This is another great addition to the Bell Elkins series. Struggling with her own issues, Bell is faced with the growing problem of drug addiction in her town. The story is not only a good mystery/thriller, but it is also a poignant fiction story about a real life tragedy. Bell and Jake, with the assistance of Rhonda (new prosecutor), work a case that is as difficult to solve as it is painful to face. I love Bell and hope there are many more in the series.

Bell Elkins is out of jail and back in Acker's Gap. While a lot has changed, and takes some getting used to, a lot has stayed the same, including drug problems in the rural area.

Three years have passed since Bell Elkins confessed that she murdered her abusive father and let her older sister take the blame and be convicted. Her sister dies from cancer after being granted a compassionate leave. Bell feels the need to punish herself. Her confession means she must resign as prosecutor for Raythune County. She has returned to Aker's Gap after serving her sentence and is trying to make a life for herself. Jake Oakes is trying to adapt to his new reality as well. He was paralyzed by a bullet that should have killed him, but he cannot decide if living is better than dying. Both Jake and Bell get caught up in an investigation into a murder of an upstanding citizen that may be a result of the mounting crisis of opioid addiction in Raythune County and West Virginia as a whole. Keller addresses the issue of drug addition under the guise of a mystery. I will be interested to see how she develops this plot line.

Excellent addition to series. Acker's Gap is as much a character as Bell, I wrote a short review of this entry for my blog, but it was accidentally deleted in the editing process. Trying to recover it on wordpress and will post to Goodreads, etc.

Title was archived before I could review it sadly. Guess I will have to buy it if I would like to read it. I am new to the Galley and was not aware of the fact that the archival date meant that I could not access the title anymore. Too bad

Bell Elkins has returned a second time to her hardscrabble West Virginia town of Ackers Gap where she spent years as a driven prosecutor, trying to bring some justice to a place suffering from poverty, lack of opportunity, and lately a devastating opioid epidemic. Following the climactic ending of the previous entry in the series, FAST FALLS THE NIGHT, she's an ex-convict completing a sentence she insisted on serving, working nights cleaning a clinic caring for infants born addicted as court-ordered community service.

The crisis depicted with great urgency in the previous book in this series hasn't let up. We meet a woman whose son has been lost to drugs who has decided on a desperate way out of an impossible situation, but it turns out her husband has a plan, too. Those late nights he's been working at the bank? He was trying to gather information to save his son's life, but nothing turns out as expected.

Though Bell is no longer a prosecutor, no longer even a lawyer, she has a case of her own she wants to pursue. She wants to go right to the top, to the chief executive of the pharmaceutical company that marketed their products as non-addictive. But when her former assistant Rhonda Lovejoy finds herself swamped in a murder case with too many alibis for the usual suspects, she seeks out the help of Bell and another sidelined colleague, a sheriff's deputy who had been paralyzed by a bullet and is having a hard time finding a reason to live. There are some twists and turns before the case is solved, but it's not until the final pages that we solve the deeper mystery: why Bell Elkins insisted on throwing away her career to serve a sentence for a crime she didn't need to confess to, insisting on punishment that nobody but she felt she deserved. Though she won't be practicing law in future, there are hints she'll continue fighting for justice and for her small, hardscrabble mountain town.

Julia Keller does a great job of writing about a gritty, difficult reality while also letting us see the softer side of her characters and their relationships. Often stories about the destructiveness of the drug trade wrap themselves in a kind of glamorous violence. Here, it's as if the setting of a traditional village mystery had endured decades of poverty and become overrun with heroin. Keller doesn't spare us the reality of hopelessness and dysfunction, but there's something hopeful about these mountain people stubbornly persisting in looking out for each other in a community that's lost its way through no fault of its own.

3.5 THE OPIOD CRISIS has hit Aker's Gap in West Virginia very hard. Many overdoses, a drug that has no socioeconomic barriers, the well off and the desperate all sinking in the same morass. When a prominent man is killed in his own driveway, the killer thought to be one of the local drug dealers, the crisis once again comes to the forefront. The mans son, despite numerous stays at rehab facilities, just can't seem to kick his addiction, and had become a source of sadness and stress to his parents. Now his habit seems to have cost his father his life.

I started this series only with the last book, but it is one that I have come to enjoy. Pertininent topic, and since I am also reading the non fiction book [book:American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts|40396413], which starts with the crisis in West Virginia, also relevant and credible. I also enjoy the characters, very interesting back stories here, and the decisions they make, and where they find themselves now, make the story realistic. Taking on the drugs, and the things of all sorts as they try to make a difference in the town they love is admirable, also at times, hopeless. Still they admirably fight on, hoping something they do will make a small difference. There is sadness here, but also a few bright spots, that keeps them hopeful. As in the real world, one step at a time.

ARC from Netgalley.

Reading a book in Julia Keller’s Bell Elkins series is like sitting down with an intelligent, thought-provoking and well-dressed, old friend. Her books consistently never disappoint and Bone on Bone is no exception. The beginning starts off with Bell recently released from prison and trying to resume a life and reconnect with people back in her hometown of Ackers Gap, WV. Bell and a former colleague collaborate to solve the unexpected, cold blooded murder of a bank executive in his own driveway. Meanwhile, Bell makes a project out of researching ways to punish a pharmaceutical executive who she seems responsible for producing the opioids that have wreaked chaos in her community. She also struggles with an emotionally crippling, internal battle of conscience that has plagued her since she was a girl.

Keller’s writing always has a natural ease to it and this was a fast read. Her character development is phenomenal with characters that are very real and relatable with lots of foibles and flaws. Bell has her own secrets, which she shares with the reader but no one else. Ackers Gap is a community that I feel like I’ve come to know and love through this series. The mystery is suspenseful and there are a few delicious twists that I did not see coming. Not surprisingly, this is another excellent addition to this series.

For those new to this series, I highly recommend binge reading, starting with Killing in the Hills.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Julia Keller for providing me with a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There's a slow build-up in the beginning of this book as the various characters are introduced. Far from being off-putting though, the leisurely pace gives the reader a chance to get to know the characters and care what happens to them. With all the characters in place, the second half of the book proceeds rapidly with one secret after another being revealed and plenty of action.

As the book ended, I could see it was headed for a sequel and thought what a good series this would be. Then I discovered it's already a series - this is the eighth book!! (I never read reviews before giving my own because I don't want my thoughts influenced by others). How have I missed this author in the past? Though I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, this book stood on it's own well.

I enjoyed the book and will look forward to future books in the series!

From the book: "Bone on bone. It's like the very core of us, the essence, is rubbing up next to the people who matter most. Who are as close to us as our own bones. And sometimes that can be painful. Painful and wonderful, both." This truth is carefully explored in Julia Keller's newest novel.

Each book in Julia Keller's Bell Elkins series is "painful" yet "wonderful" to read. The recurring characters in the series have lives that have been filled with tragedies and difficulties, yet they persevere and try to do their best. In this latest entry, the writer delves more deeply into Bell's story and also that of a deputy, Jake. It would include spoilers to say more but readers of the series will be interested to see what has happened and how they are coping.

The Bell Elkins books are definitely best read in order. The setting is West Virginia where drugs have ravaged the population. The stories are dark but with genuine humanity in them as well. In Bone on Bone, the effects of drugs on some of the more well off citizens are at the heart of the story. Yes, this is a mystery and there is murder but the worst offender is not the murderer but the easily available illicit substances. There are characters who wish the world was different and who long for lives in which they have more control. All are movingly portrayed.

I often love to escape when I read. This book does not provide a happy escape but it is SO worth reading. Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this brave novel.

I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley.com as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.
Belfa “Bell” Elkins is a former prosecutor who has just been released from prison after a three-year incarceration for the murder of her abusive father. Now as she completes the conditions of her release, she struggles with her role in the community – a community that struggles mightily with drug addiction. Bell finds herself researching the opioid problem and identifies pharmaceutical companies as a large part of the problem and feels that these corporations should answer to the part they play in the opioid epidemic.
The Toppings family also play a central role in this novel. An upper middle-class family, Brett is a banker. He and his wife Ellie have a son, Tyler, who has struggled mightily with addiction. Just released from rehab, he moves back home with his family, and almost immediately falls prey to the availability of drugs in his community. Through the painful challenges the Toppings family faces, we learn the effects of drug abuse on families, individuals, and indeed, whole communities.
Former Deputy Jake Owens was left paraplegic three years ago after being shot on the job. Now unable to use his legs, he searches for his role, if any, in law enforcement. Sheriff Harrison needs a telecommunicator, and Jake agrees to fill in part time. He is working the night that the cry for help comes in…
This story is told through varied points of view and gives the reader a hard look into the desperation, despair and the intricacies of a family caught up in the opioid epidemic. As Bell and eventually Jake take on ‘big pharma’, this novel twists and turns rapidly, and ultimately surges to a stunning, unexpected conclusion… I can’t WAIT for the next installment of Bell’s story!! My first read by Julia Keller, but certainly not my last!!

BONE ON BONE
Julia Keller
Minotaur Books
ISBN 978-1-250-19092-5
Hardcover
Thriller

I knew of Julia Keller as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch several years before she won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles which she wrote for the Chicago Tribune. Her name is still spoken with reverence by reporters she worked with at the Dispatch. So it was that, when she turned her hand to writing a series of mystery novels featuring a somewhat complex and quietly damaged county prosecutor, I and many others expected nothing short of excellence. We were not disappointed. Keller’s Bell Elkins’ books rely more on drama than action (though they are not necessarily bereft of the latter) and on slow-boil plots as opposed to explosions. There have been, however, plenty of judiciously placed twists and developments to keep the pages of each book turning. The newly published BONE ON BONE is no exception.

The Elkins series is set in the fictional West Virginia town of Ackers’ Gap, which is modelled after a small town that was assimilated into the city of Huntington --- Keller’s hometown --- over a century ago but which continues to exist as a neighborhood. Acker’s Gap is the type of place where everyone at least knows of everyone else, and their business. As is the case in the real world, Acker’s Gap is plagued with drug addiction, a problem which has figured in the series in general and with BONE ON BONE in particular. Change also occurs in the real world, and there is change indeed in Elkins’ life. Elkins is no longer the Acker’s Gap prosecutor as BONE ON BONE begins. She has in fact just finished serving three years in prison for the murder of her abusive father, a crime she committed when she was much younger, and is wrapping up her mandatory community service. The backstory behind this is woven throughout BONE ON BONE as a secondary plot while Elkins adjusts to life as a civilian, with the goal of taking on a pharmaceutical company which manufactures the painkilling drug which seems to have the streets of Acker’s Gap in its thrall. Indeed, addiction influences and propels every cranny of BONE ON BONE. The primary focus is upon the Toppings, a prominent family in Acker’s Gap. Brett, an executive with a local bank and a pillar of the community, and his wife Ellie are stunned with the cycle of addiction and rehabilitation that their son Tyler has been undergoing to the extent that he has become a stranger in their family and home. Brett resolves to become proactive in battling the effect it has had upon Tyler, an action which results in Brett’s murder by an unknown assailant. There is a likely suspect, but the investigation takes longer than anyone anticipates at first blush. One of the side effects of the inquiry ultimately touches Elkins, who is not officially involved in the matter. A series of stunning revelations occur as the book concludes, of which at least one is almost sure to play out in the next installment.

Keller is at her chilling best in BONE ON BONE, particularly when giving the reader an up close, unblinking look at the physical and emotional tolls of addiction on both the addict and those closest to them. There have been video documentaries concerning various aspects of painkiller abuse in Huntington, but Keller’s vision and voice adds a new dimension to the problem, one which stays with the reader long after the last page is read. It’s unsettling, but makes for necessary reading. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2018, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

This book is part of a series and I have not read any of the books prior to this one, but had no trouble getting invested in the characters and the plot. I will definitely be seeking out the other books in this series now!

This is the eighth book in the Bell Elkins mystery series though it is the first one I’ve read. I was able to easily pick up the thread of the plot, understand the characters and get a sense of their past interactions. The book is easily read as a stand-alone but has convinced me to go back and read the series. I want to know how things got to this point and how the characters evolved over time.

This story picks up when Bell Elkins is released from prison. She is no longer able to practice law and has found a cause to champion. It seems Bell is the type of person who is driven and, since she is no longer a lawyer who can bring suit against wrongdoers, she is looking for another way.

The drug trade has grown in her small town during the three years she has been away. There is a murder that seems connected to the trade and the now sheriff and prosector are busy trying to solve the crime.

Deputy Jake Owens, formerly known as, is now a paraplegic after being shot three years before. He’s trying to adjust to life and not doing so well. When Bell approaches him about assisting her, he’s pretty sarcastic about what she is doing and can’t see how or why he should help her.

These three plot lines merge into one as facts appear. Bell, Jake, and Rhonda (the new prosecutor) start working together and then the entire story starts to snowball.

My attention was caught and I had problems putting the book down. I’ll certainly also be looking for new books by this author in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

"Bone on Bone" by Julia Keller, Minotaur Books, 320 pages, Aug. 21, 2018.

Belfa Elkins, Ackers Gap, W.Va., was in prison for three years. She is now finishing her community service that was part of her parole.

Belfa, who goes by Bell, used to be the county prosecutor. Rhonda Lovejoy now holds that office. Bell's mother died when she was a child. Her father was murdered and her teenage sister, Shirley, was convicted of his murder. Shirley has since died of cancer.

Bell becomes obsessed with investigating a pharmaceutical company because Ackers Gap is hard hit by the opioid epidemic, which Bell thinks was caused by overuse of prescription drugs.

Brett Topping is vice president of the bank. He and his wife, Ellie, have a son, Tyler, who is a drug addict. He has been in rehabilitation multiple times, but he keeps stealing from his parents and using drugs. Brett Topping is murdered.

Former deputy Jake Oakes was shot in the line of duty and paralyzed. Sheriff Pamela Harrison asks him to fill in at dispatch center for someone on maternity leave. Oakes takes the call about Topping's murder.

This is the eighth in the series. While it can be read as a stand-alone novel, the back story of why Bell resigned from office and was imprisoned is excellent, so you may want to read the others.

Julia Keller is a masterful storyteller. Her novels paint a vivid sense of place, but the stories of opioid addiction can be almost overwhelming.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the Advanced Readers Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bone on Bone is a very interesting novel that takes place in the small community of Acker's Gap, Raythune County, West Virginia. Raythune is a county with never quite enough funds to go around. Every year there is a little less for the judicial department, the sheriff's department, the medical centers. And there are more kids on drugs, more babies born of drug-using mothers, more crime associated with drug use.

And we have many empathetic characters. Forty-nine year old Belfa Elkins was a first class lawyer and the prosecutor for Raythune County until she began her two and a half year stint in the Alderson minimum security prison. She is now almost done with her community service hours but without a future in sight. Ellie and Brett Topping are the well to do parents of twenty year old Tyler, going into his fourth year of serious drug addiction, and relapsing within days of his latest release from the drug rehab center. Across the street and four doors down is the home of the Banville family, Sandy and Rex, Alex and Sara. Tyler and Alex were best of friends until junior year of high school, and Sara was the tag along little sister in most of their childhood adventures. Jake Oakes was a deputy sheriff for Raythune County. He loved his work before he took a bullet in the spine on the job, putting him in a wheelchair and on permanent disability. Pam Harrison is the new Sheriff, Rhonda Lovejoy the new prosecutor.

Put them all together and toss them about and you have a fast paced, multi-faceted mystery that will keep you entertained and guessing for hours. Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to Julia Keller. She is an author I will follow.

I received a free electronic copy of this mystery novel from Netgalley, Julia Keller, and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Bone on Bone is a very well written suspense. I enjoyed the fast paced plot, characters and the setting. I have not read the previous books but will definitely be reading them now. If you love suspense Che k this one out. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my arc. This is my unbiased review.

I found the characters interesting and the writing well done especially in the last quarter of the book. Bell has many colors to her

I thought Fast Falls the Night was an amazing, five star mystery. So I was anxious to see if Julia Keller could do it again. She’s again tackling the opioid crisis and how its tentacles reach into so many facets of life.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints. It’s four years after FFTN and a lot has transpired. Bell is no longer county prosecutor and Jake Oakes is a paraplegic and no longer deputy. We also hear from Linda, the mother of a drug user, who is beyond her wit’s end on how to deal with her son. This is more character study than standard mystery. The first death doesn’t even occur until ⅓ into the book. It’s not fast paced, but it it is powerful.

It does seem odd that Bell takes on a Don Quixote type idea. I wasn’t initially sure I bought into her doing that. She’s always been too practical for that.

The writing is still oh so special. “Then he would try to move his legs and it all rushed in on him again, the eternal present tense.”

Unfortunately, the ending didn’t hold together for me. It felt rushed and forced and the crucial twist of who did it was obvious and should have been obvious to the sheriff. So, this does not rank as high as its predecessor. But that was a really high bar. It will be interesting to see where Keller goes with the next book in the series.

My thanks to netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.

Julia Keller takes on the opioid addiction showing the world that addiction has no limits and people will do anything to get what they need.

Readers hearts will break as the mother of an addict has to deal with the loss of everyone she has loved because of addiction. The first several chapters are layers and layers of pain and suffering.

Bone to Bone has passion, pain, anger and characters who readers weep and feel the pain they are going though. The story ends on a cliffhanger. Not my favorite way to end a story but Bone to Bone has so many levels the story will take more than one book to tell.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Minotair books for the advance copy of Julia Keller Bone on Bone