A Bloom of Bones

In this raw, honest novel Jones introduces readers to Eli Singer, a solitary Montana rancher and poet forced to confront his life choices when a corpse is found on his hillside property. The discovery has gruesome implications and sparks hushed rural gossip about Eli’s stepfather, Buddy, plunging Eli into long-neglected corridors of his past. Chloe, a literary agent from New York representing Eli, comes to visit Montana after months of email exchange—ostensibly for work, but quickly the interactions turn romantic, though it’s an awkward time for the visit. Everyone in town agreed Pete Fahler, the dead man, had been a two-faced piece of scum, but did he really deserve to be murdered? Is there a limit to the search for justice? Does morality blur in the face of revenge? Is an honest man always to be trusted? Jones’s novel forces readers to meditate on weighty issues as events unfold and Eli’s warped upbringing and relationship with his stepfather are placed under the microscope. Though the book’s conclusion leaves several loose ends, readers who enjoy crime novels and literary whodunits will find the story gripping. (Nov.)