angst-filled debut with plenty of red herrings and a nice setup for a sequel.