Books

What do you wear when you testify against your best friend as she goes on trial for murder? As Maggie Patterson runs her hand over the clothes in her closet and muses about the prosaic details of preparing for a shockingly personal murder trial, she is catapulted into the memories that led her to this moment. Piece by piece, she assembles the fragments of her past to make sense of a violent crime, the echoes of which ripple through her recollections. Maggie and Cynthia meet as college freshmen and are seemingly destined to be best friends for life. As the years pass, however, Maggie’s marriage and career lift her to success and wealth while Cynthia’s jealousy and untreated mental illness cause their relationship to disintegrate. As the stories of the two women’s lives unfold, Cynthia’s paranoia and anger sour every relationship she has and turn even the people who have loved her most against her, ultimately bubbling over into an event that Maggie never sees coming. Not a murder mystery in the usual sense, and spanning time and space, Sainted in Error delves into the tenacity of friendship and the damage that the stigma still attached to mental illness can do.

Release Date: February 1, 2022

Reviews

★ KIRKUS REVIEWS | STARRED REVIEW “The author masterfully propels readers through several decades in a grim, well-crafted drama that occasionally teases things to come, like Maggie’s own marriage and someone’s betrayal…A gripping, indelible tale of the unrelenting anguish that psychological afflictions cause.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The book’s focus on the complexity of human relationships is consistent and authentic from beginning to end…The novel’s most gripping conflicts center on questions about when loyalty becomes unhealthy and how mental illness impacts a longstanding friendship.” — Foreword Reviews

“Appealing…beautifully written…It examines life stages and relationships on all levels.” — Jackie Sunday, Book Reviewer

“An imaginative piece of psychological women’s fiction that takes the reader into the psyche of a friendship and it’s painful disintegration. The writing drew me in and I had a hard time putting the book down so I could get some things done. I also found the main characters to be interesting well fleshed out.” — Jill Tatter, Book Reviewer

“This opening line of both the synopsis and the book was what pulled me in…What I loved most about this book was Winders ability to show what is like to have a toxic relationship that spans decades…At the end of the day, I really am glad to have read this book and will read more by Winders.” — Ashley Story, Book Reviewer

“It’s a really good book, not a murder mystery as such, more the story of a life unravelling because of an undiagnosed mental illness. It’s hard to like Cynthia, to be as patient with her as Maggie was, but it’s an intense, grown-up novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended!” — Hannelore Cheney, Book Reviewer

Half-siblings Gina Chambers and Larry Langley were once close, but as adults they have nothing in common. Gina and her husband, Steve, are farmers in rural Indiana, where they have a hard time paying their bills, much less realizing their dream of opening a riding and boarding stable. Meanwhile, Larry lives a stylish life with a lucrative career in the film industry. He has a beautiful wife, a son, and a house in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He is the picture of success, but he isn’t as happy as he appears. They are already separated by distance and lifestyles, and when Larry refuses Gina’s appeal for money to save her family’s farm they become completely estranged. Then the siblings receive identical mysterious letters containing a list of assignments from their artist mother. If the two can complete the assignments together, they will receive a monetary reward. Both are reluctant, but after they do them they realize their mother has given them an important task—and an extraordinary gift. When the family gathers at Anita’s mountain cottage during the holidays to share their results, she reveals long-kept secrets that will further change all their lives.

Awards

FINALIST — 2013 ELUDIA AWARDS Hidden River Arts Press

Reviews

Winders is a skillful writer particularly proficient at character development and detail. Her prose and dialogue vividly bring to life the behaviors and traits of both central and supporting characters… Her narrative is strong, her style is confident, and her exploration of mistrust, regret, enlightenment, and potential unification will likely appeal to all who enjoy family sagas.— Joe Kilgore, The US Review of Books

The Nine Assignments by Glenda Winders is a literary fiction novel that would appeal most to a mixed audience of adults and young adults interested in exploring relationships through a fictional lens.— Readers’ Favorite

The characters, and the story they weave together in The Nine Assignments, are endearing and real, quickly becoming familiar friends who I rooted for throughout. I could not wait to see where the tale would lead… As the characters changed and learned more about each other and themselves, I was inspired to work harder on my own relationships, perceptions and sense of self.— Laura in Nashville, Amazon Verified Purchase