Motherless

Readers looking for an eerie, multilayered tale whose mysteries aren’t fully revealed until the end will find it in Healy’s newest novel. She’s well known for her creepy novels (Never Let You Go), and this one won’t disappoint. But be prepared for confusion about who is dead and who isn’t, about who is describing what events, and who is speaking to whom. Garrett Becker is certain he sees his wife on the street, but Misty has been dead for almost 17 years, an apparent suicide whose body was lost in the ocean. Garrett’s attempt to reach her ends in tragedy, leaving his two children alone in the world. Enter Sara Rochester, Misty’s cousin, whose guilt leads her to connect with and help care for Marina, 20, and Dylan, 16. Secrets are legion and revealed slowly as Healy unwinds this convoluted, often confusing, somewhat disjointed tale that ends on an oddly satisfying note. Agent: Meredith Smith, Creative Trust. (Nov.)