Just Jennifer

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman (Ballantine Books, January 2013)

In the remote Adirondack village of Wedeskyull, New York, Nora Hamilton wakes up one snowy morning to find her policeman husband hanging in their basement.  Brendan, by all appearances, was a solid husband, was looking to start a family with Nora and was a steady, stable policeman.  Nora finds it impossible to believe that Brendan committed suicide and begins to learn more about his life before her, uncovering a town full of secrets that date back to Brendan’s childhood.  Nora learns that Brendan was prescribed sleeping pills a week before his death, leading people to believe his death was premeditated.  A mother-in-law, who is distant at best toward Nora, though most often cold, hides secrets from decades ago; secrets that may help Nora discover what drove Brendan to kill himself.  The more Nora learns about her husband and life in Wedeskyull, with the help of a local newspaper reporter, the more she realizes she didn’t know Brendan as well as she thought.  As secrets are uncovered and revealed, life in an idyllic town begins to unravel and more people will be hurt before all the truths are exposed and Nora feels she is able to give rest to Brendan.  Well-drawn characters and a solid setting add to the intricate plot of this first novel by Morristown resident Milchman.