This book was a little hard to get into. I was hoping for more of a story with the mystery of her parents and felt the husband wasn't more in the story than I thought he would be. There were bits and pieces where I was into the book though.

Two mysteries travel in tandem in Bad Axe County by John Galligan. Both go in a direction I completely do not see coming especially in a setting like rural Wisconsin. The fact that the mystery centers around a missing teenage girl should give a clue as to the nature of the crime. The back story establishes the main character, but I find myself much more interested in the current day mystery and the social issues it leads me to research and learn more about.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/11/bad-axe-county.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

Really engaging and interesting book! I love the gritty setting and this book immediately sucked me in!

An egalley of this book was gifted me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Axe County’s corrupt sheriff dies and Heidi Kick is appointed interim sheriff. She’s the first female sheriff the county has had and does not receive a warm welcome. She is quickly plunged even deeper into Bad Axe County’s crime-ridden underbelly as she tries to pin down a human trafficking ring and solve a decades-old murder. (And Kick does all of this while battling the ghosts of her past.)

This book moves much more quickly than I expected, and several threads weave together in ways I didn’t always see coming. I liked Kick’s moxie, even if she was a little reckless at times, and I was impressed with how everything tied together at the end.

TW: This book does deal heavily with human and sex trafficking, and some passages are difficult to read.

Review posted on B&N, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzx9pcHgW0Q/)

3.5 rounded up
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but had to sit and sort my thoughts and how to rate it. It’s a really hard subject matter. I have some really mixed feelings about this book. First off I did really enjoy the book. Good solid writing and great character development. It was a good police procedure book, and I loved the main character Heidi, the interim sheriff, her coworkers Denise and Olaf the handsome, and I liked Angus the baseball player. From the very first chapter I was hooked and didn’t want to stop reading.
My main problem with this book was the depravity and dark theme. The utter hate and contempt for the interim sheriff Heidi, and the way women were portrayed really bothered me. I understand the extremely hard subject of human trafficking, and that in itself is terrible thing that happens. But do we really need to explain/write in detail such sick acts and thoughts towards Pepper, and Heidi and of women in general? Maybe it was to really show how bad the town of Bad Axe was, and the corruption in every corner starting with the past sheriff, his lackeys, the druggies and lowlifes but I had a hard time with the explicit content. I sure had the picture engraved in my brain. I just really have a hard time when authors feel the need to write about the worst in human nature and tell it in explicit detail of really sick acts. You can really write a great book without all the gore and sick stuff... we have great imaginations.
With those thoughts out of the way, I did like the book. I really would like to read another book by JohnGalligan because I really like his story telling skills. He is a talented writer who can weave a great story. Great build up of suspense too. I literally did not want to put it down because I wanted to know what was happening next, I purchased the audible version of this book, so when I couldn’t read I could listen. The narrator Samantha Desz was great and was perfect for this book. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed a good police procedural mystery/suspense novel. But keep in mind that it is very dark and contains very disturbing and graphic details.
I’d like to say thank you to Atria Books via NetGalley, for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Woah, this was a dark, gritty mystery. This book immediately pulls you into the story and just keeps pulling you deeper into it’s murky depths. Heidi Kick is the interim sheriff of Bad Axe County, a rural area in Wisconsin, and the county sure lives up to it’s name. While Heidi is just trying to do her job and keep the county safe until the new sheriff is elected, she is busy battling her own demons as well as those that are haunting the county.

Heidi’s husband, Harley Kick, is a local baseball legend. Though an injury pulled him from the team years ago, he still coaches and everyone in the area knows him. He and his old baseball buddies could do no wrong when they were younger and as Heidi dives deeper into the crime throughout the county she begins learning their darker secrets.

This book covers a lot of crime committed by a lot of awful people. Some of it was difficult to read, so go into it with the warning that if graphic sexual assault or human trafficking are triggers for you, maybe skip this one. Aside from the graphic nature of some of the scenes, the book was super interesting. I loved following along and trying to figure out how each of the characters fit into the larger scope of the story.

This is not the mystery for everyone, but definitely give it a read if you’re looking for something dark!

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Heidi Kick, Interim Sheriff of Bad Axe County, not only has to deal with things like the former sheriff’s reign of corruption, meth heads, and human trafficking, she also has to deal with the denigrating comments and outright threats from those residents who oppose having a woman in the position. Her teenage crowning as Dairy Queen, her parents’ murder fifteen years earlier, and the fact that she wasn’t raised in the county don’t help, either. Her husband Harley, a standout baseball player on the local semipro team, has a high standing in the community, but even he comes under fire as Heidi’s investigations target several prominent families.

Bad Axe County has a lot going on beneath the surface, and this book uncovers many of its secrets. Heidi is determined to solve her parents’ murder, officially labeled a murder/suicide, and in the meantime crashes a police car in the Mississippi River, pulls her gun on a friend of her husband’s, finagles information from a co-worker, gets herself suspended from duty, and shoots a suspect in the leg, all while upholding her oath to keep the people of the county safe. This is a fast paced story with many interesting characters, one of which is the county itself.

This book has been described by others as “dark, gritty”, a genre with which I typically do not have any problem. This, though, I thought, was just an unpleasant story in an unpleasant place full of unpleasant characters (although I did like Heidi and Denise). I REALLY wanted to just put it down and walk away, but I stuck it out, sometimes skimming a bit.

That said, it was well written and I do think that Heidi Kick has the makings of a strong character for a series.

This is not the type of story I usually read but I really enjoyed it. Packed with colorful characters and places, the author led us through Heidi Kick’s search for a missing girl all while trying to uncover the truth about her parents murder twenty years prior.

Heidi White left Bad Axe County with a bad taste in her mouth for the town. When the sheriff dies she decides to return and be interim sherif and eventually run for the full time position. This will greatly impact her family and will push her deep into the drama of this town.

With a lot of characters and storylines, this book felt like it didn't have a focus. If anything I was frustrated that the main focus of the synopsis Heidi's search for the killer of her parents seemed absent during most of the story and only showed up at the very end. The rest of the story had this large cast of characters in this town dealing with all sorts of crazy shit. It was too much.

I always know I don't love a book when it takes me a long time to read it and this one felt like I was reading for a full week which is a long time for me. If you are a reader who likes a large cast of characters going in all sorts of directions, then this could be the book for you.

John Galligan has given us a strong female in Heidi Kick. Bad Axe County stars a strong woman with a high profile job, a family, and a past. I hope that we'll get to read more about her.

I was very excited for the chance to read this novel by John Galligan, who I learned is a Wisconsin author. The description of the novel piqued my interest and I was not disappointed.

Bad Axe County is a dark, twisting kind of crime/mystery/suspense novel. While it is very dark and grim, I was completely drawn into Interim Sheriff Heidi Kick’s search for an endangered girl and the man who has her during a fierce spring ice storm – all while also trying to solve the mystery of her parents’ supposed murder-suicide and a long ago missing girl case.

Heidi Kick is a great heroine – she has her issues, for sure, but she is smart, determined and tough as nails. She has a lot to contend with besides the endangered girl case. She is the first female to act as sheriff in Wisconsin and at least half of the county wants to make sure she doesn’t get to keep the job. Heidi finds there was a lot of corruption within the sheriff’s department before the sheriff’s death and she is determined to find out how far it went.

The area has a major drug problem as well as human trafficking. There is much that makes this a difficult book to read. It gives a very frank and graphic description of the predicament of some of the girls who are run through the area and what happens to them. Grim stuff. But the story is compelling and I was completely pulled into Heidi’s investigations.

After reading through much of the night to finish the book, I was haunted by the story for a long while afterwards. The writing is beautiful despite much of the subject matter. I would love to read more by Galligan. I can’t believe this is the first book of his that I’ve read.

3.5 stars

There’s a new sheriff in town.

A former Dairy Queen becomes the first female Sheriff in a small Wisconsin town fueled by corruption.

Bad Axe County is a dark and atmospheric dual mystery that exposes a seedy crime network that involves sex trafficking, drugs, and murder.

Former Dairy Queen, Heidi Kick, becomes the interim Sheriff in Bad Axe County and many residents are not happy to see a woman in charge. When Heidi becomes suspicious of a man carting an underage girl around in van Bad Axe, her instincts let her know that there is something seriously wrong. At the same time, she is trying to solve the mystery of her parents' murder.

The narrative is told from multiple POV’s and there are a lot of competing storylines and characters to keep track of. I struggled to catch on in the beginning and had to read slowly, but once I fell into the rhythm of the narrative I had no problem.

The writing is raw, a little strange, uneven, and oftentimes choppy. At the same time, the mysteries are intriguing and the characters are unique. I would compare this book to season one of Fargo, not so much in the plot but in the way the characters speak, the atmosphere, and some other quirks. While I had some issues with the writing, I enjoyed this in the end.

Trigger Warning: Graphic sexual abuse

I don't love it but don't hate it. Just an okay story. The pace is okay. I guess it is the subject matter that made me less than thrilled.

Heidi is a former Dairy Beauty Queen and the Bad Axe County, Wisconsin interim Sheriff. Her County has a heroin problem and hosts frequent stag parties in the backwoods. Heidi is trying to break up the old boy network of corruption within the Sheriff’s department. In addition, she attempts solving the murder of her parents fifteen years ago.

I wanted Bad Axe County to grab me by the throat and compel me to read quickly to its end. However, I didn’t even feel the novel’s hand tentatively reaching out to me. I just used 33 words to say what can be said in two: It’s boring. Nothing happens in the first 20% but getting the players together. Endless backstories make the plot move s-l-o-w-l-y. I also didn’t like the black and white characterizations. Calling drug addicts zombies when you are their sheriff seems excessively judgmental.

I can’t recommend this slow-moving thriller. While I loved Heidi’s personality especially her spunk, I don’t believe the pacing was correct for a thriller. 2 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Axe County by John Galligan was a fast-paced dark mystery that will keep you captivated from start to finish. Heidi White, now Heidi Kick, is the interim sheriff in a town where she grew up and where her parents died, ruled a murder-suicide, but she never believed that. The men under her want her gone. Now she is not only trying to learn what really happened to her parents, but also searching for a missing girl that leads to so many more questions all while a storm is heading her way. This thriller deals with some very difficult subjects, including drugs, rape, sex trafficking and more. As the story unfolds we are shocked and will keep you riveted.

Happy reading!

Bad Axe County by John Galligan is a 2019 Atria Books publication.

A gritty, atmospheric crime story-

This is an ambitious mystery thriller which profiles the rural Wisconsin terrain as much as it does the characters, becoming an intricate part of the plot.

Heidi Kick was a small -town beauty queen when her life took a tragic turn. Her parents allegedly died as a result of a murder-suicide pact. Despite their financial downturn, which was believed to be the motive, Heidi never bought into that theory.

Now, after the local sheriff’s sudden demise, Heidi becomes interim sheriff. This doesn’t set well with the local good ole boys in the community at all. But Heidi is not totally without a support system, with one or two allies in the department helping her make logical decisions.

She does have to balance a marriage, and small children, along with her demanding, pressure -filled job. She’s holding her own, until an unexpected storm in the area triggers a series of events, revealing the dark, lurid underbelly of Bad Axe County.

Suddenly, the inexperienced, but determined sheriff is neck deep in corruption, human trafficking, sleazy private parties hosting underage girls, and a strange burglary. The deeper she scratches beneath the surface, troubling implications hit a little too close to home. Dark forces are working against Heidi, thwarting her at every turn. While working around the clock to locate a missing girl, Heidi fervently hopes to finally discover the truth about her parents.

I won’t lie- what initially caused me to give this book a closer look was the atmospheric cover art. The premise sounded intriguing enough, with the promise of a strong female lead, so I decided to take a chance on it.

However, I also must admit, in all honesty, the story wasn't quite what I was expecting. Although Heidi refuses to accept the official cause of death in her parent’s case, her obsession with uncovering the truth runs more in the background. More in the forefront, is Heidi’s ‘race against the clock’ mission to locate a missing girl without making any critical missteps.

The story starts off on an odd, unexpected note, emphasizing the character's quirks, as they pertain to the rural setting. The banter is light and good-natured, but the atmosphere suddenly shifts turning super dark, edgy, and suspenseful, with a no holds barred tendency towards violence. I immediately sensed it was time to fasten my seatbelt and hold on for dear life.

Unfortunately, there are several threads running at once, along with a large cast of characters, which, as I’ve stated countless times, rarely works out for me. Sure enough, I struggled to keep everything straight. I had to slow my reading down to a crawl and do a little re-reading on a few occasions, to be sure I was keeping everything and everyone straight. I can’t say I was a big fan of the execution, or the uneven flow, but at the end of the day, despite its messiness, all the threads eventually come together, and the book ends on a high note. So, as they say, a win is still a win, even if it’s an ugly one.

The conclusion is gratifying, especially since Heidi Kick lives to fight another day. I liked Heidi’s character, as well as her sidekick, Denise. Those two made a great team. I wouldn’t mind stopping by Bad Axe County again someday. I think this rural, deceptively bucolic area of Wisconsin still has many secrets, and the feisty Heidi Kick knows just how to unravel them.

3.5 rounded up

A start to a new series if I were to guess. Enjoyable read but the writing is a bit scattered at times. The description of this book is not really what the book is about which annoys me to no end, but it was still ok. I might read the next in the series hoping that the author will gain some momentum and his sophomore effort will be really strong.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

This complex mystery thriller is filled with action, secrets and a slew of antagonists. A female Sheriff, Heidi Kick, is caught in a confluence of drugs, prostitution, murder and kidnapping and a raging snowstorm. As an interim Sheriff she is facing resentment from co-workers, danger from unknown killers, and dangerous weather. All in a day’s work.

Heidi has lived through the murder of her parents as a teenager and is determined to help others never go through the kind of suffering she went through. When she discovers a young girl of sixteen has been prostituted and sold, she makes it her job to save her. But that is only one of her obsessions. Ride along with Heidi and enjoy a great mystery and search adventure. The characters are believable, and better yet, likeable. This story grabs you from the beginning and takes you along.

Heidi Kick’s parents were killed fifteen years ago. The police said it was a murder/suicide incident but Heidi has never believed that. She’s still looking to solve the mystery of her parents’ deaths. Heidi is now acting as Interim Sheriff of Bad Axe County. While people think she’s doing a great job and want her to take over as fulltime Sheriff, there are many others who will do anything to stop that from happening. There’s now a missing girl that Heidi is investigating, who most likely has been caught up in a sex-trafficking ring. She’s also led to information of the disappearance of another young girl four years ago and is determined to find her, even if finding more about that disappearance implicates her husband, Harley. All of that while facing a dangerous ice storm that’s headed their way and trying to find time for her husband and three children is a heavy burden for Heidi to carry.

This is a dark, gritty, intense, violent book dealing with some of the cruelest characters I’ve ever read. At times, I thought, “No, this really isn’t my type of book at all”. But then there was Heidi, the former Dairy Queen, in all of her brokenness and I had to love it and keep reading. She was the heart of this book and made it an excellent one. Bad Axe County was one horrible place to live and even Heidi often questioned why she would want to raise her children there. The author is adept at character development and his depiction of the hard side of the human heart. I absolutely raced through the final chapters. I chose this book to read because one of my favorite authors, William Kent Krueger, said it was a dark, beauty of a book and he was right.

Recommended.