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Tips for Living by Renée Shafransky
Blurb
On the day Nora discovered that her husband, Hugh, had gotten another woman pregnant, she made a vow: I will come back to life no matter how long it takes…
It’s taken Nora three years. With the help of her best friend, she fled New York City for a small resort town, snagged a job as the advice columnist for the local paper, and is cautiously letting a new man into her life. But when Hugh and his perfect new family move into a house nearby, Nora backslides. Coping with jealousy, humiliation, and resentment again is as hard as she feared. It’s harder still when Hugh and his wife are shot to death in their home.
If only Nora could account for the night of the murders. Unfortunately, her memories have gone as dark as her fantasies of revenge. But Nora’s not the only one with a reason to kill—and as prime suspect in the crime, she’d better be able to prove it.
Review
I don't know what made me chose this book to read (except that the cover was intriguing and a little chicklit-ish - but only a little, and to be fair I don't think the cover does this book justice at all), because this isn't my usual type of book, which was clear from reading the blurb. It's a thriller/suspense/whodunnit, but once I started it I had trouble putting it down, and as I became more invested in Nora, the more I was uncertain whether she did actually did it or not.
It was well-written, with plenty of red herrings, and lots of twists. I enjoyed the characters, Nora especially, and loved the backstory. And if I was Nora, think I might have been hard pushed not to want my ex dead under those circumstances too.
About the Author
Renée Shafransky is a writer and psychotherapist. She has written screenplays for major motion picture studios and teleplays for HBO and PBS. Her articles and essays have appeared in various publications including The Village Voice, Condé Nast Traveler and The Southampton Review. Ms. Shafransky currently practices as a psychotherapist in New York City and Sag Harbor, where she makes her home. Tips for Living is her first novel.
