I am glad that I have continued reading it. This may be the last discussion thread I do, because Fadedrose is right, this is time consuming----at least the way I am doing it, with a "Cliff's Notes" summary of all the chapters. That is not how I have planned to do it, but that is the way it has evolved.
Eva didn't want to go back to work for Fidelis...but felt a sense of duty to Eva and the boys. It isn't that she didn't like it, but I think she feels she has to keep a distance from him. She also was enjoying the peace and quiet that she had since she had quit after all the drama with Eva's illness and death.
Clarisse----she is the undertaker, although she hates that term but I don't know how else to describe it. Her family, the Strabs, have done the burying in town for generations, and she is now in charge after her parents died. She was also Delphine's best (only) friend throughout school, so they have been close for years. They had drifted apart for a while when Delphine was away, but they appear to be getting close again, especially after Eva's death. Sheriff Hock has the hots for her, but he sounds really sick and twisted and I think there is a lot more to come from him. He is what you would call today a "stalker". He will not give up.
We will see how all this progresses, but I expect Clarisse and Hock to both be more involved in the novel from here on.
And still, the dogs are showing up in every chapter at some point. I am fascinated with that little side story that just gets thrown in here and there.
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