After an arduous Vermont winter, Catherine Winslow decides to get some fresh air and goes for a walk along her rural Cloudland road.  She finds an incongruous spot of colour amidst the white snow patches and dark areas of spring melt.  When she investigates she realizes that she has just discovered the body of a woman who has been missing for months.  It was assumed that the woman was the victim of a serial killer –  as other woman had met similar fates.

Catherine, once an esteemed reporter is now semi-retired and works from home writing a household hints column.  The investigative journalist in her is not completely dormant however and the facts of this case pique her interest, particularly after some of her neighbours become involved in the case, either as advisors to the police or… as suspects.   A true bibliophile, Catherine recognizes some of the facts of the case seem to mirror those contained in a rare, unfinished novel by the famous novelist Wilkie Collins.   A book that Catherine owns but seems to be missing…

“Cloudland” is the first novel I have read by Joseph Olshan.   I particularly enjoyed the sense of place that the novel evoked.  I was intrigued by Catherine’s character and found her to be likeable, intelligent, and quite gutsy.  The fact that she loved books was appealing to me.  Some levity was added to the plot by the addition of Catherine’s two dogs and pet house-pig, Henrietta.

The story was fast-paced and kept me interested.  And no… I didn’t guess ‘who dun it’.

A great read for the cold winter’s nights that we have in store.