After serving a prison sentence, Bell Elkins is back in Acker's Gap, where she finds a prominent local family has fallen victim to the same sickness that infects the whole region: drug addiction.
In this emotionally packed mystery, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Julia Keller adds another fantastic entry to the Bell Elkins series ... The ease of Keller’s words along with each subtle turn of phrase highlight her magnificent writing style. Her vivid descriptions conjure a clear picture in the reader’s mind in a well-balanced fashion that exudes talent ... Keller eloquently describes the small-town life of Acker’s Gap and Bell’s investment in it ... The storylines of Bone on Bone tugged at my heart. The realness Keller brings to the page made it a first-rate story. I didn’t have any trouble jumping into the series here, and I will definitely be following Bell Elkins in the next installment.
Few, if any, mystery writers have treated the opioid crisis as powerfully as former Tribune columnist Julia Keller does in her latest Bell Elkins novel ... Keller writes with such empathy and cutting strength, she overcomes any narrative lapses. And in the face of ongoing tragedy, she somehow lifts spirits.
Keller’s Bell Elkins books rely more on drama than action (though they are not necessarily bereft of the latter) and on slow-boil plots as opposed to explosions. However, there have been plenty of judiciously placed twists and developments to keep the pages of each novel turning. The newly published Bone on Bone is no exception ... Keller is at her chilling best in Bone on Bone, particularly when giving the reader an up-close, unblinking look at the physical and emotional tolls of addiction on both the addicts and those closest to them ... Keller’s vision and voice add a new dimension to the problem, one that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned. It is unsettling but makes for necessary reading.
