Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* There has been a big hole in Bell Elkins' life since Sheriff Nick Fogelsong retired. As county prosecutor, Bell worked for years with Nick, her closest friend, to solve cases and fight the growing drug problem in Acker's Gap, West Virginia. But now that Nick is head of security at a chain of truck stops, Bell can't talk to him about the murder of Ed Hackel, representative for a developer with big plans for the area, plans contingent on buying land owned by reclusive Royce Dillard. Motive and forensic evidence point to Dillard as the killer: the murder weapon is found in his barn, and Hackel had repeatedly harangued him to sell his land. But Dillard, permanently marked by a flood in which his parents died when he was two years old, protests his innocence. As Bell and Sheriff Pam Harrison struggle to find the truth, tragedy strikes Nick, who can't give up his lawman's ways. While the resolution of the crime is a bit abrupt, this novel like its three predecessors is elevated far above the ordinary by masterful character development and a keen sense of place. With bits of her backstory still being revealed, Elkins is certainly among the best-drawn characters in crime fiction today.--Leber, Michele Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The Buffalo Creek flood of 1972, a real-life West Virginia tragedy in which more than 100 people died, provides the backdrop for Keller's fourth Bell Elkins thriller (after 2014's Summer of the Dead), an intense study of childhood trauma and corporate malfeasance. Decades later (now in the present), Royce Dillard, a recluse whose parents perished in the flood, becomes a suspect when a dog sniffs out the corpse of Ed Hackel, a slick marketer, in a creek outside Acker's Gap. Hackel had been pressuring Willard to sell his land so that it could be developed as part of the new Mountain Magic resort planned for the region. As prosecuting attorney, Bell is tasked with proving Dillard's guilt. When it becomes clear that something about Willard doesn't fit the profile of a cold-blooded killer, Bell must dig deeper into a community rife with secrets. Keller conveys smalltown mind-sets with a folksy style that richly evokes a part of Appalachia still grappling with its past. Agent: Lisa Gallagher, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In Keller's (Summer of the Dead) latest, Bell Elkins, the prosecutor of Ackers Gap, WV, is trying to untangle the murder of an aggressive casino developer whose body is discovered on land owned by local hermit Royce Dillard. Royce survived a fluke natural disaster as a toddler that left him orphaned and damaged. In spite of his eccentricities, the town is firm in their defense of him, making Bell's job even harder. Combine this with Bell's new dating life, a new pet, attempts to stay connected with her sister and daughter, and her anger over former sheriff Nick Fogelsong's move to the private sector, and Bell has her hands full. This title stands alone, but new listeners will be acutely aware that they're missing backstory from previous series entries. Keller is a wonderful writer, with well-timed humor and pop culture references. Narrator Shannon McManus does a great job voicing the characters. VERDICT This work is recommended on its own merits and will surely entice new fans to visit earlier titles in the series. Those who enjoy Karin Slaughter, Laura Lippman, and similar authors should take a look.--Nicole A. Cooke, Univ. of Illinois, Champaign © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A West Virginia prosecutor has an uneasy feeling about her latest case. Belfa "Bell" Elkins feels betrayed by one of her closest friends: former sheriff Nick Fogelsong has recently resigned from his job and is now head of security for the Highway Haven chain of truck stops. Meanwhile, Raythune County is beset by poverty and drug use. Coal is dying, and the only new jobs on the horizon are low-paying positions at the Mountain Magic resort, whose construction has been held up by Royce Dillard's refusal to sell the parcel the resort needs for easy access to the interstate. Royce is a recluse who lives in a tiny cabin with the dogs he's adopted. A survivor of the infamous Buffalo Creek disaster, he deals with dogs better than people but is known throughout the community as a kind and gentle soul. A tiny pension from the mining company whose lax policies created the flood that killed his parents is all Royce has to live on, but despite constant hectoring and offers of big money from Mountain Magic employee Edward Hackel, he refuses to sell. When Hackel's badly battered body is found in the creek near Royce's home, Sheriff Pam Harrison arrests Royce for the murder. Then a bloody shovel is found in his shed, and Bell has no choice but to prosecute, even though she has doubts and sorely misses the chance to discuss the case with Fogelsong. Bell, not a dog person, even takes in one of Royce's pooches as she struggles with the case, angling for a plea bargain from a defendant who steadfastly maintains his innocence. The large sums of money involved guarantee other suspects; Bell just has to find one with a better motive for murdering Hackel. A beautifully crafted mystery in which Keller (Summer of the Dead, 2014, etc.) explores love, hate, and poverty in a place of stunning natural beauty with pockets of overwhelming ugliness. The ending may leave you in tears. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
