I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, C. Hoyt Caldwell, and Random House Publishing - Alibi in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

This was a nice change of pace read. This is a continuation novel of the Backwoods Justice series, but completely stand alone. Our main protagonist is Dani Savage, a sheriff's deputy in the small county of Baptist Flats, Tennessee. Her Uncle Otis Royal is Sheriff, and the two other deputies, Friar and Randle, while not blood kin, are also family. As are Step and Kenny, who tend to go outside the law to right wrongs. Mix together fried macaroni and cheese, moonshine, the vicious and inbred Pike family, and couple of independent contractors to Homeland Security. Add Grey Rise, an illegal militia masquerading as an innocent gun club, and you have an interesting parody of a southern novel/police procedural/family saga. This is a fast read,often hilarious but at times it cuts too close to the bone. I will look for the rest of this series. I believe in Bad Way Out and Savage Reckoning I will find that bone deep definition of "kin through circumstance".

Savage Rising is the 2nd book in the Backwoods Justice series by C Hoyt Caldwell. Like the first book, this book grabbed me from page one. Lots of unique characters and one kick ass little deputy. Well written with humor and realistic (scary) details that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. This crime thriller packs a punch and I know I'll be looking for more!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I really liked the way this book pulled me in and I couldn't stop reading it until the end. Its definitely a don't put don't or you might miss something book.

4 stars

I found myself chuckling at time while reading this book. Perhaps it was somewhat inappropriate, but there it is. C. Hoyt Caldwell has injected a refreshing sense of humor into his books.

A dead man named Parnell Carson was found in a horse stall. The odd things are that his pants are down around his ankles and he has the ID of someone else in his pocket; a woman someone else - an ATF Agent who is currently missing. Deputy Dani Savage answers the call.

The Sheriff Otis Royal is Dani’s uncle and she relishes teasing him.

Two mysterious people show up to inject themselves into the investigation. A man named Jack Spivey who gives no clues to his background. Then a woman shows up who want to get involved too. Should Dani team up with these two? What is their agenda?

Reluctantly, Dani teams up with the two to discover what happened to the missing ATF agent and how Parnell Carson got her ID. Following clues, some of them odd, they discover a conspiracy.

The conclusion comes quickly. This book is nicely written, funny in places and well plotted. The suspense level is good. I enjoyed the novel. This is my first time reading C. Hoyt Caldwell and I am going to look into his other books.

I want to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Alibi for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read.