The Heathens

Loved the book. Never disappointed. Can’t wait for the next one.

Book Review – The Heathens – Ace AtkinsCrime author Ace Atkins’ “The Heathens” reminds me of a more ‘edgy’ and more intense “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Before he was an Army Ranger who returned home to become Tibbehah County, Mississippi Sheriff and take down a corrupt system, protagonist Quinn Colson was a kid who got into trouble - a lot of it – during his teenage years. So when a 16 year old juvenile delinquent insists that she doesn’t know who killed her mother - an unreliable drug addict who has disappeared – Sheriff Colson is inclined to believe her. But as expected, no one else does - not the town, not the sheriff in a neighboring county, not troubled teenager’s older boyfriend, and certainly not Colson’s friend and former deputy, now a Deputy US Marshal. As bloody evidence against the juvenile delinquent starts to pile up, Colson knows someone truly vile, and evil is at work here in this crime ‘whodunit.’ Atkins' hard-edged yet tenderhearted novel kept me rooting for the troubled teen and her gang of involuntary outlaws. Atkins’ straightforward plotting and well-turned prose kept me reading all through the night. The diverse cast of characters and their intricate relationships elevated this ‘harsh’ story above most other gritty crime novels. The Heathens is strong on mystery, deception, suspense, and police procedurals. I enjoy Ace Atkins’ Quinn Colson series and look forward to back tracking on a number of the other novels.

Ace Atkinson has become one of my favorite authors. His writing hooks you from the beginning. This story is about teenagers on the run after the murder of their mother.

The novels of Ace Atkins read as fast for me as those of Michael Connelly and C.J. Box.“The Heathens” (number 11 in the Sheriff Quinn Colson series) is no exception...the pacing and forward momentum is like an express train.Teenager TJ Byrd is the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of her mother.While innocent, she knows no one will believe her...so she takes off with her nine-year-old brother. The chase is on...and it is wild.As usual, Quinn is moving contra-flow and is the only one doubting TJ’s guilt.Also after TJ are US Marshall Lillie Virgil and the real killers...making life perilous for TJ.Mayhem ensues.The usual collection of Tibbehah County, Mississippi suspects are on hand, including the return of the joyfully despicable Johnny Stagg (of the Dixie Mafia) after serving his five-year prison term.It is a wonderful Southern crime tale filled with fascinating characters and populated with an abundance of shitbirds and low-lifes.This is a series is top drawer.

Love Quinn Colson