Tally Whyte is head of the Massachusetts Grief Assistance
(MGAP), a job that gives her purpose and accomplishes much
good. Housed in the same building as the coroner, Tally is
concerned when she hears of a child's body appearing at the
coroner's with the words "Sins of the Father" written on
her hand. As part of her job, Tally visits with the child's
parents and then is drawn further into the case as another
child who was missing reappears and then another child is
found dead.
As if those tragedies and mysteries weren't enough, Tally's
foster mother, Dr. Veda Barrow (who is also the Chief
Medical Examiner), is taken to the hospital. Whatever her
illness, it has affected her mind and her assistant steps
up to cover her job while Veda is ill. Tally is devastated
at the changes in Veda, as well as struggling with the
assistant, who believes the MGAP is a waste of space and
wants the program kicked out of "his" building.
It's hard to put down THE GRIEF SHOP because there are so
many subplots and intricacies; you have to see what's going
to happen next. Veda's decline is heartbreaking and the
many struggles Tally is facing (her devoted dog becomes
ill, also) seem overwhelming. The mystery is good and this
author is excellent at characterization. Tally is a strong,
wonderful, three-dimensional heroine. The only part that
sat wrong with me was Tally's sudden love interest in a
good friend, particularly when her relationship with her
out-of-town love interest is going so well. I didn't buy it
at all. But that's a small part of the book, and I can
definitely recommend this mystery.
Tally Whyte has seen a lot of dead bodies in her years with
the Massachusetts Grief Assistance Program, but this is the
first time a murder victim has been brought there by the
murderer himself. During the night, someone broke into the
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, aka the Grief Shop,
and left behind a tragic calling card--the body of a young
girl, bearing a message that reads: Sins of the Fathers.
The girl's playmate is also missing. Could she be another
victim? Or can Tally still save her before the killer
strikes again? As the mysteries multiply and Tally's life is
threatened, she scrambles to prevent yet another child from
falling prey to a madman's warped sense of justice.
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