Last Ragged Breath (Bell Elkins, Book 4): A thrilling murder mystery - Softcover

Keller, Julia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1472215664 ISBN 13: 9781472215666

Publisher: Headline Book Publishing, 2015

Synopsis

Karin Slaughter has called Julia Keller 'a rare talent' and Dennis Lehane has praised her 'remarkable writing'. Now Bell Elkins returns.

A high-end resort being built on the outskirts of Acker's Gap, West Virginia, a town desperate for jobs and prosperity, should have been welcome. But following the Buffalo Creek disaster of 1972, where a coal company's mistake tragically claimed the lives of many Raythune County's citizens, opinions and tensions are running high.
When Ed Hackel, Mountain Magic's marketing manager, is found brutally murdered, suspicion quickly falls on Royce Dillard. An acknowledged loner orphaned by the disaster, Dillard had made his opposition clear by refusing to sell a parcel of his land deemed critical by the developers for access to the resort.
With all evidence pointing to Dillard, Bell Elkins, the County's prosecuting attorney, feels she has no choice but to charge him. When a person dies his last ragged breath always tells the truth -- but is the truth always what it seems to be?

About this title

About the Author

Julia Keller spent twelve years as a reporter and editor for the Chicago Tribune, where she won a Pulitzer Prize. A recipient of a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University, she was born in West Virginia and lives in Chicago and Ohio.

Review

“What particularly distinguishes Julia Keller's series about Bell Elkins, a West Virginia prosecutor, is its sense of social conscience...powerfully affecting when matched with the right character and story...It's wonderful to see mystery series as literary and reflective as this one flourish.” ―USA Today

“Keller crafts a cracking whodunnit with many a red herring, but her real accomplishment is the unflinching depiction of rural poverty and the ways the inhabitants of Acker's Gap hold on to their dignity despite few and terrible options.” ―Oprah.com

“A satisfying mystery must excel at plot, people and prose, and Keller masters all aspects...Summer of the Dead confirms that this immensely talented writer summons her best, and West Virginia's best, in this chillingly beautiful novel.” ―The Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Julia Keller's third novel set in the Appalachian community of Acker's Gap, West Virginia, expertly explores how people in small towns hide in plain sight many of their flaws, hopes and even a propensity for violence. Keller's insights into the vagaries of families provide a solid foundation as the character-driven Summer of the Dead delivers a plot rich with believable action and intriguing twists.” ―Associated Press

“Keller conveys smalltown mind-sets with a folksy style that richly evokes a part of Appalachia still grappling with its past.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A beautifully crafted mystery in which Keller explores love, hate, and poverty in a place of stunning natural beauty with pockets of overwhelming ugliness. The ending may leave you in tears.” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Edition details

• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1472215664
• ISBN 13: 9781472215666
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384