Here's what they say, in their Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, July 29, 2011:
"Thacker, Becky. Faithful unto Death. Univ. of Michigan. Aug. 2011. c.284p. ISBN 9780472034697. pap. $22.95. MYSTERY
Did solid, dependable William Henry Thacker really poison his beloved wife, Anna, with arsenic? His children deny it, but the Congregationalist town of Benzonia turns its collective back on him, convicting him with dispatch in this highly detailed portrayal of late 19th-century rural Michigan. Scrolling through the family's story, readers are invited to evaluate the evidence and speculate about what goes on behind closed doors. Poor Henry was burdened by having his sickly and venomous sister-in-law Charlotte living with them, but he also had a crush on the family's housekeeper, a collegiate Jezebel. In a staunchly religious community, how things appear can be enough to turn the tide. It's up to Roy, Ralph, and Lottie to figure out how to rectify a wrong, even if they can't solve the crime.
Verdict Authentic atmosphere and a remarkable portrayal of brave children make for a good read. There's more here than you'll ever need to know about arsenic poisoning, but the courtroom scenes are riveting. Drawing on her own family history, Thacker offers a crime story with Midwestern gothic overtones, not unlike Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Regional collections will want.—Teresa Jacobsen, formerly with Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA"
I'm so delighted with this--not everyone gets such kind treatment from the LJ!
-becky t-
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