"So smooth it's as if it was written on spring water. Shadowy, swift, impossible to put down. I was enraptured. Any justice and this writer will soon be a major star."
"Raymond Chandler said that Hammett took murder away from the manor houses and gave it back to the people who actually commit it. Tom Bouman continues that tradition. Bouman's story is deceptively simple, layered with history, bearing the promise of lightness, of redemption."
"It's a mystery, yes, but it's also a love story between a man and the land and people he knows like the back of his hand. Dry Bones in the Valley is a gorgeous, lived-in novel, and Bouman's turns of phrase are chest-clutching in their beauty."
"Officer Henry Farrell is a shy man, but in his own ways just as ornery and tough as the cast of rugged characters who inhabit his Pennsylvania woods, where the mysteries are as old as love and grief. A rural cop with a keen intelligence and a wounded heart, Henry’s the right man to unearth the secrets of Dry Bones in the Valley . Tom Bouman’s debut novel is one you won’t want to miss."
"A tough, edgy thriller that asks hard questions about the destruction of our environment, our local communities, and our families. Readers of smart literary thrillers are going to love this novel. I wish like hell that my name were on the cover."
"Tom Bouman is a remarkable new voice in contemporary fiction. Dry Bones in the Valley is a tightly crafted piece of rural noir that seems pulled from the earth itself, a profound look at the dark corners of rural America. Readers of Daniel Woodrell and Donald Ray Pollock will find much to love."
[An] outstanding debut... Henry's growth from a grief-stricken widower to a lawman with an inner resolve fuels the brisk plot, as does an evocative look at a changing landscape.-- "Publishers Weekly, starred review"Dry Bones in the Valley is a gorgeous, lived-in novel, and Bouman's turns of phrase are chest-clutching in their beauty.--Hannah Pittard, author of The Fates Will Find Their WayDry Bones in the Valley . Tom Bouman's debut novel is one you won't want to miss.--Ed Falco, author of The Family CorleoneDry Bones in the Valley is a tightly crafted piece of rural noir that seems pulled from the earth itself, a profound look at the dark corners of rural America. Readers of Daniel Woodrell and Donald Ray Pollock will find much to love.--Steve Weddle, author of Country Hardball
Beautifully written.
Marilyn Stasio - New York Times
Henry Farrell [is] truly one of the most likable and dedicated law officers in the history of crime fiction. I loved every word of it.
A standout debut with an authenticity of place and character rare in any form of literature.
"Some stories are so sad, you want them to have the comfort of a gentle storytelling voice. Tom Bouman extends this kindness in… his beautifully written first novel."
"Grit-lit meets wry suspense, along with a keen rendering of place and politics."
New York Magazine (Six Books to Read this Summer)
"[Incorporates] literary elements—thick atmosphere, regional rootedness, social scope—into an actual fast-paced mystery series."
New York Magazine - Boris Kachka
"An exciting and disturbing debut… Bouman brings his world to life with texture that gives every room and vehicle and person a history and character, keeping us immersed in this mesmerizing and often terrifying story."
"Debut author Tom Bouman is a gem… Recommended for your end of summer pleasure."
Book Reporter - Joe Hartlaub
