SALT BONES

Narrator Victoria Villarreal elevates this ghostly mystery with her impressive vocal range. Malamar Veracruz has never escaped the shadow of her sister, Elena, who disappeared when they were teenagers. With no choice but to mature quickly, she raised her baby brother in a fractured home with an alcoholic father and an abusive mother who blamed Malamar for Elena's disappearance. Now a single mother of two young adult daughters, Malamar begins having terrifying visions of La Siguanaba, a horse-headed spirit woman from local folklore. When a local girl goes missing, Malamar's dread deepens--are her visions a warning? Villarreal shifts smoothly between characters, weaving an atmosphere of dread and wonder that lingers long after listening. Switching between English and Spanish, she creates a unique voice for each character. A.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2025]