Grievance

Lily Declan, the heroine of this touching novel set in Nashville from Bell (Saint), is still deep in mourning more than a year after her singer husband, Desmond, died of cancer, though she does her best to maintain a positive face in front of her two young sons. Inside, though, she feels hollow and finds herself looking for messages from Desmond in the song lyrics she hears on the radio. Drifting into depression, she receives a letter of condolence from a woman—Jasmine Elwin—whom neither she nor any of Desmond’s relatives has ever heard of. The letter claims an intimate knowledge of Desmond’s life. Then, on her wedding anniversary, she receives a negligee, clearly not a present anyone would send a recent widow. More intrusive actions occur, and Lily calls the police, but she fears that they may believe she’s responsible for the incidents. She realizes that she must count on her own devices to protect herself, her children, and her husband’s memory. This absorbing tale of loss unfurls like a rippling bolt of silk, keeping the reader enthralled through to the devastating denouement. (July)

This review has been corrected. An earlier version incorrectly listed the title of the author's previous book.