What Rose Forgot

Painter Rose Dennis, the 68-year-old protagonist of this winning standalone from bestseller Barr (the Anna Pigeon series), wakes in the Charlotte, N.C., woods with no notion of how she got there. The hospital gown–clad Rose wanders to the road, where she’s captured and tranquilized. She regains consciousness cuffed to a bed in a nursing home. Convinced she’s being involuntarily held for some nefarious purpose, Rose stops taking her medication and escapes. Drug-induced amnesia lingers, but she manages to locate her 13-year-old granddaughter, Mel, who says Rose began acting strangely after her husband’s recent death. Doctors diagnosed early-onset Alzheimer’s, prompting Rose’s stepsons to hospitalize her. Confident she’s of sound mind and uncertain whom to trust, Rose swears Mel to secrecy and heads home, where she narrowly avoids assassination. Desperate for answers, Rose launches an investigation with help from Mel and others. Tension mounts as Rose’s memory returns and the situation deteriorates. Thrilling action, madcap humor, and a larger-than-life cast energize this cleverly plotted take on a traditional mystery. Barr surprises and entertains from start to finish. 150,000 first printing; author tour. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary Agency. (Sept.)