John Galligan

Bad Axe County. John Galligan. 2019. Galligan is a great writer, and because of this, the book was hard to read at times. He gives the most vivid description of meth users I have ever read. Well it was a tough read all the way around. The old sheriff has died, and Heidi Kick has been appointed acting sheriff as the townofficials try to unravel all the illegal and cruel things the former sheriff has done. His cronies want to stop her. She has to deal with them, child trafficking, assaults, murder, and enemies at every turn including threats against her family. And all of this in the middle of winter! This is a great book, but not for anyone with a weak stomach!… (mer)

I sometimes wonder how on earth Sheriff Heidi Kick can manage to stagger from one disaster to another as fraught as her personal life is. I sometimes wonder how she can think Bad Axe County is such a great place to live with all the sordid crimes that take place and all the out-and-out slimy, unhinged people who live there. I sometimes wonder why I like this series so much when those sordid crimes and unhinged people make me want to jump in a hot shower, stick my fingers in my ears, and singsong LA LA LA LA at the top of my voice. But you see, author John Galligan makes it all work, and I enjoyed Bad Moon Rising every bit as much as I did the first two books in the series.

I think my liking for this series has everything to do with its main character, Sheriff Heidi Kick. She's got the smarts, the intuition, and the determination to get the job done each and every time, and that's saying a lot because of her family. At least in this third book, her husband Harley behaved himself. No, it was her wonderful mother-in-law trying to make her life as miserable as possible this time around, bless her. Believe me, this extra grief is not necessary because I think she's got some of the most contentious children in all of crime fiction. But not contentious in the "let me lock 'em in the basement and throw away the key" way. These poor kids have very real problems that the entire family must decipher and learn to deal with, and it just makes me want to hug them all and pitch in to help.

Galligan's stories are always fast-paced and addictive, and no matter how gross the bad guys are, there's something ultimately satisfying in watching them come to justice. Yep. Once justice is served, I want to send dear mother-in-law on an around-the-world cruise she can't refuse, send Heidi and Harley out for a perfect just-the-two-of-them weekend, and babysit their kids.

Now... when a reader gets that involved with the characters, it has a lot to say about a series, doesn't it? Bring on the fourth book!

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)… (mer)