Category Archives: Ace Atkins

July 10, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Shameless by Ace Atkins

Title: The Shameless by Ace Atkins
Quinn Colson Series Book Nine
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 458 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Buried secrets, dirty lies, and unbridled greed and ambition raise the stakes down South in the lauded crime series from New York Times bestselling author Ace Atkins.

Twenty years ago, Brandon Taylor was thought to be just another teen boy who ended his life too soon. That’s what almost everyone in Tibbehah County, Mississippi, said after his body and hunting rifle were found in the Big Woods. Now two New York-based reporters show up asking Sheriff Quinn Colson questions about the Taylor case. What happened to the evidence? Where are the missing files? Who really killed Brandon?

Quinn wants to help. After all, his wife Maggie was a close friend of Brandon Taylor. But Quinn was just a kid himself in 1997, and these days he’s got more on his plate than twenty-year-old suspicious death. He’s trying to shut down the criminal syndicate that’s had a stranglehold on Tibbehah for years, trafficking drugs, stolen goods, and young women through the MidSouth. Truck stop madam Fannie Hathcock runs most of that action, and has her eyes on taking over the whole show. And then there’s Senator Jimmy Vardaman, who’s cut out the old political establishment riding the Syndicate’s money and power–plus a hefty helping of racism and ignorance–straight to the governor’s office. If he manages to get elected, the Syndicate will be untouchable. Tibbehah will be lawless.

Quinn’s been fighting evil and corruption since he was a kid, at home or as a U.S. Army Ranger in Afghanistan and Iraq. This time, evil may win out.

Review:

The Shameless by Ace Atkins is an action-packed mystery set in a small Mississippi town.  Although this latest release is the ninth installment in the Quinn Colson series,  it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend the previous novels as well.

Tibbehah County Sheriff Quinn Colson has been busy ferreting out crime and corruption in his small part of Mississippi for close to a decade.   A few slippery criminals disguised as upstanding citizens remain elusively out of reach despite Colson’s best efforts. With U.S. Marshall (and former Deputy Sheriff) Lillie Virgil’s arrest of Wes Taggart, Quinn hopes he will finally have the information he needs to arrest some of the worst criminals who have cleverly evaded arrest. With Wes ready to co-operate in order to reduce his sentence, will Colson finally bring down Senator Jimmy Vardaman (who is campaigning for Governor) and ultra-religious Supervisor Skinner?

Just as Quinn is in the midst of his present day investigation, the twenty-year old suicide of Brandon Taylor is now the focus of a podcast. The Taylor family has always believed Brandon was murdered but the case was quickly closed by Quinn’s uncle Hamp Beckett who was the sheriff at the time of the investigation. At the request of Brandon’s sister Shaina, Thin Air reporter Tashi Coleman and her producer Jessica Torres are in town trying to uncover the truth about Brandon’s death. The pair begin to believe that Sheriff Beckett did not investigate the case as thoroughly as he should have.  When Hamp’s former deputy  points the finger in Quinn’s direction, Tashi and Jessica begin digging into the Sheriff’s background.  Will they find any evidence to support their burgeoning theory that Beckett covered up his nephew’s involvement in Brandon’s death?

Meanwhile, the Syndicate continues its behind the scenes machinations in  Tibbehah County.  Strip club owner Fannie Hathcock fights to keep her establishment open in the face of Vardaman’s “Make Mississippi Great Again” campaign.  It is an unfair match because much plotting and scheming is going on in order to ensure Vardaman wins the Governor election.  As the truth begins to emerge about what happened to Brandon, past and present collide as Quinn uncovers stunning details surrounding the teenager’s death.

The Shameless is a spellbinding mystery that features a topical plot and intriguing investigations. Quinn remains dedicated to ridding Tibbehah County of its insidious corruption. The regular cast of characters continue to grow and evolve as they feature prominently in the various storylines. Quinn’s investigations move along at fairly fast pace until the various pieces fall into place.  Ace Atkins brings this outstanding novel to a satisfying conclusion that will leave readers breathlessly anticipating the next installment in the fantastic Quinn Colson series.

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Filed under Ace Atkins, Contemporary, GP Putnams Sons, Mystery, Quinn Colson Series, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Shameless

July 15, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Sinners by Ace Atkins

Title: The Sinners by Ace Atkins
Quinn Colson Series Book Eight
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In the new novel from New York Times-bestselling crime master Ace Atkins, violence comes in many forms…and this time it may be more than Quinn Colson can handle.

The Pritchards had never been worth a damn–an evil, greedy family who made their living dealing drugs and committing mayhem. Years ago, Colson’s late uncle had put the clan’s patriarch in prison, but now he’s getting out, with revenge, power, and family business on his mind. To make matters worse, a shady trucking firm with possible ties to the Gulf Coast syndicate has moved into Tibbehah, and they have their own methods of intimidation.

With his longtime deputy Lillie Virgil now working up in Memphis, Quinn Colson finds himself having to fall back on some brand-new deputies to help him out, but with Old West-style violence breaking out, and his own wedding on the horizon, this is without a doubt Colson’s most trying time as sheriff. Cracks are opening up all over the county, and shadowy figures are crawling out through them–and they’re all heading directly for him.

Review:

In The Sinners, the eighth installment in Ace Atkins’ Quinn Colson series, a feud between two gangs who traffic drugs spawns murder and violence.

Just as Sheriff Quinn Colson is poised to make a big change in his personal life, Heath Pritchard (who was arrested by Quinn’s predecessor and uncle, Hamp Beckett) is released from prison. Heath  is ready to resume the pot operation that landed him in jail and he shows up unannounced on the family farm where his nephews Tyler and Cody currently live. Tyler and Cody are dirt-track racers who have continued the family tradition of growing and selling pot and they are about to find themselves in a mess of trouble with brothel owner, Fannie Hathcock and the Dixie Mafia’s goons.

Just as Quinn is attempting to sort out what happened to Fannie’s right hand man, Ordeem Davis, Colson’s best friend Boom Kimbrough discovers the trucking firm he is working for is involved in drug and human trafficking. With an all out war about to explode in Tibbehah County, Quinn  requests help from the DEA who sends agent Nat Wilkins and the USMarshalls which reunites him with his former co-worker Lillie Virgil. Will Colson find justice for Ordeem Davis?  Will Boom find the evidence he needs to take down the syndicate that is trafficking drugs and women?

This latest addition to Quinn Colson series has plenty of action, but Quinn and his crime fighting cohorts are firmly in the background as the rival factions wrestle for control. Cody and Tyler are more interested in their upcoming races while newly released Heath spews racist rhetoric as he tries to convince his nephews the business rightly belongs to him. Fannie manipulates events behind the scenes to rid herself of the two lowlifes who are now her “partners”.  Boom wants nothing more than give up his trucking job, but Nat convinces him it is in everyone’s best interest for him to go undercover to find the evidence the DEA needs to take down the organization.

The Sinners is an action-packed novel that is interesting but slow-paced. With the focus on the warring factions, the good guys do not have much on-page time until the novel’s conclusion. Fans will enjoy this latest outing and readers will be eager for the next release in the series since the novel’s ending heavily foreshadows what Quinn will most likely face in book nine of Ace Atkins’ Quinn Colson series.

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Filed under Ace Atkins, Contemporary, GP Putnams Sons, Mystery, Quinn Colson Series, Rated C+, Review, Suspense, The Sinners

July 16, 2017 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Fallen by Ace Atkins

Title: The Fallen by Ace Atkins
Quinn Colson Series Book Seven
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 365 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Penguin’s First to Read Program

Summary:

A classic southern tale of backroom deals, tainted honor, dysfunctional family, high-stakes greed—and everyday heroism—from the New York Times–bestselling author.

Mississippi sheriff Quinn Colson had to admit he admired the bank robbers. A new bank was hit almost every week, and the robbers rushed in and out with such skill and precision it reminded him of raids he’d led back in Afghanistan and Iraq when he was an army ranger. In fact, it reminded him so much of the techniques in the Ranger Handbook that he couldn’t help wondering if the outlaws were former Rangers themselves.

And that was definitely going to be a problem. If he stood any chance of catching them, he was going to need the help of old allies, new enemies, and a lot of luck. The enemies he had plenty of. It was the allies and the luck that were going to be in woefully short supply.

Review:

In Ace Atkins’ seventh installment in the Quinn Colson series,  The Fallen, Tibbehah County, Mississippi is once again a hotbed of illegal activity which runs the gamut of bank robberies, missing teenage girls and an underlying corruption that Sheriff Quinn Colson just cannot seem to stay ahead of.

When bank robbers Rick Wilcox, Jonas Cord and their buddy Opie make an ill-fated decision to rob Jericho First National Bank, they are certain they will get away with their crime. However, instead of a clueless small town police force, their crime falls under the jurisdiction of Sheriff Quinn Colson and assistant Sheriff Lillie Virgil who have proven time and again they are a formidable crime fighting duo. Colson correctly deduces the men are former military and with few clues to go on, he turns to federal agent Jon Holliday who does not have any more information about the crew than Quinn and Lillie.

Interspersed with the investigation into the bank robbery are a couple of story arcs set in the local community. Quinn’s sister Caddy is worried about two missing teenagers that she has been trying to locate under the Sheriff’s radar. Strip bar owner Fannie Hathcock is running up against good ole boy Skinner whose Southern Christian values are greatly offended by her establishment.  The search for the missing girls leads straight to Fannie’s strip joint and ultimately, the latest round of corruption that is attempting to gain a toehold in Tibbehah County.

In between the investigation of the bank robbery and fighting petty crimes in the county, Quinn reunites with childhood friend Maggie Powers who has recently moved to town with her nine year old son Brandon. As they reminisce about their innocent exploits, a simmering passion threatens to explode into full blown passion but since Maggie is in the midst of a messy divorce, they attempt to keep their relationship platonic.

When Quinn begins putting the pieces of the various puzzles together, Lillie’s concerns about his objectivity lead her to make a surprising decision about her future.  When the multiple  plotlines finally converge into a violent showdown, she concedes Quinn’s suspicions are, indeed correct, and her expertise is instrumentally in bringing the siege to an end.  In the aftermath, will Lillie change her mind about the events she set into motion during a moment of frustration?

The Fallen is another well-plotted mystery with a storyline that is an accurate reflection of the pervasive political mindset of the deep South today.  Ace Atkins lightens the mood with some laugh out loud funny one-liners as Quinn and Lillie take aim at the corruption and crime that threaten to destroy Tibbehah County. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Quinn Colson series, it can easily be read as a standalone.  However, I have to warn readers that the novel’s tantalizing conclusion will leave them  impatiently awaiting the next book in this fantastic series.

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Filed under Ace Atkins, Contemporary, Mystery, Quinn Colson Series, Rated B+, Review, The Fallen

October 18, 2011 · 3:00 am

The Ranger by Ace Atkins

Title: The Ranger by Ace Atkins
Quinn Colson Novel
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

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.

The Review:

With The Ranger, author Ace Atkins brings an engrossing and fast paced tale of murder and corruption in a small Southern town in Mississippi.

Quinn Colson is an engaging protagonist whose career as an Army ranger has kept him away from his small hometown and dysfunctional family for the greater part of his adult life. His return for Hampton Beckett’s funeral finds him investigating the murky circumstances surrounding his beloved uncle’s death. It also brings him face to face with the family and friends he has distanced himself from over the years. As he delves deeper into his uncle’s death, he uncovers secrets better left buried and betrayal from unexpected sources.

Friend or foe, the supporting cast of characters is richly drawn and equally compelling. Quinn’s loyal high school friends Lillie Virgil, now a tough as nails deputy and Boom Kimbrough, a fellow war veteran who has fallen on tough times, have his back and aid in his investigation. Teenage mother to be Lena’s search for her baby daddy lands her in the midst of a white supremacy group that finances itself with mobile meth labs. The villains of The Ranger are accurately depicted although they might be construed as stereotypical white trash in the deep South.

Ace Atkins brings The Ranger vividly to life with a fascinating storyline, gritty dialogue and three dimensional characters. Several seemingly unrelated subplots culminate in an action packed and satisfying battle between good and evil that is somewhat reminiscent of shootouts in the Old West.

Ace Atkins leaves his readers eagerly anticipating the next installment of this explosive and exciting new series starring Quinn Colson.

This review was originally posted at The Reader’s Roundtable

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Filed under Ace Atkins, Contemporary, Mystery, Putnam Adult, Rated B, The Ranger