By a Spider's Thread by Laura Lippman

Title: By a Spider's Thread

Author: Laura Lippman

Genre: Mystery

Summary: Private investigator Tess Monaghan is hired to find Mark Rubin's missing wife and three children. After several years of marital bliss, Mark can think of no reason for her to run away. Tess finds the clues that show a different woman that Mark believed his wife to be.

The Take-Away: Religion factors heavily into the case that Tess needs to solve. The necessary information wasn't just dumped on the reader or the investigator. Instead the revelant points were spread through several chapters and characters. Minor nuances were explained only when required and always in a superb manner. Half the time, I didn't realize that it was an info-dump because I was so interested in how it would lead them to the children.

It isn't the best mystery I've ever read, but I believe that the character development and growth that I enjoy would be found in another portion of the series. In this title, the character is in a personal slump and throws herself completely into the case to avoid confronting that side of her life.

Recommendation: Borrow it from the library and check out another title.