A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

It turns out that A Reliable Wife was the perfect book to read this week. Why, you ask? It's because it takes place in 1907 Wisconsin, which is remarkably similar to Baltimore 2010, currently suffering from Snowpocalypse: The Threequel.

The snow and cold in this book is a main theme in this book, contrasting the heat and passions lying within Ralph Truitt, his new bride Catherine and her young, feckless lover. There's murder, religious imagery, repressed sexuality, not-so-repressed sexuality, and the struggle to survive crammed in under 300 pages. It's like Goolrick took some of Jane Austen's smoldering looks and understated banter, mixed in some American Gods and then added a dose of Tana French. It all adds up to a very satisfying read, complete with twists and turns you don't see coming.