Things We Once Held Dear

Basic story. Man moved to the big city (NYC) from small town 20+ years ago. His wife has died and he decides to go back home to help a cousin renovate the family home into a bed and breakfast. Once back you find that there is still a mystery surrounding the murder of a family member and the reemergence of a love interest.

I read this book for a discussion group and I wasn't impressed. Not that it's a bad book but it just didn't capture me. It's categorized as Inspirational Fiction or a Gentle Read or whatever name a library or bookstore gives to Christian Fiction; although the author, Ann Tatlock, does not have any heavy handed messages. Truth is an overiding theme not treated within any particular religious context. The only "religious" theme is 'life' after death which enters more toward the end of the book.
All of that aside, I just wasn't grabbed by any of the characters or their stories. It's part historical novel with some mystery and a little bit of a love story thrown in. It takes place in Mason, Ohio, which is interesting if you're familiar with the southeastern part of the state.

This one is better for a quick-reading story rather than an indepth book discussion.