Just Jennifer

Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller (Minotaur, August 2014)

Summer in Acker’s Gap, West Virginia is hot and sultry, and a killer has struck, seemingly at random and the residents of this once thriving coal mining town hold their breath waiting to see if county prosecutor Bell Elkins and Sheriff Nick Fogelsong can bring someone to justice before the killer strikes again.  Bell is also dealing with the release from prison of her sister Shirley, who served time for a crime she committed to save her younger sister from their father and all the emotions she has kept repressed for so long.  Add in a coalminer’s daughter who will do anything to protect her disturbed father and it becomes a volatile situation just waiting to explode.   When the inevitable happens, an unthinkable crime is revealed, but the results are oddly redemptive, restorative and healing for those involved.  The people of Acker’s Gap are fiercely protective of their loved ones, their secrets and their pasts.  Many long to escape, some do, never to return, while others, like Bell, feel the strong pull to return to home.  Whether they choose to go or to stay, Acker’s Gap is indelibly etched on the souls of its residents who will carry it with them wherever they go.  This is the third entry into a series filled with memorable characters, each one flawed in their own way, will stay with you and such a strong feeling of place Acker’s Gap will remain in you long after the last page is turned.