A Killing in the Hills: A Novel Audiobook

" This wasn't a bad debut--until the end. No spoilers other than to say the ending felt completely out of left field. "

" 3 elderly men are murdered in a West Virginia diner on a Saturday morning and no one knows why. The main character is the prosecuting attorney, Bell Elkins, a woman with a difficult past who has made it her mission to fight the increasing prescription drug trade. Her teenage daughter witnessed the murders and decides, on her own, to help find the killer. The book was much less about the mystery for me and more about Bell, the setting and the descriptions of desperate, multigenerational poverty. "

" I picked up this book because of the attractive cover. The story was a little thin with too much description. I guessed the culprit about half-way through. "

" This is Julia Keller's first mystery and it is a great one. It takes place in a small town in the mountains of West Virginia. Bell Elkins is the prosecuting attorney for the improvished county. When three elderly men are killed in the local fast food joint, Bell is determined to help find the killer. Little does she know, she's his next target. "

" First mystery for Julia Keller was great. Look forward to reading more from her. Enjoyed the West Virginia setting, the strong characters and the theme. A very surprising ending, I was totally surprised. Well written and had me hooked right away. "

" I thought the book was quite good. I got a view of appalachia through the authors words. "

" This book was so well written. I was totally floored by the twist at the end and can't wait for the next book. "

" I am not going to write a full review of this book because I am hoping that it will be re-edited before publication in August. It has a lot of potential. "

" I read this book in the space of about 6 hours. If you're going to start it, be prepared to read all of it then and there. "

" I look forward to more of her novels "

" A very good first mystery, that I hope will turn into a series. "

" 3.5--interesting, fresh characters, especially the teenaged daughter. Setting in the west virginia hills is well done. Hope she writes a sequel. "

" This is a new mystery series, I look forward to more from this author. The audio was excellant, the narrator does a great of getting that Virginian accent without giong overboard. Good first book. "

" Pretty good first novel. A little overdramatic but great twist at the end. I also have a bias b/c its set in West Virginia right outside of Pittsburgh so there is some familiarity with the area and people. I hope she comes along with a sequel soon. "

" This was very good and extremely hard to put down. Written from both perspectives: a 17-year-old girl and her County Prosecutor mother, we see a slice of life in a small West Virginia town that's being overrun by illegal pharmaceutical drug sellers. Fascinating and beautifully written. "

" Not a lot of surprises in this one. There were too many story lines and I think if Keller had stuck to one this book would have been amazing rather than mediocre. I'm assuming that there will be more to come since the end left major gaps. This is a good, quick vacation read. "

" I really, REALLY wanted to like this book, because I've followed Julia Keller's columns in the Sunday Chicago Tribune for so many years. But really, it wasn't that great -- perhaps because it's her first novel/mystery. I'm hoping her next will be better. "

" good stuff, and this is the first book "

" I enjoy mysteries but want them to give me a group of authentically voiced and reasonably complex characters. This was not what I found in this book. Instead the characters were stereotypical modern Appalachian people whose dialog was hokey and cartoonish for the most part. It was a waste of time. "

" not bad, well written and characters you cared about "

" Predictable plot with a cliched cast of characters. I do not understand the praise for this book. "