This story is set in
19th-century smalltown Canada and deals with a horrific crime. William Heath leaves his native England with his young family, eventually landing in Emden, Canada. But just as the family is feeling settled, William is accused in the local paper of embezzlement, and as the scandal peaks, William kills his family. He's sentenced to death, and the novel is taken over by a cross-section of locals—a teacher, a doctor, a boy curious about the facts of the crime—who share their thoughts about the Heaths. This story sounded intriguing and I have an affinity for Canadian novels but, neither of these facts were sufficient to save this novel. It meandered and just didn't make me care about any of the characters.
Rating: 1.5 Do NOT Recommend
