The doorbell rang…” and in through that doorway Sharon Marchisello issues forth one bombshell after another in her contemporary murder mystery, Going Home.

Michelle DePalma arrives at her mother’s home to find that the door is uncharacteristically wide open. Upon entering, she finds a young woman dead on the floor with her mother hovering nearby—seemingly unaware of what has taken place in the foyer of her home. As Marchisello weaves her intricate tale, the doorway introduces:

• Unknown family: “I’m Isabella Rogers, and this is my daughter, Giovanna. I’m your daughter-in-law.”
• A policeman: “Michelle, I’m afraid the evidence is pointing to your mother.”
• A man with a raised baseball bat: “Where’s that crazy old broad that killed my Brittany?”
• A potential suspect who appears in: “The same vehicle I had passed on my way up the street the day I arrived, the day Brittany had died!”

Going Home draws attention to specific issues of Alzheimer’s disease as well as caregiving problems in general:

• wandering;
• long-distance caregiving;
• finding reliable caregiving agencies and personnel;
• financial exploitation;
• sibling relationships / shared responsibility; and
• the difficulties of facing death and dying

Although Going Home addresses important caregiving issues, it does so in a manner that will intrigue a wide-variety of readers. I recommend it highly. Barbara Matthews is the co-author of What to Do About Mama?: A Guide to Caring for Aging Family Members Going Home