Tally Whyte is head of the Massachusetts Grief Assistance (MGAP), a job that gives her purpose and accomplishes much good. Housed in the same building as the coroner, Tally is concerned when she hears of a child's body appearing at the coroner's with the words "Sins of the Father" written on her hand. As part of her job, Tally visits with the child's parents and then is drawn further into the case as another child who was missing reappears and then another child is found dead.

As if those tragedies and mysteries weren't enough, Tally's foster mother, Dr. Veda Barrow (who is also the Chief Medical Examiner), is taken to the hospital. Whatever her illness, it has affected her mind and her assistant steps up to cover her job while Veda is ill. Tally is devastated at the changes in Veda, as well as struggling with the assistant, who believes the MGAP is a waste of space and wants the program kicked out of "his" building.

It's hard to put down THE GRIEF SHOP because there are so many subplots and intricacies; you have to see what's going to happen next. Veda's decline is heartbreaking and the many struggles Tally is facing (her devoted dog becomes ill, also) seem overwhelming. The mystery is good and this author is excellent at characterization. Tally is a strong, wonderful, three-dimensional heroine. The only part that sat wrong with me was Tally's sudden love interest in a good friend, particularly when her relationship with her out-of-town love interest is going so well. I didn't buy it at all. But that's a small part of the book, and I can definitely recommend this mystery.

Book Summary

Tally Whyte has seen a lot of dead bodies in her years with the Massachusetts Grief Assistance Program, but this is the first time a murder victim has been brought there by the murderer himself. During the night, someone broke into the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, aka the Grief Shop, and left behind a tragic calling card--the body of a young girl, bearing a message that reads: Sins of the Fathers.

The girl's playmate is also missing. Could she be another victim? Or can Tally still save her before the killer strikes again? As the mysteries multiply and Tally's life is threatened, she scrambles to prevent yet another child from falling prey to a madman's warped sense of justice.