Book Review: ‘The Cold Way Home’ Is The Next Thrilling Bell Elkins Novel

Bell Elkins is back with her trusty sidekicks Jake and Nick (who are each going through personal issues throughout the novel) in their Detective agency in a small West Virginia country. They are asked to find Dixie Sue the daughter of Maggie Folsom. She is of age to be gone but Maggie thinks something is a miss with Dixie being gone. Bell is on the hunt and finds a body in the woods at the site where Wellwood, a state mental hospital than burned down in the early 60’s. She thinks it is Dixie’s body but it turns out to be the body of Darla Gilley.

So now Bell, Jake and Nick are helping to find the person that killed Darla. It involved something with a book according to Darla’s ex-husband. Soon a diary arrives for Nick at the agency and that is written about what really happened at Wellwood all those years ago. Bell figures out that there is a second diary that tells more and when she finds it hidden, the person responsible for the murder has followed Bell and now her life is in danger. And it’s someone they never suspected and it hits close to home for one person.

Another fun Bell Elkins novel. These are written like stand-alone books so if you’ve never read one before it’s okay. Author Julia Keller gives enough back story to let the reader know who is who and what’s going on.

You can pick up The Cold Way Home in stores on Tuesday, August 20th from Minotaur.