Sunday, June 22, 2014

Review: The Code of the Hills: An Ozarks Mystery by Nancy Allen








  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 660 KB
  • Print Length: 100 pages
  • Publisher: Witness Impulse (April 15 2014)
  • Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers CA
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00ESEE84S

Book Description


To uncover the truth, she'll have to break the code of the hills …

In the Missouri Ozarks, some things aren't talked about … even abuse. But prosecutor Elsie Arnold is determined to change that.

When she is assigned to prosecute a high-profile incest case in which a father is accused of abusing his three young daughters, Elsie is ready to become the Ozarks' avenging angel.

But as Elsie sinks her teeth into the case, everything begins to turn sour. The star witness goes missing; the girls refuse to talk about their father, who terrorizes the courtroom from the moment he enters; and Elsie begins to suspect that their tough-as-nails mother has ulterior motives. To make matters worse, Elsie receives gruesome threats from local extremists, warning her to mind her own business.

While Elsie swears not to let a sex offender walk, she realizes the odds—and maybe the town—are against her, and her life begins to crumble. But amidst all of the conflict, the safety of three young girls hangs in the balance ...

A powerful debut, with the haunting atmosphere of Winter's Bone and the page-turning suspense of Alafair Burke's thrillers.

“What a terrific book--strong, tough, smart and powerful. This compassionate and compelling mystery reveals the disturbing reality of one woman’s quest for justice--while a bleak and sinister culture tries to bury the truth.”
— Hank Phillippi Ryan, the Mary Higgins Clark, Agatha, and Anthony Award-winning author of The Wrong Girl


About the Author

Nancy Allen practiced law for 15 years as Assistant Missouri Attorney General and Assistant Prosecutor in her native Ozarks. She’s tried over 30 jury cases, including murder and sexual offenses, and is now a law instructor at Missouri State University. The Code of the Hills is her first novel. 



My Review

Riveting. Powerful. I could not put it down. The Code of the Hills brings the subject of incest and abuse to the forefront. Somethings are never talked about. In this book, they are being talked about.

Elsie Arnold is a prosecutor with no shortage of faults. And it is her faults that make her human. Make her feel. Make her want what is right. While trying to follow the rules.

Author Nancy Allen is a brilliant storyteller. This is a riveting and suspenseful tale. Elsie cannot fail in her mission. Young lives are dependent on her success. Your heart will race and you won't be able to put this book down until you've finished.

Highly recommend The Code of the Hills. Nancy Allen is a great new voice. I'm looking forward to her next novel already.


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