Blacklands by Belinda Bauer

18 years ago, Steven Lamb’s Uncle Billy went missing. He was only 11 years old, and his body was never found. In the years that have passed, their family has fallen apart: Billy’s mother has become a shell of herself, waiting at the window for her favorite child to return; his sister, Lettie, has been lost without her mother, and is now a single mother herself of two neglected boys. Even though the location of Billy’s body remains a mystery, the bodies of other children were discovered, buried in the empty expanse of Exmoor. The serial killer, Arnold Avery has been biding his time in prison ever since.

Now 12 years old, Steven is determined to find Uncle Billy’s body and heal the wounds festering in his family home. At first he spends his days digging random holes on Exmoor, hoping to get lucky and find the burial site. But he finally comes up with a better plan: to write Arnold Avery himself and convince the killer to divulge the information. Arnold Avery, who was once resigned to his prison sentence, finds meaning in his life once more when he discovers that the cryptic letters he has been receiving are from a young boy. And now that he has motivation, Avery has a plan.

Bauer’s debut novel is impressive in its simplicity. Where many writers would make a 12 year old protagonist wise beyond his years, Steven is entirely believable in his stubborn innocence. Similarly, her characterization of Avery is as frightening as it is believable. And thankfully, in a book about child abuse and murder, Blacklands is not your standard grisly crime scene mystery. Details about the murders are given sparingly, without any sense of voyeurism, but certainly enough to give the reader chills.

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Recommended by Sara D.