Sentence:  Shreve creates a little world, peoples it with believable characters, and puts them through agonizing and joyful moments without a <WSD>false note</WSD> or a dissonant figure of speech. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  In a remark or narrative, an indication (as discerned by the listener or reader) of untruth, insincerity, or inconsistency.