Dry Bones in the Valley

Tom Bouman

WINNER OF THE EDGAR FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
WINNER OF THE LA TIMES BOOK AWARD – THRILLER/MYSTERY

‘A tough, edgy thriller … readers of smart literary thrillers are going to love this novel. I wish like hell that my name were on the cover.’ Wiley Cash

1 in stock

£7.99
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780571320646
Date Published
02.04.2015
Delivery
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Summary

‘A tough, edgy thriller … 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…

Critic Reviews

A corpse is discovered on a recluse's land, leading Officer Henry Farrell into a murder investigation the likes of which he could never have dreamt of ... A blazing debut that's seen [Bouman] compared to greats such as Cormac McCarthy and Elmore Leonard.

SHORTLIST
Critic Reviews

'An elegiac debut that brings pastoral America to life as surely as if it were written by William Faulkner... It is a tour de force and Bouman brings texture to every person he describes and every event that punctuates their lives.'

Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail
Critic Reviews

Bouman writes with both insight and exquisite delicacy, his poetic evocation of wild beauty and serenity turned bad providing one of the lasting memories of a remarkable, original and intelligent debut.

Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post
Critic Reviews

A tremendous debut. Officer Henry Farrell is a character i hope to read about for years to come.

WILLY VLAUTIN, author of The Motel Life and Lean on Pete
Critic Reviews

Henry Farrell is truly one of the most likeable and dedicated law officers in the history of crime fiction. I loved every word of it.

DONALD RAY POLLOCK, author of Knockemstiff
Critic Reviews

An exciting and disturbing debut ... mesmerizing and often terrifying.

WASHINGTON POST
TomBouman

Tom Bouman is the author of Fateful Mornings and Dry Bones in the Valley, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He lives in upstate New York.

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