Review: Quite Intricate Plot, Interesting Characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 10, 2014
Young Hannah had a comfortable  life with her widowed mother, happy times on the the Jersey shore painting and enjoying the company of Johnny, the boy she assumed she would marry once they grew up.  After Johnny left for prep school and college their regular correspondence slowed and Becky finished school, enamored with her art and dreams of becoming a famous painter, encouraged by her teacher, a Frenchman, who had developed a great fondness for her.  Suddenly her life took a dramatic turn for the worst and the entire family was uprooted as they moved to remote High Bend, CO, to live with her maternal uncle.Set in the 1890's this combination mystery, coming of age, and blooming romances has a fast-moving plot, told through the various viewpoints and voices of the many characters.  It may seem that there are too many characters to keep track of yet by the conclusion of the story, each one plays a significant part.  Very few edit mistakes which would have improved the book if a final polishing edit.  There was a staccato or choppy feeling to the introductory chapters of the book  but as the plot became more intricate that became much less noticeable.This is basically clean book with no real foul language, a destitute prostitute and a house of ill-repute play a significant role in plot development, though she is not  a major character.  I can recommend this book with some caution for younger readers.