Julia Keller Books

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Julia Keller is an American author who writes mystery and YA novels. She hails from Huntington in West Virginia, born to a mathematics professor (father). Interestingly, she attended Marshal University, the same institution where her father taught.

She also enrolled at Ohio State University, graduating with a doctorate degree. Some of her readers have probably encountered the master’s thesis she wrote on ‘Call It Sleep,’ Henry Roth’s 1934 novel, and a doctoral dissertation on various Virginia Woolf biographies.

Teaching clearly runs in the family because Keller’s teaching resume includes stints at Princeton University and the University of Chicago, not to mention the University of Notre Dame. The former Nieman Fellow (Havard University) also served as a Pulitzer Prize juror on four different occasions, which is fascinating because she won a Pulitzer prize while working at the Chicago Tribune.

She wrote a three-part account of a Utica, Illinois tornado outbreak that the Pulitzer Prize jury praised for its gripping narrative. The Chicago Tribune had many Pulitzers on its mantle, but Keller made history by becoming the first writer from the publication to win the award for feature writing.

When the author interned for Jack Anderson (Columnist), she never expected her career to last more than two decades, spanning publications like The Daily Independent and the Columbus Dispatch and eventually culminating in an accolade as prominent as a Pulitzer prize.

Many readers know Keller primarily for her fiction. Her writing career intrigues people because it has so many arcs, especially when you include the years she spent as a student and a teacher at various institutions.

The Pulitzer Prize was a significant achievement, piquing the attention of numerous editors and agents in the publishing industry. However, even after winning the Pulitzer, several years passed before Keller felt confident enough to leave journalism behind in favor of writing full-time.

Back then, writing felt like a precarious undertaking. Fortunately, Keller found a reliable agent who quickly secured a two-book deal from a major publisher. The author is convinced that she retired from journalism at the perfect moment.

Journalism was declining rapidly by the time she left the Chicago Tribune (2012). Newspapers and magazines were closing at an alarming rate. The trend reinforced the author’s determination to carve out a new career outside journalism. She credits the Pulitzer Prize for giving her the confidence to strike out on her own.

She’s also spoken repeatedly about the critical role her hometown plays in her storytelling. Keller had no idea that people had a negative view of West Virginia until she left in her early 20s. After moving to Chicago, a colleague joked that she was doing wonders for the reputation of West Virginia.

Keller was offended. So, when she created her mystery series, she made West Virginia the primary setting. Because she was fascinated by people who leave suffocating hometowns only to return years later, she created a protagonist (Belfa Elkins) who escaped West Virginia and came back, undaunted by the darkness and despair awaiting her.

Best Julia Keller Books

The author read a lot of science fiction and fantasy during her childhood, obsessing over the likes of Robert Heinlein, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Ray Bradbury. Keller’s best books include:

A Killing in the Hills: What did Dean Streeter, Lee Rader, and Shorty McClurg do? Someone gunned them down at a local diner. Half the town was present, but no one saw anything. Everything happened too quickly. The shooter got away before the residents could get a closer look.

Was the shooting random? Bell Elkins is determined to answer that question. Her daughter, Carla Elkins, witnessed the brutal incident. When she recovers, the horrified girl will join forces with her mother, a prosecuting attorney, to find the killer, assuming the pair can repair their damaged relationship.

Bitter River: Someone killed Lucinda Trimble. They found the 16-year-old girl’s remains at the bottom of Bitter River. However, Lucinda was dead before she hit the water.

Bell Elkins expected the worst when she got the call because it became before drawn, and no one calls before dawn unless they have bad news. She was just as shocked as everyone else. She also understood that Lucinda’s case would make the next few weeks immensely difficult.

When Does The Next Julia Keller book come out?

Julia Keller doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Back Home and was released on July, 3rd 2020.

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