The latest book from Ace Atkins, The Ranger, is getting excellent reviews. The Washington Post says the book is a “fine example of the subgenre” redneck noir and Atkins’ “unerring sense of the rural underworld.” The reviewer concludes that “The Ranger is a joy ride into the heart of darkness” and concludes that "The Ranger recalls the hard-edged crime novels of Greg Iles. . .Neither Atkins nor Iles writes pretty or uplifting stories, but their books ring true, at least if you’re not looking for magnolias and moonlight.” The New York Post featured the book at #2 on their list of "Summer Hot Reads."
Here's Slade's review from the Dear Reader: Our friend Ace Atkins knows the back roads around Oxford and Lafayette County – and it shows in his latest book, The Ranger, the debut of a promising new series. Army Ranger Quinn Colson returns from Afghanistan to his rough and tumble home in the hills of North Mississippi when he learns of his uncle's apparent suicide. Why would his uncle, the county's long-time sheriff, meet such an unexpected demise? As Colson soon learns, the back roads and back rooms in and around his small town are corrupt to the core. With a little help from an interesting cast of characters, this ranger might be just the man to clean things up. As fellow thriller writer John Sandford says, "With terrific, inflected characters, and a dark, subtle sense of place and history, THE RANGER is an exceptional novel." SL
Ace Atkins is the author of White Shadow, Wicked City, Devil's Garden, Infamous, and four Nick Travers novels. He lives on a farm outside Oxford, Mississippi.