Bell Elkins

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, visitors see only its stunning natural beauty. But for those living there it's a different story. The mountain roads harbour secret places, perfect for making the prescription drugs that tempt its desperately poor. Bell Elkins left as a broken teenager, savaged by a past she couldn't forget. But, as prosecuting attorney for Raythune County, Bell is back and determined to help clean up the only home she has ever known.

The second in the Bell Elkins crime series from Pulitzer-prize winner Julia Keller. For fans of Linwood Barclay, Dennis Lehane and Henning Mankell. In a small town, everybody is next of kin to everybody else. When a local high-school student - sixteen, promising and pregnant - is found murdered in a car in Bitter River, the hunt is on to find her killer.

Karin Slaughter has called Julia Keller 'a rare talent', and Dennis Lehane has praised her 'remarkable writing'. Now Bell Elkins returns - a high-profile development has been green-lit in Acker's Gap, but with one resident refusing to sell his land, tensions are running high, and when a body is found it's up to Bell to find out the truth.