Starvation Lake, Bryan Gruley's first book, introduced readers to a small town in Northern Michigan populated by a quirky but likable cast of characters whose passion for ice hockey was matched by a penchant for trouble. It also earned Gruley, a Pulitzer-winning former bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, a nomination for an Edgar for best first novel. The Hanging Tree helped confirm the appeal of protagonist Gus Carpenter, the editor of the local newspaper with a knack for discovering the truth through journalistic instinct.
In The Skeleton Box, the third installment in this series, the residents of Starvation Lake are unsettled by a spate of mysterious break-ins at the homes of several town elders. One of the break-ins leads to the death of the best friend of Gus Carpenter's mother; the victim is also the mother of his ex-girlfriend, Darlene. With the assistance of a new reporter who always seems to be a step ahead, Gus works to uncover the truth behind the burglaries and the murder, but his investigations unearth long-buried secrets that threaten to disquiet the town and disturb his family.
For readers already familiar with the Starvation Lake series, The Skeleton Box will not disappoint, and for those just discovering Gruley's work, it will surely impress.--Roni K. Devlin, owner of Literary Life Bookstore & More