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

2 Comments

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

2 Responses to The Ranger by Ace Atkins

  1. I’m buying this one. Wahoo! “The Ranger” sounds like a fast wickedly enjoyable novel.