- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 1775 KB
- Print Length: 384 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 125004474X
- Publisher: Minotaur Books (Aug. 25 2015)
- Sold by: Macmillan CA
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00T331NEC
Book Description
From the night-black depths of a coalmine to the sun-struck peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, from a riveting murder mystery to a poignant meditation on the meaning of love and family, the latest novel in the critically acclaimed series strikes out for new territory: the sorrow and outrage that spring from a real-life chapter in West Virginia history.
Royce Dillard doesn't remember much about the day his parents-and one hundred and twenty-three other souls-died in the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster. He was only two years old when he was ripped from his mother's arms. But now Dillard, who lives off the grid with only a passel of dogs for company, is fighting for his life one more time: He's on trial for murder.
Prosecutor Bell Elkins faces her toughest challenge yet in this haunting story of vengeance, greed and the fierce struggle for social justice. Richly imagined, vividly written and deeply felt, Last Ragged Breath is set in West Virginia, but it really takes place in a land we all know: the country called home.
About the Author
Julia was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. She graduated from Marshall University, then later earned a doctoral degree in English Literature at Ohio State University.
She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and has taught at Princeton and Ohio State Universities, and the University of Notre Dame. She is a guest essayist on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS and has been a contributor on CNN and NBC Nightly News. In 2005, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing.
Julia lives in a high-rise in Chicago and a stone cottage on a lake in rural Ohio.
My Review
Everyone has story...what if someone threatened to destroy yours..this is the dilemma posed by author Keller in Last Ragged Breath.
Last Ragged Breath is the 4th book in the Bell Elkins series by Julia Keller. I love love love this series. Keller has opened my eyes to the beauty and the darkness of West Virginia. I have treasured every book in this amazing series. Julia Keller is a memorable writer and storyteller.
In each book in this series we learn a little more about Bell Elkins. She is not happy in this latest book. Her mentor and friend has stepped down as sheriff. And her boyfriend is pursuing his own dreams at MIT. The previous stories have focused more on Bell's family and her past but in Last Ragged Breath we can see that Bell is coming to grips with her past. This story focuses more on others. Royce Dillard has never really done well around others. He is content to live with his dogs on his isolated property. But modern times catch up with Royce as a development company is desperate for his land. When a dead man is found on Royce's property..the same man who had been hounding him to sell his land, Royce is quickly implicated.
I love all the twists and turns at the end. The ending was very satisfying. The story was believable and engrossing. I really enjoyed this tale.
Looking forward to the next Bell Elkins book already! Highly recommend!
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