This book was just awful. I usually read books in a matter of days, but this one took me almost 2 weeks to get through. I just hated picking it back up. The story dragged, all the characters were unlikeable, there were way TOO many character, so many people to keep track of, none of them fleshed out. I really kept hoping it would get better and it was interesting enough that I did want to find out “who did it”...but really I think this is a book that I would have preferred to pass on. Even the name of the county is awful. “Bad Axe”?

3.5/5 If you like your novels dark and gritty, then here's a good one for you. The protagonist is a former beauty queen turned sheriff who gets caught up in a case of trafficking whose roots run deep in the community. There's a lot of great atmospheric description and plenty of colorful characters. Overall, a good read, but for me, sometimes the descriptions of what happened to the girls was a little bit too much- though, it's probably realistic, which is a shame.

This novel grabbed me from the onset much the same way Lehane’s or Burke’s do. It is set in Bad Axe, Wisconsin, and the protagonist is Heidi White Kick who is the first female Sheriff in this rural area. When she was a teenager her parents died and were deemed to have been a murder and suicide. Being a farm kid and knowing her family well, Heidi never believed this. She is now dealing with a missing girl, sex trafficking, drugs and a colorful and often amusing cast of miscreants who continue to refer to her as the Dairy Queen for a beauty contest she won shortly before her parents death. Her team, as a general rule, have no respect for her because of her gender and some are in competition with her to become Sheriff. She also has a husband she is uncertain about who coaches the local baseball team and three young children. Life is not easy for Heidi and her ability to cope and overcome obstacles is noteworthy. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

Bad Axe County by John Galligan is a story of the first female sheriff in Bad Axe County.
Where young women disappear and the good ‘ol boy network is still strong.
Where the sheriff can show those ‘ol boys a thing or two about solving crimes!

A newly appointed sheriff is set out to find a human trafficking ring. Fast paced page turner. Quick dialogue. Reminded me a lot like older Chuck Logan.