THE BROKEN PLACES by Ace Atkins
The remarkable third novel in the "harrowing” (Associated Press), "killer” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) new series about the real Deep South from the New York Times bestselling author.
A year after becoming sheriff, Quinn Colson is faced with the release of an infamous murderer from prison. Jamey Dixon comes back to Jericho preaching redemption, and some believe him; but for the victim’s family, the only thought is revenge.
Another group who doesn’t believe him—the men in prison from Dixon’s last job, an armored car robbery. They’re sure he’s gone back to grab the hidden money, so they do the only thing they can: break out and head straight to Jericho themselves.
Colson and his deputy, Lillie, know they’ve got their work cut out for them. But they don’t count on one more unwelcome visitor: a tornado that causes havoc just as events come to a head. Communications are down, the roads are impassable—and the rule of law is just about to snap.
MY REVIEW:
Former ranger turned lawman Quinn Colson returns for another atmospheric adventure in "The Broken Places" from author Ace Atkins. A year into his job as the sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, Colson has his work cut out for him with the return of a paroled murderer turned bible-thumping preacher. Colson's sister, Caddy, falls under the spell of the made-over minister, and she helps him to form a new church in the Jericho community. Jamey Dixon professes to be a changed man--a man of God--but not everyone takes him at his word. Quinn, of course, has his doubts, and so does Ophelia Bundren, the county coroner, who happens to be the sister of Dixon's victim. Others with a keen interest in Dixon are his former prison-mates who confided in him about their last heist--an armored-car full of cash and dead guards which ended up sunk in a pond. Now that Dixon is free man, his prison buddies naturally assume he will claim their stolen loot for himself, and they hatch a well-executed prison break in order to beat him at his own game. As usual, Quinn has his deputy Lillie Virgil and his best friend Boom as backup, but will the three of them be strong enough to handle the destruction of the tornado that tears through the town just as the wave of lawlessness reaches its crest? With each Quinn Colson book, we gain more of an insight into the man himself and his relationships with friends and family. In "The Broken Places" we also glimpse a more vulnerable side of Quinn as his rekindled romance with the woman who married another man plays havoc with his peace of mind. The first two books in the series are "The Ranger", and then "The Lost Ones". I recommend reading the three books in order so that you can enjoy the full-throttle ride with its hoot of humor, raunchy bad guys, and a hero who's just imperfect enough to be just right.
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
THE LOST ONES by Ace Atkins
Fresh from ten years as a U.S. Army Ranger, Quinn Colson finds his hands full as the newly elected sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi. An old buddy running a local gun shop may be in over his head when stolen army rifles start showing up in the hands of a Mexican drug gang.
At the same time, an abused-child case leads Quinn and his tough-as-nails deputy, Lillie Virgil, deep into the heart of a bootleg baby racket and a trail of darkness and death. And when the two cases collide, Quinn and his allies are forced to realize that, though they may be home from the war, they are now in the fight of their lives.
MY REVIEW:
"The Lost Ones", from author Ace Atkins, finds former army ranger Quinn Colson as the recently-elected sheriff of his homeplace, Tibbehah County, Mississippi. Before one crime door closes, another one has already opened, and Quinn has his hands full and his brain on full alert as he tackles his new job. At the same time that Quinn and his stalwart deputy, Lillie Virgil, investigate a child-abuse case which exposes a bootleg baby racket, stolen army rifles are being used by the lawless hands of a Mexican drug racket. Eventually, the two cases overlap, and once again the ranger is in the heat of the battle, fighting a powerful enemy threatening the sanctity of his home ground. Quinn will need his natural smarts, razor-sharp instincts, and all the survival skills he honed in a decade of army service. He could also use a little help from his friends, except than one of those friends may be up to his neck in criminal activity. "The Lost Ones" adds shaded depth to the setting and characters we first met in "The Ranger", the debut book in Ace Atkins "Quinn Colson" series. Personal issues are now given greater exploration and characterizations become richer and more complex. An entertaining and satisfying suspense read which leaves you in anticipation of spending more time fighting crime in small town Mississippi.
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
THE RANGER by Ace Atkins
From the acclaimed, award-winning author comes an extraordinary new series about a real hero, and the real Deep South.
"With terrific, inflected characters, and a dark, subtle sense of place and history, The Ranger is an exceptional novel." -John Sandford
"One of the best crime writers at work today." -Michael Connelly
Ace Atkins returns with an extraordinary new series. Northeast Mississippi, hill country, rugged and notorious for outlaws since the Civil War, where killings are as commonplace as in the Old West. To Quinn Colson, it's home-but not the home he left when he went to Afghanistan.
Now an Army Ranger, he returns to a place overrun by corruption, and finds his uncle, the county sheriff, dead-a suicide, he's told, but others whisper murder. In the days that follow, it will be up to Colson to discover the truth, not only about his uncle, but about his family, his friends, his town, and not least about himself. And once the truth is discovered, there is no turning back.
MY REVIEW:
Author Ace Atkins begins his "Quinn Colson" series with "The Ranger". The death of his uncle brings army ranger Quinn Colson home from his tour in Afghanistan on a bereavement leave. It's been years since Quinn touched his boots to the Mississippi soil, and while many things have changed, some painful reminders of the past remain the same. Finding much amiss in local law and order, and having doubts that his uncle's death was not a suicide, Quinn stirs up a firestorm when he begins his own investigations. With the help of a female detective, Lillie, who shares his suspicions, Quinn begins to peel the layers from what turns out to be a very rotten, slimy crystal meth crime organization. He is also confronting issues from his past that he can no longer detach from his thoughts, and his life will never be what it was before this fateful trip back to his roots. With both the twang of a classic Western shootout with the good guy up against a passel of baddies, and the grit and gravy of Southern crime noir, "The Ranger" is a compelling series debut.
ACE ATKINS' Amazon.com Page
ACE ATKINS
Ace Atkins is the New York Times Bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Broken Places and Robert B. Parker's Wonderland both out from G.P. Putnam’s Sons in May 2013.
A former journalist who cut his teeth as a crime reporter in the newsroom of The Tampa Tribune, he published his first novel, Crossroad Blues, at 27 and became a full-time novelist at 30. Last year, he was selected by the Robert B. Parker estate to continue the bestselling adventures of Boston’s iconic private eye, Spenser.
As a reporter, Ace earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a feature series based on his investigation into a forgotten murder of the 1950s. The story became the core of his critically acclaimed novel, White Shadow, which earned raves from noted authors and critics. In his next novels, Wicked City, Devil’s Garden, and Infamous, blended first-hand interviews and original research into police and court records with tightly woven plots and incisive characters. The historical novels told great American stories by weaving fact and fiction into a colorful, seamless tapestry.
The Broken Places, The Lost Ones and The Ranger — all part of the unfolding Quinn Colson saga — represent a return to Ace’s first love: hero-driven series fiction. Quinn Colson is a real hero — a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan — who returns home to north Mississippi to fight corruption on his home turf. The stories, contemporary tales with a dash of classic westerns and noir, are currently in development for a major television series.
Ace lives on a historic farm outside Oxford, Mississippi with his family.
No comments:
Post a Comment