Monday, June 16, 2014

Mini Mentions: Two West Virginia mysteries by Julia Keller



One of the enjoyable reading challenges I undertook a few years back was to read a book about or set in each of the fifty states in this glorious nation of ours. I've done really well and have only North & South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Nevada left. I actually think I must have read something from Wisconsin and Nevada, but don't have it on my records.

West Virginia was was the most recent state checked off. I enjoyed reading  A Killing in the Hills so much that I immediately went in search of the sequel Bitter River, by Julia Keller.  Both of these mysteries feature a tough as nails, soft as cuddledown Prosecuting Attorney for Raythune County Bell Elkins.  A native of the town, Bell is determined to rid the area of the big time drug lords who are arriving in increasing numbers.  Together with her long time friend and now Sheriff Nick Fogelsang, they worry about her teen aged daughter, the rampant unemployment and poverty, and the lack of resources available to help in their quest for a liveable environment.

This is a series that is definitely worth taking a look at.  I'm very anxious to see whether the relationship between Bell and Nick develops past the professional level.


Now if anybody has any recommendations for the Dakotas, Nevada,  or Wisconsin, I might be able to finish my challenge by the end of the year.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Welcome, thanks for stopping by. Now that you've heard our two cents, perhaps you have a few pennies to throw into the discussion. Due to a bunch more anonymous spam getting through, I've had to disallow anonymous comments. I try to respond to all comments posing a question, but may not always get to you right away.