Dry Bones in the Valley
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4.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
'A tough, edgy thriller ... readers are going to love this. I wish like hell that my name were on the cover.' Wiley Cash, New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2014 Gold Dagger for This Dark Road to Mercy
WINNER of the LA Times Book Award - Thriller/Mystery
WINNER of the Edgar Best First Novel
Longlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger
When an elderly recluse discovers a corpse on his land, Officer Henry Farrell follows the investigation to strange places in the countryside, and into the depths of his own frayed soul.
In Wild Thyme, Pennsylvania, secrets and feuds go back generations. The lone policeman in a small township on the sparse northern border, Henry Farrell expected to spend his mornings hunting and fishing, his evenings playing old-time music. Instead, he has watched the dual encroachment of fracking companies and drug dealers bring money and troubles to the area. As a second body turns up, Henry's search for the killer opens old wounds and dredges up ancient crimes which some people desperately want to keep hidden.
With vivid characters and flawless pacing, Tom Bouman immerses readers in this changing landscape. In these derelict woods, full of whitetail deer and history, the hunt is on...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Although set in northeastern Pennsylvania, Bouman's outstanding debut has the feel of a western. Officer Henry Farrell became the head policeman in Wild Thyme Township because he expected it to be an easy job with hunting and fishing taking up most of his time. But uneasiness has settled into the economically depressed area with an active drug trade, including home-brewed meth. Drilling for natural gas is bringing money to the region, but this new wealth affects only a few residents, pitting neighbor against neighbor while potentially destroying the land. The discovery of a stranger's body on a disused dairy farm owned by elderly hermit Aub Dunigan, followed by the murder of a policeman, heightens the tension among the residents. Henry's growth from a grief-stricken widower to a lawman with an inner resolve fuels the brisk plot, as does an evocative look at a changing landscape.
Customer Reviews
Honest, real and satisfying
Tom Bouman is a musician and former book editor who lives with his family in northeastern Pennsylvania. Heeding the new novelists mantra to 'write what you know', Dry Bones In The Valley is set in rural Pennsylvania.Tom Bouman's first novel is a fine read from start to finish. His lead character, Henry Farrell is a lawman based in the small mountain community of Wild Thyme. The discovery of the body of a deceased male, and the subsequent murder of Farrell's offsider, are two streams in a much larger story skillfully blending drugs, fracking, and the rural white poor. While there is little 'edge of your seat' tension in the book, Bouman's fine eye for detail, and his musicians ear for language, weave the threads of the story together in a way that is honest, real and satisfying.