Cover Scan: The Shop on Threnody Street [1971?]

I did begin reading this novel then set it aside. It's well written in its own way, but just wasn't my thing. It starts out with a young woman abruptly departing a college dorm out East to be reunited with friends in Chicago. We're then treated to her reminiscing about girlhood and her two best friends, one of whom was the dominant of the three; the leader. In my experience girls don't pal around in 3's; they pair off -- both in childhood and adulthood. I'm the (apparently rare) sort of female who likes a number of friends around (both genders), and 3 or 4 lady friends talking over lunch is most welcome. Anyway, the heroine's reminiscing carries on a bit too far and the doll shop factor (the owner makes every doll) is odd, as is the fact that the story supposedly centers around two characters who were of importance to the heroine, one of whom was supposedly killed (or died), but now might be alive. Yet there's no lead-in to this and her other two friends are the focus. It's so obscure and leaves you wondering why she's so anxious to return to the doll shop and find out news about these other two peripheral characters who seem entirely unimportant to the opening chapters. Maybe someone else would enjoy it. I'll defer "rating" it because my reaction to it was entirely subjective. The cover scan is from a bookseller. Lovely and unique cover art, particularly of the dolls. :-)