Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

The first book in the Deptford Trilogy seems to be a memoir of Dunstan Ramsay, who is born in Deptford, and then grows up to be a schoolteacher. But, as you start to strip away the layers of mystery, you realize that the story's about Dunstan's conflicted relationship with Boy Staunton, who also grew up in Deptford and whose actions set into motion a chain of events that have lasting consequences for Dunstan. I was intrigued by the story's investigation of cause and effect, and the costs of holding on to blame and guilt. It's worth mentioning that the central question of the novel (although it's one that's not explicitly mentioned till the very end)--who killed Boy Staunton?--is not satisfactorily answered, although it's fun to work through some speculation on that point.