Driving a spotless, powder blue ‘65 Mercury Comet, Henry Dees stopped for gas in the one
horse town of Mt. Gilead, Illinois. It was the year 1972. Many businesses had shuttered their
doors, young families were settling elsewhere. A chance meeting occurred when Edith Green
stopped for gas. As her scarf went airborne, lifted by a sudden breeze, Henry rescued it and
returned it to her. Henry had arrived in St. Gilead, suitcase in hand, having disappeared from the
equally small town of Tower Hill, Indiana. Mt. Gilead seemed as good a place as any. The
gossip mill would wonder if his arrival was connected to the disappearance and death of little
Katie Mackey of Tower Hill.

Imagine the solitary life of Edith Green. She had devoted herself to caring for her parents. Now
all alone, the fifty year old spinster volunteered at the local library. To garner attention and
status, she pledged a generous donation to the library, money she did not possess. Why in the
world did she offer to rent a room in her house to Henry Dees, a total stranger? But, Henry
accepted the generous offer bringing his suitcase as well as his hidden emotional baggage to
Edith’s door. They were two middle aged people, lonely and looking for companionship.

Henry Dees arrival connected Mt. Gilead to Tower Hill. The reader is privy to the gossip
traveling, at the speed of light, through each town. In Mt. Gilead, most “news” was shared in the
Town Talk Cafe. Some of the colorful residents aimed to protect Edith from the outside influence
of the stranger…typical interference…after all, the liberal library donation was at stake.

What did Henry know about the death of both little Katie Mackey, daughter of Mitchell Mackey,
the owner of the Mackey Glassworks Company and Raymond R. Wright, Katie’s killer? One
thing was for certain, Mitchell’s words to Henry, “do whatever it is you have to do” would haunt
Henry adding more fuel to his moral dilemma.

Tenderness would create a safety net for Edith and Henry to divulge their deepest secrets and
regrets. Henry might perhaps question his inaction in one instance and his heroic action at
another juncture. Seeds of a budding love would emerge, their shortcomings addressed..

“The Evening Shades” by Lee Martin is the tale of two small Midwest towns. The reader will
come to know many of the town dwellers through the detailed conversations and snippets of
gossip shared through the grapevine. In the blink of an eye, a decision can impact one’s life
forever. Some people will be judgmental, others will be supportive. A morally unsettling novel.

Thank you Kezia Velista @ Melville House Publishers for the print ARC in exchange for an
honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. I read Lee Martin's book, "The Bright Forever" years ago when it was first published and I never forgot it. I was pleased to get a copy of "The Evening Shades." The year is 1972 and the story is centered around Henry, a middle-aged math teacher, and Edith, a middle aged woman who spent her younger years caring for her elderly parents. Neither of them has ever been lucky in love. Both of them have a secret. Edith hides her financial status from the people of the small town she lives in and Henry hides a bigger secret which is much more damning. A chance encounter when Henry is passing through Edith's town pairs the two of them and their stories unwind together. I read this book in two days as I was eager to find out what would happen. A very satisfying read.