Ossify and Worship: Review of Natasha Pulley’s The Salt King

Author Under Review:The Salt King. Natasha Pulley. Bloomsbury, August 2026. When I was younger, there was a show, Father Dowling Mysteries, that centered on a Catholic priest and a female detective who solved crimes assigned to them by the local archdiocese. Its standout episode was about the murder of a priest who was looking for treasure in one of the district’s smaller churches. It later turned out that the treasure was salt hidden in said church’s basement. As everyone looked at the salt, Father Dowling explained the monetary significance of it, ending the episode with the line: “Those who control salt, control the world.” This line rang in my ears as I read Natasha Pulley’s newest novel, The Salt King, where salt and religion collide in unexpected ways. The Salt King follows Avelyn Brocken, a Jesuit priest sent back to the mining town of Hreodwater in eastern England to confirm a miracle: a disabled man started walking again, but has since turned into a salt statue. However, for…