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Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Mystery Series Brings Appalachia Alive in All Its Brutal, Complex Beauty
9:50 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Like much of Appalachia, Acker's Gap, West Virginia, is a place marked by paradox. Nestled between two craggy mountain peaks, the tiny town fairly glows with the kind of lush, natural beauty that steals people's breath away, surprising even the most frequent viewer with its stunning vistas. No matter how verdant the hills, however, the sweet smell of mountain laurel and black huckleberry can't hide the rancid stink of poverty that pervades the area. It's a desperate, soul-sucking thing that breeds "a thoughtless, automatic, knee-jerk violence" (28) that's becoming all too familiar to Acker's Gap's salt-of-the-earth citizens.
As the prosecuting attorney for Raythune County, Belfa "Bell" Elkins sees the result of this reckless brutality every day. Tasked with protecting her vulnerable hometown, the 39-year-old feels the crushing pressure that comes with fighting a losing battle. And yet, she refuses to give up. The youth of Acker's Gap deserve a better future, something more than the bleak hopelessness that defined Bell's growing-up years. With the help of Sheriff Nick Fogelsong, the 52-year-old who took Bell under his wing after the shocking death of her abusive father, her burden feels a little bit lighter. Some days, their long-time friendship is the only thing that keeps her coming back to the peeling courthouse where they both work, with the fate and faith of Raythune County resting on their shoulders.
When three elderly men are gunned down while sipping coffee at a local diner, it shocks the whole town. Carla Elkins, Bell's 17-year-old daughter, is especially tortured by the event, since she witnessed it firsthand. Determined to find the shooter, not just to bring the killer to justice, but also to calm Carla's fears, Bell resolves to solve the case. With no leads, that will be a tough job. The deeper Bell's investigation goes, the more frustrated she becomes. When Carla realizes she may be the key to closing the case, both women find themselves in harm's way. Will the murderer be caught in time? Or will Bell and her daughter become the next victims?
Back in the Dark Ages, I spent a lot of time browsing library shelves, looking for enticing books to lug home and enjoy. These days, I rarely roam the stacks. It's much more convenient to find the titles I want online, place them on hold at my library, whip them off the reserved shelf when they come in, check out, and be on my merry way in 5 minutes flat. That's my usual M.O. But one day, not so long ago, I was searching for another mystery in the K section when I came across A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller. Because of its appealing cover and intriguing premise, I plucked it off the shelf. Not only did I read it, but I enjoyed it, so much so that I immediately put the next two books in the series on hold at the library. Why did I find A Killing in the Hills (as well as the subsequent novels) so absorbing? Let me give you three reasons:
- Bell Elkins. Our heroine is a complex woman, haunted by her past and the pervasive ways it still affects her in the present. Her flaws make her realistically human. Bell makes mistakes, she gets angry, discouraged, and bitter, but she always presses on, determined to do her best for the town she loves. It's this doggedness that makes her so compelling.
- Acker's Gap. I like stories with rich, vivid settings, especially when authors dig beyond surface beauty to show the reality of a place in all its complicated, conflicting charm. At this, Keller is truly a master.
- The mystery. Keller creates mysteries as twisty as a West Virginia mountain road. I never see the surprises coming. The suspense keeps me riveted to the page.
Is that enough to convince you? It should be! A Killing in the Hills sucked me in and made me care about Bell, Acker's Gap, and, most importantly, the poverty epidemic in so many of America's small mountain towns. Keller's debut novel stuck with me because of its complexity in plot, characters, and sense of place. Despite the quaint setting, this is no cozy—it gets gritty (note the R-rating). Still, the story feels somehow hopeful. A Killing in the Hills isn't an easy read, but it is an affecting one. As are its sequels. It's always exciting to find such treasures in the stacks. Maybe I should browse more often, eh?
(Readalikes: Other mysteries in the Bell Elkins series—Bitter River; Summer of the Dead; and Last Ragged Breath)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence/gore, sexual content, and depictions of prescription and illegal drug abuse
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Saturday, September 26, 2015
At the Water's Edge An Absorbing, Atmospheric Tale of Transformation
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Maddie Hyde has never gotten along with her disapproving in-laws, even (especially?) after living with them for the past four years. Col. Hyde is already embarrassed by his son's inability to serve in the war due to color blindness—he's even more outraged when Ellis, Maddie, and their best friend, Hank Boyd, cause an embarrassing ruckus at a high-profile New Year's Eve party. Tired of the spoiled socialites with their ridiculous, juvenile antics, the colonel throws his son and daughter-in-law out. Cut off financially, Ellis and Maddie aren't sure what to do next. Already alarmingly reliant on the anxiety pills Maddie takes occasionally, Ellis becomes even more addicted as his despondency grows. Then, he hatches out a marvelous plan that brightens him so much Maddie's afraid to voice her concerns about traipsing across the U-boat laden Atlantic in search of a fantastical creature that exists only in her husband's imagination. Determined to win his father's affection by doing what the colonel could not—proving the existence of the Loch Ness monster—Ellis sets off on his expedition. Always up for an adventure, Hank tags along willingly; Maddie, only with great reluctance.
Finding herself in an inhospitable Scottish village, lodged at a rough inn whose staff has little patience for the haughty Americans, Maddie's misgivings are only growing. She should have talked Ellis out of this little misadventure, even if he seems to be having the time of his life. Stuck at the inn while Ellis and Hank go monster-hunting, Maddie feels adrift. As the weeks wear on, with her constantly being left behind, she becomes increasingly bored and disillusioned with her often inebriated companions. It's only when Maddie allows herself to start getting to know the salty Highlanders around her that she feels a sense of peace, even purpose. Learning hard truths about herself and her oblivious self-indulgence isn't easy for Maddie, especially since it helps illuminate the most distressing revelation of all—her life is a complete fabrication. As Maddie makes these startling discoveries about herself, tension between Ellis and the villagers reaches a violent boiling point. When everything erupts, what will Maddie do? With whom will she stand? When the true monster rears its ugly head, will she become its ultimate victim?
I didn't love Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen's popular 2006 novel, so I haven't given any of her other books a try. When At the Water's Edge, her newest, started getting excited buzz, I hesitated to read it. Even a chapter or two into it, I vacillated between continuing and putting it down. Once the story got going, though, I felt nothing but riveted. Although the novel kind of centers around good ole Nessie, it's really not about the monster hunt at all. It's about Maddie. The gradual, convincing way her character transforms makes this story memorable and affecting. Gruen creates secondary story people who are likewise complex, making their plights just as absorbing as Maddie's. The intertwining of everyone's problems and personalities work together to build conflict that explodes in a tense, satisfying climax. While At the Water's Edge gets depressing at times, overall it's a triumphant, hopeful tale about finding oneself in the least likely of places. Despite my ambivalence at the novel's beginning, I ended up really enjoying this one.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, sexual content, and depictions of alcohol and prescription drug abuse
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of At the Water's Edge from Changing Hands Bookstore with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Heart's Journey Tells A Familiar, But Overall Enjoyable Pioneer Tale
1:00 AM
(Image from Amazon)
A wealthy city girl, Rachel Hamilton knows nothing about trekking through the wilderness. And yet, she's doing just that. She can't let her older brother declare their father—who left Toronto five years ago to open a gold mine in British Columbia—officially dead until she knows it's true. It's been three years since Rachel received a letter from him, but she refuses to believe he's no longer living. She just needs to see him with her own eyes.
At Fort Garry, Rachel joins a company of rough-and-tumble miners heading west. Feeling satisfied with her progress, she settles in for the long, arduous journey to Bellefontaine. They haven't gone far before one of the men scares Rachel. She runs off, soon finding herself hopelessly lost in the flat, endless prairie. Without food, water, compass, or any survival skills whatsoever, Rachel realizes for the first time how helpless she is and how foolish she was to embark on such an impossible quest. If she knew which way to turn, she'd stomp her way right back to Toronto, where she belongs.
When Rachel is rescued by an enigmatic cowboy who promises to escort her to the nearest fort, she's grateful. Peter doesn't say much, although he makes his annoyance with Rachel well known. With his educated speech, she knows Peter is more than a crusty cowboy. As the pair, along with Peter's young charge, make their slow way across the plains, Rachel tries to pry away his secrets without giving away any of hers. Will the two learn to trust each other as they make their way toward B.C.?
Rachel wouldn't have chosen Peter as a travel companion, but the more time they spend together, the more afraid she is of having to say goodbye to him. What will happen to them when they reach their destination? Will Rachel find both her missing father and the love she never knew she was missing? Or will the journey leave her empty-handed still?
As with most road trip novels, Heart's Journey by Kristen McKendry, is less about the character's destination and more about what she learns along the way. Rachel, who's lived a privileged, but confined life, discovers just how big the world really is and how very little she understands it. Her hike across Canada also shows her the many things she can do without—and the one thing (person) she can't. Although its setting is not the American West, Heart's Journey tells the typical pioneer story, complete with all the usual trappings—inclement weather, threatening wildlife, Indian trouble, mind-numbing exhaustion, desperate hunger/thirst, and blooming romance (in spite of everything else). While both Rachel and Peter are likable, neither really stand out as unique. Their adventures keep the story plodding along, but the novel feels overly long. Rachel's plight seems too easy, as she gets rescued almost every time she's in trouble, instead of finding her own way out of difficult situations. Although the story gets dull at times (there was rarely a point when I couldn't put it down), overall, I enjoyed this clean, hopeful tale. I wouldn't call it memorable, but it's a decent read.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of other pioneer-ish tales, like In the Company of Angels by David Farland, These Is My Words by Nancy Turner, Borrowed Light by Carla Kelly, etc.)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence, scenes of peril, mild sexual innuendo, and vague references to prostitution
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Heart's Journey from the generous folks at Covenant in exchange for participating in the book's virtual tour. Thank you!
***
Other stops on the Heart's Journey book tour:
*21st: http://www.
*22nd: http://www.
*24th: http://
*25th: http://
***
Enter to win a copy of Heart's Journey and a $25 Amazon gift card:
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Haunting and Memorable, New YA Gothic Thriller Explores the Madness Inside Us All
3:34 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
"I think we're all quite mad. Some of us are just more discreet about it."Although she's been locked away in a Boston insane asylum, Grace Mae is not crazy. But she is pregnant. Her condition must be hidden in order to protect the reputation of her father, a powerful senator. If his supporters knew of his unnatural and unwanted attention toward his own daughter, his political career would be over. Overwhelmed by the bleakness of her surroundings, Grace keeps her anger, her fear, her despair locked inside. Posing as a mute, she swallows all her words and feelings, hardening her heart so it can't be broken any further.
-- Dr. Melanithon Thornhollow
By the time Dr. Thornhollow arrives at the asylum to treat troublesome patients, Grace is ready to volunteer for a lobotomy. Anything to distance her from the mad world in which she now lives. Thornhollow hesitates when he recognizes how different Grace is from his other patients—her quick intelligence, he realizes, could be very useful. An amateur criminal profiler, the doctor makes Grace his assistant. Continuing her ruse as an insane mute, she accompanies him to crime scenes, gathering clues from sources that see her as less than human. The scenes are gruesome, but fascinating. As gory as Thornhollow's hobby may be, helping him gives Grace a new lease on life. But the more involved she becomes, the more she's exposed to the darkest, bleakest parts of life, the more she feels her own sanity slipping. Will Grace's new-found freedom be the thing that finally tips her over the edge? Or will it be the saving grace for which she's been so desperately searching?
Yes, A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis (available October 6, 2015) is as dark as it sounds. This gothic thriller delivers plenty of chills—not of the supernatural kind, but of the disturbingly real variety. With its bleak setting and macabre subject matter, this is no warm, fuzzy novel. It is, however, tautly written and totally compelling. Disturbing, but memorable. Grace is a complex, interesting heroine—she's wholly sympathetic, yet not entirely admirable. She's intriguing, for sure. Overall, A Madness So Discreet offers an absorbing story that explores the fine line between sanity and insanity as well as the madness that lurks not so deeply inside us all. These fascinating ruminations give this haunting tale an extra depth. As repugnant as this story can sometimes get, it remains a riveting, shivery tale perfect for Halloween reading.
Don't believe me? Check out the book's spine-tingling trailer:
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Madman's Daughter series [The Madman's Daughter; Her Dark Curiosity; A Cold Legacy] by Megan Shepherd; and a little of Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence, blood/gore, language (no F-bombs), and disturbing scenes/subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at Edelweiss. Thank you!
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