Over the course of her career (which now spans well over a dozen novels), Jane Green has evolved from writing about angst-ridden singletons to exploring young family life to chronicling the challenges of middle age. Now, she introduces a new element into the mix, with a book that's as much a suspense novel as it is a study in character.

Grace Chapman is the kind of woman other women love to envy. She's married to the wealthy, handsome and fabulously successful novelist Ted Chapman, and the two of them have been the toast of literary New York for decades. They have a beautiful and accomplished daughter, and live in a picture-perfect country house outside the city, where Ted writes novels in the barn and Grace occupies herself with gardening, charity functions and, most importantly, cooking. She is on the board of a home for women in transition, and more than anything, she enjoys working with them to help give them the kind of culinary skills that have always helped nourish her body and soul.

"Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that Green's portrayal of Beth's evolution is both suspenseful and creepy, especially from Grace's point of view.... Grace's anxiety about inheriting her mother's condition feels very authentic."

Grace knows a little bit about women in transition, and about the redemptive power of good food and cooking. As a child in England, she was often neglected by her mother, whose bipolar disorder went undiagnosed for years. Only as a young adult, when she was essentially adopted by her college roommate's family, was Grace shown what a healthy family life could be. Lydia, her roommate's mother (and Grace's first cooking teacher), is one of the only people who knows the full history of Grace's mother. Beset by shame and by fear that she might one day turn out like her mother, Grace has never even told Ted the full story.

However, when Ted's long-time assistant resigns and Grace is forced to hire a replacement, a lot of buried secrets and fears unexpectedly come to light. Ted's new assistant, Beth, is a marvel --- smart, competent, eager to please and work hard --- and everyone loves her. But Grace can't shake the suspicion that something is not quite right about Beth. No one else --- least of all Ted --- shares these suspicions, and before too long, Grace starts to wonder if she can trust anyone or anything, including her own sanity.

Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that Green's portrayal of Beth's evolution is both suspenseful and creepy, especially from Grace's point of view. At times, the plot strains plausibility, but readers will likely forgive Green for that in the service of a good story. Mental illness advocates and those who have had themselves or a loved one affected by bipolar disorder may also take issue with some of the ways Green writes about the disease, but Grace's anxiety about inheriting her mother's condition feels very authentic.

Jane Green, an accomplished cook who is concurrently publishing her own cookbook, HAPPY FOOD, as an eBook, also closes most chapters with a recipe from Grace's files. At times, this inclusion feels at odds with the story's occasionally dark subject matter. On the other hand, cheery recipes for trifle and toad in the hole help reinforce Grace's affection for her home country of England, and also help keep the novel firmly planted in readers' comfort (and comfort food) zone.