Bitter River
I really enjoyed A Killing in the Hills so I had high hopes for this second novel in the series. I liked reading about the happening in this small Appalachian Mountain town in West Virginia where everyone is connected either from the past or in the present. I found that this novel was a bit slower than the first book in the series and that the book started and ended strong but in the middle, the book dragged. Just when I thought I might have to abandon this novel, a major event occurred and the novel continued at a speedy, adventurous pace until the final pages.
It seems like everyone has issues that aren’t central to the novel but still haunt each of the main characters as they navigate their way around Acker’s Gap. Acker’s Gap, as a whole, has its own share of issues with a dwindling economy, feuds and personal conflicts among its citizens. When a young girl is found immersed in a vehicle in the nearby river, there doesn’t seem to be a culprit. Everyone has their own alibi. The victim had her own secret, a secret that leads many to contemplate different ideas and leads. When authorities come under attack, the town is shaken. What is happening to this small community? And why is it happening now? This had a great solid ending and I can’t wait now to read the next book in this series.
