Not the Killing Kind: A Novel

by Maria Kelson

Overview

This gripping, high-stakes debut thriller about the lengths mothers will go to protect their children is perfect for fans of Wanda M. Morris and Jess Lourey.

Boots Marez is a Latina single mother raising a headstrong and sly eighteen-year-old boy she adopted six years ago. She also runs a school that helps the undocumented people in her politically divided town in Northern California. When her son Jaral is jailed for the murder of one of her former students, her world is turned upside down.

Struggling to protect her son, Boots has to spotlight a community used to living in the shadows, putting her hard work over the years in doubt. Meanwhile, a vicious parents’ board wants to trash her ideals and oust her from the school she helped build. As she faces increasing danger to clear her son’s name, she must decide how far she is willing to go to bring her son home.

But nothing is as it seems—Jaral has been keeping secrets from her after all. And as she puts the missing pieces together, she will discover a deeper and darker web of lies that has been hiding in plain sight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639109678
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	672,420
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Maria Kelson has two collections of poetry (as Maria Melendez) with University of Arizona Press, which were finalists for the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the Colorado Book Award. Not the Killing Kind is her debut novel. It received the inaugural Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Crime Fiction Writers of Color from Sisters in Crime.

A former Santa Fe Arts Institute and Hedgebrook resident, she has given readings and workshops at campuses and literary festivals around the U.S. and served as an American Voices arts envoy in Bogotá, Colombia. Born in Arizona, raised in northern California, she has lived in one southeastern, three midwestern, and five western states. Connect at mariakelson.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Not the Killing Kind:
“Maria Kelson exudes precision in crafting her debut thriller set in California’s Humboldt County, immediately south of the Oregon border. Her educator protagonist, Boots Marez, is fearless in defending her adoptive teenage son, who is accused of brutally murdering a childhood friend. While expertly describing a little known setting, Kelson opens up the story to have international ramifications, bridging local with the world.”
—Naomi Hirahara, USA Today bestselling author of the Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning mystery, Clark and Division

“Lyrically written and with finely etched characters, Maria Kelson’s smart, high-stakes debut novel, Not the Killing Kind, deftly explores the heartrending intersection between a diabolical crime and a mother’s fierce love for her son.”
—Barbara Nickless, Amazon Charts and Wallstreet Journal bestselling author

“Maria Kelson has created a compelling character in Boots Marez, the protagonist in Not The Killing Kind. Smart, tough, and determined, Boots will crash through any barrier to try to save her son. An exciting debut!”
—Matt Coyle, bestselling author of the Rick Cahill crime series

“Not the Killing Kind makes the reader understand the depth of an adoptive mother’s love and the risks and rewards of raising a child in a complex, dangerous world. Kelson’s debut adds a lyrical and important voice to crime fiction.”
—Lori Rader-Day, award-winning author of The Death of Us

“In Not the Killing Kind, Maria Kelson has given us a stellar debut with an impulsive, passionate sleuth who leads with her heart. Combined with intense plotting, a beautifully realized setting, and fascinating characters, we can't help but follow her to the dramatic end. This is a writer to watch!”
—Linda Rodriguez, award-winning author of the Skeet Bannion novels

“Not the Killing Kind is a brilliant and thoughtful multi-layered crime novel. With a first-rate plot and pacing, it drives you to its propulsive ending, to determine the guilt or innocence of a young man whose secrets and silence keep him a mystery to the woman who adopted him. But on deeper examination and in vividly imaginative prose, it also portrays the struggles of marginalized Latinx communities with sensitivity and grace, while illuminating the complex connection between a mother and son whose bond is put to the test. Maria Kelson’s stunning debut is utterly riveting and represents a brave new voice in crime fiction.”
—Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of Blood Betrayal

“Not The Killing Kind is a masterful debut novel that reads like the work of a seasoned storyteller. You won’t soon forget Boots Marez or the lengths she will go to put her world back together while unmasking ugly exploitation in her own community.  Beautifully written, with a keen eye for layers and nuance, look no further for a tantalizing ride.”
—Mark Stevens, author of The Fireballer and The Allison Coil Mystery Series

From the Publisher