While this book could be a little hard to follow, the plot was unique. I enjoy some cringe moments and this book delivered those. Overall, I enjoyed the book, I found myself rooting for the characters and I was intrigued for the ending. Took a little getting use to the writing and a little patience for the plot to build, but overall was a read I enjoyed.

This book is about a badass Sheriff who is also a woman (I live it), Sheriff Heidi kick. The author portraits her so amazingly. She is so strong. Despite the tragedy she faced, she still carried on and fought back.

I don't normally read Crime thriller, but ai was so invested in the book. It was gritty as heck. Sometimes It got uncomfortable but that didn't stop me or discouraged me from reading or even thinking about it much later. And in my dictionary, that counts as a good book.

So it was a solid 3.5 for me.

This is the first book that ai have read from the author and also this type of genre. And I will sure check out more of his books.

Also thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the copy

I am late in reading this but I just recently got it. Bad Axe County is the first book in a series with the same name. It revolves around Sheriff Heidi Kick and is written by John Galligan. This is a mystery in many levels as Heidi is searching for a missing girl and at the same time is trying to find out who murdered her parents. I am not sure I like this book but that's me. I found to much stuff that bothered me and I'm not sure I will read anymore of these. I still found it well written and I am a sucker for small town stories. I must thank @netgalley and @atriabooks for giving me this copy and #JohnGalligan for writing it.

I live in this area of Wisconsin, and I just couldn’t get past the cliches and caricatures portrayed in this book. It was exhausting. I stopped reading. #NetGalley

This is dark, and intense crime thriller. Interim Sheriff Heidi Kick, former "Dairy Queen" of small Wisconsin town is investigating missing girls and the truth behind her parent's death that was ruled as murder-suicide some 15 years ago when she was 17. Heidi's husband, a local baseball legend also has a secret from twelve years before. There are other subplots and deranged characters that weave this novel into a gripping mystery. The pace is good and I like the fierce traits in Heidi.

This is my first book with a Wisconsin setting. I've been keeping track of the fifty states, a personal challenge. Never thought that Bad Axe County is my WI!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for my digital copy.

I really got into this book big time!
Well written characters and a tightly packed narrative makes this a must read.
This is an intriguing read for all who like mysteries and thrillers!!!
This book has it all!
Thank You NetGalley Atria Books and Author for this ebook!

Book one in this gritty, atmospheric and dark crime thriller series. The book got me hooked from the beginning and the story is well plotted and perfectly paced. Heidi Kick is such a strong and interesting character that I really need more of. I will definitely read the other books in the series and I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley for this copy.

A horrific tragedy in her past led Heidi White down a path to law enforcement. Now Heidi Kick, wife of a local baseball legend and mother of three small children, is the interim sheriff in Bad Axe. Heidi faces stiff opposition, though she is not even sure herself if she wants to continue as the sheriff. When the secrets that some in the county want to remain hidden try to rear their ugly heads, will certain individuals stop at nothing to stay in the shadows?

I like the concept of this book, but I am less than thrilled with the actual novel. When it comes down to it, the major plot line is very similar to other books in the genre. The thing that makes Bad Axe County different is Heidi's tragedy and the mystery surrounding it. Unfortunately, the author spends too much time on the dairy queen aspect and Heidi's reputation than on the actual story itself. Overall, Bad Axe County is a good read, but there is not much here that differentiates it from other novels.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Bad Axe County from NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review this novel was entirely my own.

So this is book 1 of this series and I now need to read the next books!

The book is dark, gritty and just the kind of crime novel you can get lost in.

Fair warning: the book is not kind to any character, but the women seem to be treated especially badly. The book isn't anti-women at all - in fact the women, ill-treated or not, are by far the strongest characters in the book.

It's an uncomfortable read, but it's one you can't look away from.

Time for the next book for me!

Coulees, Hollows, Cows, Sheep………this quiet farm country in Wisconsin isn’t so quiet. We are introduced to SO many characters in this book…… either all somehow related, or old classmates, or former boyfriends, or ex-teammates.  There’s not much to do in this town except get into trouble and there seems an endless supply of options.  Heidi, the unwanted interim sheriff and focus of the story, comes with her own baggage that haunts her and affects her work.  In spite of how many times I had to backtrack in the book to remember who was related to whom, I did enjoy all the undercurrents and backstories. As a reader, you know the “fictional" events in the story are probably more real than you would like to admit and makes for uncomfortable reading, which was probably the goal of the author.  Well done!

My first John Galligan book and surely not my last. This book is told from three points of view, Heidi the Dairy Queen turned sheriff, Angus the baseball star who got lost along the way, and Pepper the girl trying to find her way to her sister’s. . All three characters story interweaves into one of suspense and at times heartbreak. Heidis loss of her parents 20 years before runs her life, she’s the interim sheriff amid contempt and corruption from those to be trusted. Angus left town to pursue his baseball dreams only to come home and lay to rest the demons that drove him out of town. Pepper wants to get away from her life to find some normalcy. All three stories collide into one as Heidi starts piecing together what’s going on in the town wile finding her past. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this book. Anxiously waiting for the next trip to Bad Axe.

3.5 / 5.0

“Dennis Lehane meets Megan Miranda in this tense, atmospheric thriller about the first female sheriff in rural Bad Axe County, Wisconsin, as she searches for a missing girl, battles local drug dealers, and seeks the truth about the death of her parents twenty years ago—all as a winter storm rages in her embattled community.”

Now, I don’t know of Megan Miranda, but I’m a big Dennis Lehane fan. That alone caught my eye when I viewed this NetGalley offering. I’ve also been in the mood for a good crime novel lately, so I hoped this would give me that fix. And while I was not blown away by Bad Axe County, I did find enough to like that I devoured the book rather quickly.

The pacing is quick, almost anxious in its delivery. The chapters are short and to the point. You jump around in the story, following a variety of characters. Some of it is a bit confusing to keep track of, because you don’t yet know how it all ties together. Some of it doesn’t even come together until the climax; this makes some of the ride a bit frustrating, to be honest. However, I was never so turned off that I felt like abandoning the novel. The pacing is probably what saved this novel, for me - I was never given enough time to think about something and complain about it. Had it been slower or more detailed, I may have gotten annoyed with the jumping around and last-minute-conclusions.

The cast was pretty strong. The MC is problematic, but also a bit of a thrill to follow (because you can’t really guess what stupid thing she’ll do next). I have a bit of an issue with this interim sheriff taking her children to a location in which she aims to confront someone for her case, though - that’s not only stupid, but difficult to believe. Just how bad a mother is she supposed to be to put her children in such obvious and potential danger? The other characters - like the supporting deputies and dispatch officer - are far more likeable. Some of the bad guys are also interesting and realistically disturbing.

Which reminds me - there is sexual assault of minors throughout this book. If that’s a trigger, I wouldn’t recommend you pick this one up. Nothing is detailed, luckily, but it’s still ever present and actively happening in some scenes.

The story itself is a bit jumbled, but I also liked that. The crossing paths and awkwardness of it all felt realistic, not scripted. So even when I was annoyed, I was content.

In scoring this title, I was a bit torn. I didn’t feel like it was tight enough for a 4, but a 3 was too average for it. It has its share of issues, but also excels in enough departments to leave me wanting more.

**
Highlights: Fast and furious … some great characters … short chapters make it easy to convince yourself to read “just a little more”

Shadows: The story is a bit jumbled, which can be off putting … the MC is a bit too careless at times to be thoroughly likeable

For fans of: Crime, suspense … anxious reads … stories that read like a chase sequence or a race against time

Takeaway: Though Bad Axe County isn’t without its faults, there’s enough character to its delivery that I was left ready for book two in the series.

Would I read this author again? Yes

Review by Aiden Merchant
→ www.aidenmerchant.com
Contact: contact@aidenmerchant.com
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This is a crackling thriller of a book, and once you go beyond the Prologue, it picks up steam and never lets go. The plot is densely populated by multi-dimensional characters, peppered (no pun intended!.... you'll see) with painstaking details and inside jokes on a landscape that's spiraling downward, out of control.

Bad Axe County endears you right away to its protagonist - a young Heidi White, barely (nearly?) eighteen and already a Queen.

The early parts reminded me of the earliest Jack Reacher, just a little more words (!). Chipping away at the marble, to reveal the character that has always been hidden underneath. A feisty Sheriff, facing half-a-town of opponents - most only in principle, and therefore immune to logic and sanity (!) - sure sounded more like Reacher than anything else.

But to give respect where it’s due, this book is NOT a copycat of any of the Reacher books. But the comparison was instinctive for me, and that’s saying something!

The characterization is interesting. Filled in with small details, the overall picture emerges - slowly but gradually - of a coterie of characters you know well, and understand quite well.

I was barely 15% into the book, and I was ready to give it 4 stars already.

At other times, this reminded me of another book I read recently that surreptitiously gathers momentum and sort of catches on to you before you know it - Her Kind of Case.

The plot itself is satisfactorily complex, and true to life - is filled with cross connections and labyrinthian diversions that seem to lead nowhere, forcing our protagonist to question her starting point and assumptions. It leads to some delightful police work - good old fashioned police work, knocking on doors, talking to people, looking for evidence - not the glitzy computer-stuff that's perceived to be detective work nowadays.

As you go along the story, you realize the details are forming into a complete mosaic, rather than a single picture. Again, more life-like than most other thrillers I've read recently. There is enough risk, danger and peril that engulfs the characters, and the main plot covers two days - and moves along like a juggernaut, slowly but surely - to an explosive denouement!

Heidi was an all American Beauty Queen when her parents were murdered, it the police declared it a murder suicide. Fifteen years later she is the interim, first female Sheriff, in Bad Axe County to the displeasure of quite a few of the residents. On top of this, a storm is brewing and Heidi must track down a missing teenage whilst also uncovering hidden truths in this small town and look after her family. The plot is told from a range of view points, and in particular that of a young trafficked girl is particularly memorable. A book that will keep you on your toes to the very end.

Thank you John Galligan, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Heidi White is Bad Axe Interim County sheriff is slogging her way through a plot that involves human trafficking, mutilation, rape, child abuse, and murder. This book is considered by many as one of the best releases of 2019.
This is a dark and disturbing book that takes place in the rural area of Wisconsin. There is a lot of things going on, most of it disturbing and the people involved in the story are hard to like. This, in my mind, also included the main character Heidi White. I admittedly, warmed up to her as the story progressed.
This is the first book I have read by John Galligan so it took me a while to get used to his writing style but overall, it was well worth the time. I am certainly looking forward to reading the second book in this series “Dead Man Dancing” in August when it is released

This was a very dark tale with some very unsavoury characters. The cover is a great match for the tale within. I was impressed by the writing. It was tight, well-paced and made me squirm in some places. Good fiction should make us uncomfortable sometimes.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my opinion.

Richly textured and cinematic in scope, this intense Noir-styled police procedural (and first in a series) is set in the rural coulees of southwest Wisconsin where the Mississippi and Bad Axe rivers meet. Visions of a bucolic dairyland countryside are shattered as readers encounter a gritty, seedier world of derelict farms, dangerous back country roads, ingrained attitudes of bigotry and misogyny, police corruption, human trafficking, meth addiction, drug-fueled thefts and acts of senseless violence. Oh yes, and murder. Can't forget that. Told from the alternating points of views of interim sheriff Heidi Kick, recently returned home local baseball player Angus Beavers and runaway teenager Pepper Greengrass, this is more than just a crime/murder mystery. At its heart, this is your classic good versus evil story. In true Noir fashion, the motives of our three strong-will protagonists are fueled by revenge, determination and a 'go it on your own' approach, giving us flawed complex characters to understand and cheer on from the sidelines, even though some of the decisions they make are questionable ones. The author give the reader a lot to think about and really exposes human nature for the complex, dynamic aspect that it is. This is also what I like to describe as a train wreck kind of story... you watch the bad unfolding, helpless to intervene. A lot of this comes from having the three points of view: we know what is happening that the other characters are not aware of, which adds to the gut-wrenching suspense.

The overall effect is a well written, fast-paced, atmospheric crime story filled with long-kept secrets, well developed characters and adrenaline-pumping moments of suspense. Word of caution: If you are uncomfortable reading a story with some really unpleasant (okay, nasty) characters, blatant misogyny, cruelty and violence, this is not a story I would recommend for you.

This may seem like a weird thing to say, but I didn’t think I would like this book as much as I did. I don’t get me wrong, I love a good mystery, but the cop genre is not my favorite. Maybe the fact that this one was about the first woman sheriff in a small town added to my enjoyment.

The sheriff finds herself investigating a cold case that takes her on a wild ride involving many members of the small town.

I enjoyed this book!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Special thanks to Atria for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I thought I was ready for this one, but NOPE. This one was just too dark & gritty for me. Definitely a preference of me as a reader and not a knock to the author. I feel like folks who like darer TV shows & don't mind getting down with darker details would enjoy this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

When a publicist emailed me about this book and with a Netgalley widget for reviewing- I was kinda excited about this book. It sounded in the same family of books I like to read, but with a bit more grit.

Well, while I did like the book ok- this book has a lot more grit. And evil. And just a general ickiness as I turn the pages.

What I Liked:

If ever there was a cover that fit the tone of a book- this one does!

The short-ish chapters. Good for mounting tension… and there was plenty of tension.



What I didn’t love:

While I wouldn’t say this book had gratuitous violence, the author is dealing with some serious topics ( human trafficking, for one). Reading that, reading what the girls went through while there was a good ole boy “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” network all up in Bad Axe County really turned my stomach. I kept reading to find out what would happen- but it def gave me the bad chills the further I got into it.

And while I know this happens- there is human trafficking, there are drugs, there are people willing to look the other way to make a buck or for their own personal power game- when I read, I don’t always want to be faced with what I know the world has parts of.

Bottom line: For me, there was parts I liked and I loved Heidi Kick. But big parts of this book was just a bit too much for my heart.