Anita Shreve

Set in New England, a farmer struggles to survive a bare existence, tethered to his farm, first by his helpless parents and then by a hypochondriac wife. Yet, when his wife's alluring cousin comes to stay, his dreams are rekindled.

A century old double murder haunts Jean, a photographer, who travels to the scene of the crime to investigate. The sole survivor of the murders was a woman whose unhappy marriage mirror's Jeans. Past and present collide and it suddenly becomes clear to Jean who the real killer is.