Select one of the keywords
Surrender the Dead    by John Burley Amazon.com order for
Surrender the Dead
by John Burley
Order:  USA  Can
William Morrow, 2021 (2021)
Softcover, CD, e-Book
* * *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

John Burley's Surrender the Dead opens on a snowy day in northeast Montana, as the author shares with readers the horror of eight-year-old Angela's murder as she's on her way to sled with her friends. Fifteen years later, one of those friends, Erin Reece, reluctantly returns to Wolf Point (an area with a long history of people going missing) with her Rhodesian ridgeback, Diesel.

She's left her veterinary practice and come back because her father (David) is seriously ill. David, a farmer, was in prison for three years after accidentally killing a pedestrian. An old schoolmate, now police Lieutenant Jeff Stutzman, also wants to speak with Erin - she wonders why. It turns out that human remains have been found on David's farm land. As the story develops, readers share flashbacks of what happened to some of Wolf Point's missing.

As more bodies are found, town feeling grows against David - and Erin. She's attacked at a candlelight vigil for the lost. She reconnects with her best friend from childhood, Native American Robbie Tabaha. They had helped each other deal with bullies - and much worse. She finds him very changed, but he still has her back when it really matters - and she finally finds her way home again. Don't miss this one!

Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.

Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews