I became an immediate Darcie Chan fan with The Mill River Recluse, the story of how an agoraphobic woman in a small Vermont town spent her time helping those in need. This book is the sequel, and again finds the people of Mill River in a tough situation.
Rose and Emily come back to Mill River after their mother, Josie, dies. The two have been estranged for years (we find out why toward the end of the book). Their mother's dying wish is for the two of them to become close again, and so she has arranged a very unusual will that requires the two of them to work together in order to find the key to her safe deposit box.
In the mean while, school teacher Claudia is feeling very insecure about her relationship with police officer Kyle, who seems to be spending a lot of time with the glamorous Emily.
The people of Mill River feel very real to me; there aren't any flat characters among the main population. Even the priest, Father O'Brien, has his foibles.
This is not a short book, but it felt like a fast read. I simply didn't want to put it down. That's just how good it is.
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