David Harwood, a character Barclay readers may remember, needs a fresh start after losing his wife and his job as a reporter. He moves back home to Promise Falls hoping to spend more time with his young soon. He begins working at a small newspaper, only to find more disappointment, and we watch his world get more and more complicated when he goes to visit his cousin Maria. David is surprised to find a baby in her house since she is still getting over the loss of a stillborn child. She claims this baby is a gift from an "angel," and our story begins to take shape.
The addition of side stories and a few too many characters had me wishing for a bit more editing, but Barclay seemed to do a good job keeping us believing in all the craziness surrounding David and his son. I like this author enough to give him a one-time pass on what I find most perturbing in a book. In order to get the reader hooked on the thought of this book's sequel, he left the ending a bit unfinished for me. I like a book that answers all the questions instead of leaving me vaguely dissatisfied while waiting a year for answers.
On the whole I do recommend this book and Barclay's small town descriptions. After all, what fun is a small town without murders, rapes, kidnappings and the requisite spooky Ferris wheel.
Definitely a fun read on a rainy Saturday.
- Beverly
Publisher - NAL
Date of Publication - July 28, 2015