What should I tell you about West Virginia's premier mystery writer? Her first book was non-fiction about the inventor of the Gatling Gun, followed by a YA novel. She has recently delved into science fiction? She has a PhD. She was a reporter for the Ashland Daily Independent, but got her Pulitzer when working for the Chicago Tribune. Enough! On to the BOOK! Both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly gave it starred reviews. Bitter River is Julia Keller's second Bell Elkins mystery set in the fictional small town of Akers Gap. The Bitter River is where the body of a pregnant teenager is found to start this novel off. Elkins is the county prosecuting attorney, and the first thing she learns is that Lucinda Trimble did not drown. And she is juggling this closely watched murder case with lots of family drama. “Julia Keller is a beautiful writer and Bitter River has an elegiac force to it that is powerful and gripping. Bell Elkins is one of the most fully realized characters in fiction today. I just turned the last page on this one and I want more.” ―Michael Connelly. “Julia Keller's lyrical and evocative prose in Bitter River propels the novel until all you can do is hang on until the final page. Her sense of place is spot-on and bittersweet.” ― C. J. Box.
New York: Minotaur Books/St. Martins, a 2014 paperback edition of a 2013 release. 386 pages with a passage from the author's next book. Trade paperback.