Ruth and Jackson have been good friends for many years, though Ruth never liked Jenny.  Ruth becomes dogged in her pursuit to get Jackson out of jail and prove his innocence.  Enter big-city defense attorney Stuart Ross and his PI George Maynard, both of whom are recovering alcoholics. As the two dig into Jackson’s and Jenny’s pasts, they learn that Jenny may not have been the devoted housewife she appeared to be, and that stories about her history may not have been all that accurate.

Ruth’s eleven-year-old son Tyler has developed a tic and stomach aches since the night Jenny was killed, but is afraid for his safety and doesn’t say anything about what he saw that night.  At the same time, Jackson’s estranged twenty-one year old daughter Mara arrives to reconnect with him after an eighteen year absence.  Mara’s mother has just died and she feels the need to learn more about her family.  

A break from Thornton’s Chloe Newcombe, victims’ advocate series (though Chloe makes a cameo appearance in this novel), there are plenty of good characters to get to know in this mystery.  Ruth is fiercely loyal to Jackson and very no-nonsense when dealing with Stuart, something each man needs.  She is welcoming to Mara and has a good relationship with her ex-husband who left her after announcing he was gay. 

Jackson may sometimes seem a pathetic man as he has let life get to him, but toward the end of the book, there is hope for him to redeem himself.  The mystery is well-plotted and though readers may guess what is coming, it will still come as a surprise as all the pieces fall neatly into place.  Flashbacks to conversations characters had with Jenny add insight as to what may have really been going on in her life.  A Whole New Life is a nice spin-off of the Chloe Newcombe mysteries, there are plenty of characters here to include in future mysteries.  

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry