What Remains of You

By: Kimberly Hensle Lowrance

Narrated by: Sara Sheckells

A widow’s discovery of her husband’s devastating past threatens to destroy everything she believed about their marriage in a gripping and emotional novel about love and secrets.

Dear Diana, If you’ve found this letter, I’m gone.

Eighteen months after her husband Tom’s death, Diana Morgan is still grieving and struggling to move on, while striving to be the strongest parent she can for their two children. When she finds a letter from Tom meant for her eyes only, she expects a final declaration of love—not a cryptic confession to a terrible unnamed crime.

But Tom’s secret is not his alone. There are others who know, others who may try to insinuate themselves into Diana’s life. Tom warns: Don’t let them in. Reeling with disbelief and fear, Diana begins to doubt everything she remembers of their marriage. What was real? What was manipulation? And who can she trust?

Embarking on a dangerous quest for answers, Diana travels to her husband’s small hometown in Vermont. She knows the secrets Tom was holding all stem from here. But will the truth about the man she loved bring her peace, or will it shatter her world?

©2026 by Kimberly Hensle Lowrance. (P)2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“How well do we really know the people we love? Kimberly Hensle Lowrance’s astonishing debut about the upturned life of a grieving widow both unsettled and gripped me in the best possible way. Adroitly, and with great grace, Hensle Lowrance explores our notions about love, memory, secrets, and how knowledge isn’t always power. Truly a wonderful read.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder

“Attention, all book clubs: What Remains of You should be your next fabulous choice. Would you want to know the terrible truth about someone you truly love? What if it made you stop loving them? Might it be better to keep it in the past? Or would you do what Diana does, relentlessly following the trail of your husband’s past no matter where it leads? Emotionally wrenching, heartbreakingly insightful, and gorgeously written, this page-turner is a total-immersion exploration into love, marriage, responsibility…and redemption. I cheered for Diana on every page—and so will you. Do not miss this!”—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of All This Could Be Yours

“Kimberly Hensle Lowrance’s debut packs all the things that will grip a reader from page one: a letter from the grave and a lost husband’s secret past that sends his widow down a rabbit hole of reveals and takes her on a twisting journey to find out who the man she married really was—all while she tries to protect her children and her own memories of the life she thought she knew. Page-turning and beautifully written. Hensle Lowrance is a writer to watch.”—Donna Freitas, bestselling author of Her One Regret and The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano

Suspense

It took long to get to the bottom of the mystery of the fire and Carson.

Meh

Really just ok. If you’re looking for a mystery to unravel or an edgy domestic thriller, you won’t find it here. My response might have been different if I hadn’t found this title recommended under those categories. It was slow and often tedious. Every internal thought, often random for the circumstance, was offered up with an equally uninspired analogy as if that justified its inclusion. I kept waiting for the “aha” moment that never came. Story had few twists and a nice, neat conclusion. For me, it was just there.

Boring

So sorry, but I can't finish it, it's so slow and dull and vague.

Highly recommend!

I love this debut author’s fresh voice and writing! The story was captivating and compelling- I couldn’t stop listening. This book beautifully captures the aftermath of grief and what it means to doubt someone we loved once they are gone. The narrator excellently captures the voices of the characters. I look forward to the next book!

What Remains of You

It is an emotional domestic suspense novel that explores grief, love, and the secrets we keep from the people closest to us. The mystery unfolds at a steady pace, with enough twists to keep me invested while also focusing on the emotional journey of the characters. It’s a thoughtful, heartfelt read that makes you wonder how well we ever truly know the people we love.