I am loving these stories that are written about life on and around Bull Mountain. I can truly see that there is much truth in the writing of these stories. This story tells us a lot about Dane and his life. To say he led an interesting life is an understatement. He also has some very interesting friends. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say I loved the story and felt like I was right there with them. There are some very interesting characters in this book. I’ll let you decide what you think about them. I hope you’ll check out this book. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

The below 4.5 Star review was posted to Hillbilly Highways, Amazon, and Goodreads on 5/6/20:

Brian Panowich returns to McFalls County with Hard Cash Valley. But don’t expect another entry in the annals of the Burroughs family. Panowich is moving on with (almost entirely) new characters and a new story. It is still a very country noir story in a very country noir setting with a very country noir atmosphere.

The main character is Dane Kirby, a former arson investigator for the fire department and sheriff in the next county over relegated to a desk job with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He is damaged goods—broken by personal tragedy and in poor health—but the FBI pulls him into the investigation of a brutal murder after a simple plan gone wrong. The killing was done in Florida, but it has ties to a cockfighting tournament held in McFalls County. One man is dead, but his 11-year-old brother is still out there.

The start in Florida made me think of Elmore Leonard. Elmore Leonard is what I am in the mood for. Hard Cash Valley isn’t quite that. Panowich writes country noir that falls more on the pulp side of the scale than the literary side. But history and loss and violence cast a pall over everything in Hard Cash Valley. Lots of violence in Florida, less of the other two.

Hard Cash Valley might be my favorite Panowich novel. I liked the Burroughs clan stories, but things could get a little overwrought and soapy. The history is no less important here, and it cuts a bit deeper.

It all makes for a twisty, intriguing crime story and a solid country noir. The little things hold it back a bit on the latter score. Maybe I am a bit sensitive to the nuance of our federalist system with everything going on with the response to COVID-19, but the GBI is not in fact part of the FBI. And I’ve been in a lot of trailers. I’ve never been in one with granite countertops.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Hard Cash Valley via NetGalley.

Mercy me! Well, Brian Panowich shows no mercy with his stories, ok maybe not entirely true. He pulls out the big guns here in more ways than one. Hard Cash Valley is another winner for me and Brian Panowich is setting the bar for me with my new favourite genre. He has been called the new master of Southern Noir and I am his newest fan.

Things start off fast and furious and I'm sure I stopped breathing at times with the tight tension that filled the air around me while I was reading this one. The plot is heavy and the violence is heart-stopping and I needed to take some breaks to bring my heart rate back to normal. I couldn't stay away for long because Brian Panowich has created another tougher than nails, damage, interesting and likable main characters here with heart that shines through all the violence in his stories with Dane Kirby is a retired fire chief and part-time GBI investigator. He is pulled into a murder investigation, and a race against time to find a child to keep him safe.

Dane Kirby is such a likable, interesting character and there is a love story here between him and his dead wife and his girlfriend. It brings some warmth to the story, along with some conflict to his personal life. My heart broke for him and I rooted for him at the same time.

The action in the story sets the pace for an entertaining read here, despite the violence to the story. I found myself liking all the different characters here from our likable characters, some questionable characters here with their actions and to some horrible characters that added entertain value to the story for me as well.

The ending did push things a little bit on needing to suspense believability, but the characters shined through for me right to the end

Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich is a very highly recommended gritty Southern noir procedural.

Arnie Blackwell, a petty criminal who made a huge score, is viciously murdered in Jacksonville, Florida. Dane Kirby, Georgia Bureau of Investigation freelancer, is surprised when he is called to fly down to Florida, view the crime scene and then assigned to work with FBI Special Agent Roselita Velasquez, replacing her partner. After reviewing what is known about the victim, he quickly realizes that the case will lead them back to the criminal circles in his own backyard of McFalls County, Georgia. Arnie was recently in McFalls County at the Slasher, the largest cockfighting tournament in the U.S., and he won big - too big. Complicating the case is that Arnie's younger brother William is missing and the boy may have an unusual ability that others want to take advantage of.

There is a whole lot of interesting well-developed characters present in Hard Cash Valley. Dane Kirby is a wounded man, haunted by the death of his family, and he carries his anguish and pain with him every day. But he also understands the locals and has an insight into the area's criminal activity and the connections between people. I'll admit an immediate dislike for Misty as well as some other characters that you were set up to dislike right from the start. William is a great character. The locals are interesting and there are a whole lot of backstories and alliances between them.
The writing is incredible and perfectly depicts and captures the place and people. This is a well-crafted dark and gritty story, with an overabundance of violence and cruelty, but it all pertains to the case in some way. The plot is compelling and you will be reading as fast as you can to see what happens next. Even though this is the third thriller Panowich has set in Georgia’s McFalls County, you can read it as a standalone. 4.5

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian/St. Martin's.
The review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This was my first opportunity to read a book in Panowich's Bull Mountain series. I found the thriller riveting; I'd definitely like to read more in this series. The story was equal parts hard-bitten, gritty Southern noir and heart-breaking drama with lots of graphic gore mixed in. Memories of these interesting characters, damaged by life, will stick with me in the days to come.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Even though Brian Panowich's books are gritty and rough, I have to admit the man is a great storyteller. This is the third book I've read about the people of Bull Mountain and I certainly don't think it will be my last. It's a nail biter, full of suspense with more twists and turns than a Georgia mountain back road and it will definitely keep you guessing. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to suspense lovers everywhere especially for those who enjoy Southern noir.

This is a book meant to be savored and enjoyed, from the from the rocket-like beginning through the gut-wrenching evil of the perpetrators on to the revelations of human nature from the more hardboiled characters in this tale. Author Brian Panowich leads us down the separate paths taken by the participants in the story, exposing how people act in difficult and stressful situations.

What I first noticed in the initial chapters was that when the point of view changed to different characters, the entire feel of the chapter changed. Descriptive passages matched the moods and characteristics of the people telling the story at that moment rather than the author presenting a one-size-fits-all style. Rather than begin the story with an introductory feel designed to showcase the main character, Mr. Panowich drops us in the middle of a tense situation and brings us along for the ride as the events play out. I was easily hooked right from the first page.

For me, the ending came straight out of left field. Normally, that might not be a bad thing, as long as it makes sense. However, having someone do a number of things that are out of character and never explaining why is like pulling the ultimate villain’s name out of a hat. Without justification, it could be anyone. The climax would have been better suited for an action-filled movie rather than tagged onto a book that was doing just fine and didn’t need the author to pull out every trick in the bag.

For those who object to profanities/vulgarities in their stories, know there is a moderate amount in this book. Personally, I thought the use of such words appropriate to the mood of the book and the characters. This is a good tale with a grittiness throughout, and (for better or worse) reflects the words that are a current part of our society.

Overall, “Hard Cash Valley” contains some unique plot ideas and Mr. Panowich is skilled when setting scenes for the reader. Recommended. Four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

I hadn't read any of Panowich's books before this one but it looked interesting. And it has more head-spinning than the teacup ride at Disneyland! A brutal murder, illegal gambling, drugs and a cast of eccentric characters--what's not to like? But there were SO many characters that I found myself not invested in any of them as much as I like to be. It's dark, it's gritty, it's well-written. If you are a fan of Panowich, you will most likely enjoy this one.

Author Brian Panowich creates a Southern landscape replete with downtrodden lowlifes, suffering fools, over-the-top villains and heartbroken heroes. HARD CASH VALLEY is a tale that twists its characters tightly and spits them out, forcing readers to keep up furiously, hoping to piece together this mystery just one step ahead of the authorities investigating a brutal crime. It’s a great story and kept me spellbound until the very last page. Even the ending was a surprise to me; it was just that good and well-written. If you’ve read any of Panowich’s other two books that occur in this same geographic area then you know he has a fondness for the crazies who inhabit the rural corners of redneck country. Their financial enterprises and close encounters with local and federal law enforcement serve as the vehicle for his stories. He is an amazing writer and his books are a joy to read. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is the 3rd installment of the Bull Mountain series. I've read all 3 and loved them all but you could easily read this as a stand alone as each book focuses on individual characters in this high mountain community. Brian Panowich is an extraordinary author who has the skills to pull readers into the story. This is a rare find in any author but all three of these books will leave you talking about them for awhile and recommending to your friends as a must read.
As our detectives are investigating a horrendous murder scene, they realize that this man was killed for information on his brother, who is now hiding. The investigation will take them into several communities where they must push to find this young man before he meets the same fate as his brother. You will definitely find yourself talking to these characters as the story rushes to the end. A really, really good read.

When a man is viciously murdered in a hotel room in Florida, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dane Kirby is asked to consult with FBI Special Agent Roselita Velasquez. Dane’s confusion as to why he has been chosen is revealed when he learns that the murdered man had connections in Georgia. The younger brother of the murdered man is not only missing, but has Asperger’s Syndrome, and the hunt is on to find him. Dane’s wife died twelve years ago and although he has moved on with his girlfriend Misty, there are secrets he has kept from her. Dane Kirby was a wonderful lead character, flawed, but strong in his own way. He’s not looking for praise or recognition, just doing his job in the only way he knows. He reminded me of the Longmire character by Craig Johnson, often underestimated until the final moment. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I've been in a bit of a book slump recently, but Panowich does not disappoint! I wasn't sure where we could go next in Bull Mountain and it took me a minute to warm up to Dane. Somewhere Dane grabbed me and I needed to know what was next for him.

We start out in a hotel room in Jacksonville, FL and race back to McFalls County in Georgia. The pace is fast while all the characters are racing to find the same person - a young boy with Asperger's with a skill with numbers. Panowich did toss in a curve ball in this story and I wouldn't expect less. I'd complain if he didn't There is just something about southern grit lit that hooks me and I wish more books would come out in this genre.

You don't have to read the first two books in the series to enjoy this one, but I recommend you don't miss them. Coming your way May 5th. Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Don’t pick up a Brian Panowich book expecting it to be light or easy. He is a master of Southern noir; dark and brutal in the extreme.
Hard Cash Valley opens with Arnie Blackwell heading down to Florida with a suitcase full of cash. But he doesn’t get far and his murder sets the scene for the darkness to come.
Dane Kirby is an ex- Arson investigator called in to consult after Arnie’s murder. He’s haunted by ghosts. Roselita, his new partner (not that either of them likes it), is hard, determined to be the toughest person in the room, even at the cost of getting the answers she needs. This isn’t a woman who ever learned you get more from honey than vinegar. These are fully fleshed out characters that come flying off the page. In Roselita’s case, usually spitting anger.
If you’re ok with the violence you’ll be rewarded with great writing and a dynamic plot. Panowich’s descriptions are totally apt, whether describing the weather, fighting cocks or the dynamics of the various law enforcers. “Sheriff Ellis wasn’t sure if he liked Roselita or not. The bloodhound behind his young, narrowed blue eyes was still sniffing her out...The sheriff’s eyes got a little less young and bright, and more partly cloudy with a chance of cocky.”
Wow, wow, wow! I didn’t see that ending coming. Lots of moving parts and plot twists coming and it all adds up to a wild ride. Five big stars for this one.
This is considered part of the Bull Mountain series. But it’s a whole new cast of characters (almost) so no need to have read the prior books.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This story begins in Jacksonville, Florida when a quick flight from Atlanta and a check-in at an airport motel goes more than a little awry. From there, it’s a twisty, winding journey that had me alternately holding my breath, desperately wanting to reach a place of resolution for these people, but also not wanting this story to end as each surprising turn of events had me wondering how this story would end.

I loved returning to Brian Panowich’s settings of Bull Mountain and McFalls County, Georgia - although I suspect my feelings might be very different if I were to actually meet some of these people in reality.

Another gripping installment in the Bull Mountain series replete with cockfighting, guns, and drug dealers, along with some attention-grabbing bombshell twists, for fans of grit-lit / Southern-lit, or whatever label you want to put on this genre, this is not to be missed.


Pub Date: 05 May 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books

4.5 Stars!

Money is the root of all evil in HARD CASH VALLEY as you will see with a bloody-good visit back to the Georgia foothills of Bull mountain!

The players may have changed this time around, but Brian Panowich seamlessly takes the reader forward introducing a new group of good headed by Agent Dane Kirby with his secrets and haunted past....and (really nasty-dude) evil....that begins early on and doesn't end until the deadly trip to the farm.

"No one wanted to be involved in the kind of sh*t that happened up there."

Get ready for yet another gritty-good crime mystery with quite a cast of interesting characters (please bring back Ned) and more than one curveball along the way.

Thank you to Brian Panowich for bringing me out of my reading slump, and to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the arc invite in exchange for review.

"If honesty is the best policy, then somebody needs to start thinking about revising the rule book."

Gripping, thought-provoking, and at times ominous, Brian Panowich’s third novel heightened my appreciation for his work. The mesmerizing flow of his words, skillful plotting, and few redeeming characters wandering the pages held me captive for the entirety of the book. Panowich has made rural north Georgia a place I want to be, despite the gun-slinging, meth-dealing, cockfighting, blood and guts, no rules approach that just about everyone lives by.

This go-round, Panowich lands readers in Hard Cash Valley, a community on the outskirts of McFalls County with a looming mountain on the horizon. A shady mountain readers became familiar with in Bull Mountain and Like Lions. Hard Cash Valley is home to The Farm, an out of the way place where money changes hands in the name of the prized feathered fighter. A place where loyalty is valued and disputes are settled with bloodshed and an incinerator.

Dane Kirby, former McFalls County fire chief and arson investigator, turned part-time agent with the GBI, finds himself teamed up with a none too happy FBI agent, Roselita Velasquez. The new partners, prone to bickering, are tasked with tracking down the eleven-year-old brother of a victim found gutted in a cheap motel room some 400 miles south in Jacksonville, FL. Dane’s familiarity with the people of Hard Cash Valley and help from a childhood friend, land him on The Farm and face-to-face with gold-toothed, Rooster. A motley crew of rednecks, Filipino gangsters, and untrusting FBI agents take their turn skewing the trajectory of the investigation.

Where Panowich shines again is in creating a character with a big beating heart. Similar to Clayton Burroughs, Dane Kirby is a standup guy living in a place where morality often takes a backseat to vengeance and money. He’s a guy you can’t help but to hope finds his way. In the face of all the muck the investigation slings at him, Dane has to contend with an insecure girlfriend, the ghost of his dead wife, and the sobering truth, he can’t seem to give voice.

Dane’s reality paints a foretelling ending, one I approached with bated breath and a weary heart. Yet, with a clever sleight of hand, Panowich manages to incite hope and serve up an invaluable life lesson. Letting go is often hard but necessary.

Let’s hope Panowich’s creative juices continue to flow and we see more from Hard Cash Valley, Bull Mountain or heck, even another locale in north Georgia.

A top notch crime thriller about an investigation into a gruesome murder. Complex writing packed with snappy dialogue, suspense and action, I was hooked and finished the book in two days. Loved the characters, especially Dane Kirby, a flawed yet faithful and honorable man with a broken soul, carrying a huge weight on his shoulders and William, an eleven-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome and sibling of the murdered victim who is MIA. What’s his connection?…read this book and find out!


*will post closer to publication and add link below

Some people are so fond of bad luck that they run half way to meet it.

Just ask Arnie Blackwell. Ol' Arnie has been in and out of lockup in Atlanta so many times that they leave a nightlight on for him at the entrance gate. But this time Arnie feels it in his bones that he's finally hit paydirt. After a nerve-wracking flight with suitcase in hand, Arnie checks into a motel that's just a tad above seedy in Jacksonville, Florida. Should never have answered that knock at the door, Arnie.

Arnie's run-in will be felt all the way to McFalls County, Georgia. Dane Kirby of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations will receive a phone call demanding his presence in Jacksonville. After a rough-and-ready helicopter flight to Jacksonville, Dane is met at Arnie's motel room by the FBI. Dane is perplexed as to why he's been nailed to this new case. He's introduced to his new partner Special Agent Roselita Velasquez and, by the way, don't call her Rosie or Rose. She'll step on your tongue and leave painful prints.

You see, Arnie's prior stop was in Dane's territory and he headed into something bad. Very bad. Arnie's ten year old Autistic brother, William, is missing as well. William was suppose to have been waiting for Arnie at an undisclosed area. It's now up to Dane and Agent Velasquez to find the missing William. Dane and his new partner will widen their net and will find plenty of dead fish floating on the surface.

Brian Panowich is a master at creating storylines that are dug deep into the grit of Georgia clay. This is the third in this series, but it can be read as a standalone. Panowich will open the door on Dane's past life circumstances and will add an unexpected layer to his present situation. Dane is a complicated fellow, but then life in Bull Mountain is rich with backwoods and backstories.

If you've not had the pleasure of partaking in a Panowich novel, do yourself a huge favor and crack this one open. There's a prize inside every one guaranteed.

I received a copy of Hard Cash Valley through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Brian Panowich for the opportunity.

This was my first Brian Panowich novel and I'll just say that it most definitely will not be my last. The amount of suspense and dark events that take place throughout this book was wonderfully written and interwoven.
Dane Kirby use to be the Sheriff and use to be the fire chief where Bull Mountain resides. Nowadays he does more paper pushing than anything else at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. It's also been 10 years since his wife and daughter perished in a tragic accident, he still blames himself for. Grief stricken, Kirby has never been able to fully recover from the events that unfolded afterwards.
When the new Sheriff Darby Ellis, calls Kirby up to a murder in the mountains, Kirby is faced with one aspect of his past that has gone undealt with. In conjunction, Kirby is also called to investigate a death in Florida with the FBI. The Florida death has all the signs of being tied to Hard Cash Valley, which lucky for Kirby is right where his tragic started.
Kirby's character is so extremely well written. He may be haunted from him past, but he is also a fair and honest man. The rest of the cast of characters have just as but substance behind their creations as well, which really made the book pull you in and not let go.
This is a true 'Grit Lit' type book. We are in the heart of the mountains in Georgia where outlaws are the law. Panovich does a fabulous job with his depictions of the area, which considering he's a native Georgian makes sense. The atmosphere and the story line that goes into this story while dark has moments of pure human emotion. There is some violence in the book but I felt that it added to the story instead of just being there to be there. It tied in well with the plot line and had me feeling like anything could happen.
I have already recommended this book to my dad, who I think will love this story. But it would also be a great read for anyone who loves a good crime novel mixed in with a little bit of Westerns and Southern fiction.

"I'm dreaming wide awake
Sleep walking, shake the dust out
Got to give this heart a break,
I can't seem to slow the beats down
There ain't no going home
Just a silence and a wave goodbye
I don't really know about nothin'
Just know that I'm wasting time now"
lyrics by Jake Smith (The White Buffalo)

Hard Cash Valley is the third novel by Brian Panowich, and each book keeps getting better and better. Panowich knows how to take a character and a story line and make them each hard as nails yet tender as a green leaf of spring.

With a slight nod to his previous books, Bull Mountain and Like Lions, the author creates a new character from the mountain, named Dane Kirby, a former arson investigator and current agent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Dane has ghosts he lives with every day, and he isn't thrilled when he's called to help find a young boy with Asperger's whose brother was brutally murdered. His relationships with his partner in the search and his other acquaintances, some old and some new, lead the reader up and down and all around, from Florida back to his Georgia mountain.

As with Panowich's other novels, this one is filled with violence, blood and cruelty, which means it might not be for everyone. But it is also full of heartache, wistfulness and hope, so I suggest you give it a chance even if you don't think it's your style. Dane's discussions with his wife are deeply personal and one of my favorite parts of the book, although the entire story is excellent.

I'll keep eagerly looking for more from this author.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.