Not the Killing Kind, Maria Kelson
Not the Killing Kind, Maria Kelson
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Not the Killing Kind

Author: Maria Kelson

Narrator: Cynthia Farrell

Unabridged: 9 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/10/2024

Synopsis

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.

About Maria Kelson

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.

About Cynthia Farrell

Cynthia Farrell is a professional voiceover artist with experience working on video games, commercials, and audiobooks. An Earphones Award winner, she is known for her portrayal of strong female characters. In addition to her voiceover work, she also has worked off-Broadway as a musical-theater singer ever since she attended New York University's musical-theater program. An English and Spanish speaker, she currently resides in her hometown of Los Angeles.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Stacey on October 08, 2024

Not the Killing Kind by Maria Kelson Just a mother trying to prove her sons innocence in the face of mounting evidence. What she finds is more than she ever thought possible. I felt this one was trying too hard to tick all the political boxes. Adopts a child of another race, teaches undocumented peop......more

Goodreads review by Teresa Brock on August 01, 2024

Not The Killing Kind Maria Kelson Pub Day 9/10/24 Crooked Lane Books As a mother, there are no limits as to how far I will go to protect my child. Boots Marez has no limits when it comes to loving and believing in her adoptive son, Jarel. Jarel seems to be doing teenage things - boy things- about to gra......more

Goodreads review by Kurryreads on August 26, 2024

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for an early copy of this book. I loved the pacing, action, and diversity in this book. There was a big aspect to this book that I’m just not a fan of in books. I could see this being a good movie! Thoughts: [URL not allowed]......more

Goodreads review by Emily on March 04, 2025

The particularly strong ending of this novel almost pushed my review to four stars, but alas. It feels necessary to say that I found the resolution astounding, and makes the work worth reading. Reading this was a practice in suspending judgment— I was often just shocked by how selfish Boots was (i.e.......more

Goodreads review by Karen on December 15, 2024

Boots Marez is a single mom to an adopted young man, Jaral. She also runs a school specifically designed to help immigrant children and adults navigate their new home, but also provide the needed education to citizenship. Her son, now 18 and ready to graduate, finds himself in a very difficult situa......more

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