Thaw

by Nicole Lundrigan

The repercussions of Hazel Boone’s lifelong weakness for temptation percolates down through generations wounding everyone in her path, including her son, the painter David Boone and his young apprentice, Tilley Gover. During a winter of constriction nearly seventy years after her birth, these familiar strangers from Cupboard Cove are still reeling. When Hazel’s heat finally cools, healing can begin for David and Tilley.

339 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

“Lundrigan’s skillfully balanced blend of psychological thriller and haunting coming-of-age story is infused with creepy, small-town atmospheric suspense. . . . [Her] writing is both elegant and darkly humorous, delivering bareknuckle social commentary that will appeal to fans of Gillian Flynn, Karin Fossum, and Laura Lippman.”
Booklist, Starred review

Nicole is the author of eight novels including THE SUBSTITUTE, HIDEAWAY, and AN UNTHINKABLE THING. Her work has been selected as a Top 10 pick by Canada’s national newspaper the Globe & Mail, a top 100 on amazon.ca, a top 10 by Now Magazine, and was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award (best crime novel).

If you'd like to connect with Nicole, you can do so through her website.

Reviews

[Ruth Seeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the microcosm of Cupboard Cove, Nfld., Lundrigan creates a cast of unforgettable characters who are all too human and all too flawed. One way or the other, most of them prove they're capable of learning from the mistakes of their past and struggle for a redemption that's uneasily achieved. In scope and sweep, Thaw reminds me in some ways of Jack Hodgins' The Invention of the World and bolsters the contention that it's Canada's two coasts that produce our most exciting writers.

[David]

In many ways very sad, but not without hope. Again, Lundrigan has "da vyces, buddeh, Lard Jaysus," down to a T. I feel much the same way about this one as I did about her earlier Unravelling Arva : much of what I find difficult to like may be a limitation of my own rather than that of the narrative. There are some powerful symbolic motifs of light and shadow playing throughout this one, and, of course, of freeze and thaw.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I was so caught up in the world of rural Newfoundland that I been talkin' Newfinese since readin' it b'y. The characters are real and likeable, though some have few redeeming qualities (Hazel!). The story comes together in the end in a hauntingly wonderful way.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up in the poverty of a small maritime island, there was just so much I could relate to. Things happen in such isolation, stories get buried, myths grow and, sometimes, after years of silence and finally unravelling, people heal.

[Melissa Cunning · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a bitter disappointment this book was. It was over 300 pages of randomness. I kept reading and reading just hoping to find the point of the story, but sadly I never did.

[Trudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was a wonderful surprise! I purchased this book from the clearance table at my local used book store. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I wasn't familiar with the author. But she is a Canadian writer, so right there, that bodes well. This novel, set in small-town Newfoundland, is full of local flavour, flawed characters, secrets, suspense, and twists. The story is very believable, the writing is good, and the author keeps the narrative flowing nicely. My only question, after I finished reading this, was why on earth would this be on the clearance table? I will definitely be searching for additional titles by this author.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Nicole Lundrigan got the rhythm and timing just right between the present and the past; sometimes an author makes it confusing. She writes in 3rd person and the characters are all very believable in all their flaws. Hazel Boone has a son David who moves back to the small town in Nfld where he was born. Tilford lives in the house now, but we havae a sense that something is not right, there is some secret. Shse reveals just enought info to keep it moving, but not so that the reader feels manipulated.
Good book.

[Julianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might deserve a 3.5. It was better than I expected. I didn't expect much, but still. It brought things around in an interesting way.