Sorrow Road was published in the US by Minotaur Books on 11 July 2017(reprint) and in the UK on 23 August 2016
In Sorrow Road, the latest mystery from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Julia Keller, two stories―one set in the turbulent era of World War II and one in the present day―are woven together to create a piercingly poignant tale of memory and family, of love and murder.
In 1944, three young men from a small town in West Virginia are among the American forces participating in D-Day, changing the fortunes of the war with one bold stroke. How is that moment aboard a Navy ship as it barrels toward the Normandy shore related to the death of an old man in an Appalachian nursing home seventy-two years later?
Bell Elkins, prosecuting attorney in Acker’s Gap, West Virginia, is asked by an old acquaintance to look into the death of her beloved father in an Alzheimer’s care facility. Did he die of natural causes―or was something more sinister to blame? And that’s not the only issue with which Bell is grappling: Her daughter Carla has moved back home. But something’s not right. Carla is desperately hiding a secret.
Once again, past and present, good and evil, and revenge and forgiveness clash in a riveting story set in the shattered landscape of Acker’s Gap, where the skies can seem dark even at high noon, and the mountains lean close to hear the whispered lament of the people trapped in their shadow.
Thanks to Julia Keller for being kind enough to send me a copy of Sorrow Road to review.
Previously in the series
A Killing in the Hills – Book 1
Bitter River – Book 2
Summer of the Dead – Book 3
The Devil’s Step Daughter – Short Story
A Haunting of the Bones – Novella
Ghost Roll – Short Story
Last Ragged Breath – Book 4
My thoughts
I am the biggest fan of the Bell Elkins series by Julia Keller. I was so excited to get my hands on Sorrow Road to catch up with Bell.
For those of you yet to discover this amazing legal crime series, this is a little background. This is crime at its best. Crime with a social conscience, American style. Bell Elkins is an attorney working in small town America. She is a divorced mother, in her forties. Bell lives in Acker’s Gap, a town that has been heavily impacted by economic decline and poverty. This is a place of neglect; of unemployment and of drug and alcohol abuse. She chooses to live there and to practice law. Bell is at the heart of the community. The former sheriff, Nick Fogelsong, has been in the background supporting Bell emotionally, since she was a looked after child in the care system. Sorrow Road is the fifth book in this acclaimed series.
In this instalment, Bell becomes embroiled in the mystery of a death at a memory care facility. This is what we would call a nursing care home or elderly mentally infirm (EMI) home in the UK. A vulnerable elderly man dies. He was suffering from Alzheimers. On the surface, it looks like this was the death of a man at the end of his natural life. His daughter is very suspicious and asks Bell to look into this. She is an acquaintance of Bell’s from university.
At the same time, we get the fascinating historical story of three male friends as they grow up in 1930s America, go to war and build their lives. These men are linked by tragedy. What happened to them in their youth?
Bell’s personal life becomes complicated. Her daughter, Carla, turns up on her door step. Bell’s daughter is suffering and hiding her inner turmoil. She has PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Carla is at breaking point. She is still recovering from the aftermath of the murder of her friend. Returning to be with her mother, she is trying to find a way forward.
As usual, Julia Keller shows her awareness and understanding of the darker side of life. We see the repercussions of terrible events, in the short term and longer term. For Carla, it is hard for her to sleep and function after the events of a few years ago. For three young men from the 1930s, their lives have been shaped by one hidden event. Life has a way of revealing secrets. The truth comes out. Keller shows us that moments in life can have long term consequences.
Sorrow Road was a pleasure to read. Outstanding crime, as you would expect from Julia Keller. Powerful, wintery cold and bleak. The world of Bell Elkins is one that stays with you. Recommended!
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