A Killing in the Hills

Unraveling. Mystery readers are likely to love three things about Julia Keller’s debut novel, A Killing in the Hills: well-developed characters; descriptive setting that comes alive through finely written prose; and the expectation that this will be the first in a series featuring protagonist Bell Elkins. In this novel, Elkins’ teenaged daughter, Carla, witnesses a triple homicide. Because of her role as county prosecutor, Bell has both a professional and personal stake in how the crime gets solved. Keller uses the backdrop of the West Virginia hills as a context for the ups and downs in this mother-daughter relationship, and to keep the tension of the story taut. Readers willing to give debut novels a shot should move this one toward the top of the list. Rating: Three-star (Recommended) Click here to purchase A Killing in the Hills from amazon.com.