To the Bones by Valerie Nieman combines the fun of a sci-fi/fantasy novel with a serious critique of greed in business, especially when that greed leads to environmental harm. It is set in a small, coal mining town in West Virginia. The coal industry is waning, but the business leaders in charge have found a way to keep exploiting the people and the land surrounding them.

Darrick, a mild-mannered government auditor, traveling alone, goes off the highway for gas and ends up in a pile of human bones in what appears to be a small cave but is actually a mine crack. He's been beaten, has a serious injury to his head and has been left for dead. He still manages to climb out of the hole. He can't remember what happened to him, so he limps off seeking help. Darrick is taken in by a strong willed woman named Lourana who has her own problems. Lourana's adult daughter, Dreama, is missing and Dreama is not the sort of woman to lose contact with her mother unless she's in serious trouble.

I loved the characters in this story, especially Louranna. She's a working class woman who manages a sweepstakes parlor. She knows taking in a stranger could be dangerous, but she helps Darrick because she feels it is the right thing to do. Darrick is also interesting as he learns he has a lot more going for him than he first realized. Their relationship is the core of the novel. The secondary characters are also well developed from the townspeople who think they've seen a Zombie to an ex detective who has been relegated to cleaning offices.

The sci-fi/fantasy aspect to the novel centers on abilities Darrick has and on abilities members of the wealthy Kavanagh family have. The progress Darrick makes to understand and use his skills for good is a major part of the plot, but the growth in his confidence is just as important.

To the Bones is excellently written by Valerie Nieman. I listened to the audio version read by Eric Fritzius. He also did a wonderful job. The story helped shorten a long trip I took.