THE HEATHENS

4 stars out of 5

This is a well-written, well-thought-out entry in this popular series - of which I've read several of the 11 so far - but I can't say it was totally enjoyable. The subject matter, and myriad of characters, were too dark for my liking, and former Army Ranger and Tibbehah County Sheriff Quinn Colson, the "star" of the series, could use more page time. In fact, the spotlight seemed to be more on characters from previous books - whether they be cool or dangerous - than on Quinn, who's I must say has become more likable to me as the series moves along.

The main story follows Tanya "TJ" Byrd, an errant 17-year-old whose equally errant mother, Gina, goes missing. Based on the outcome of her disappearance, TJ - well-known for her mental and physical battles with her mother - is the prime suspect despite, she claims, her innocence (she puts the blame squarely on an older, local ne'er-do-well who turns the tables by accusing TJ). Facing almost certain arrest for a crime she did not commit, she takes off with her younger brother, John Wesley, her boyfriend (and frequent lawbreaker in his own right, Ladarius) and her best friend Holly. 

Along the way, they pick up another troubled teen - this time a pampered rich girl with the ironic misnomer Chastity who's fond of drugs and getting "likes" on her Internet posts. Claiming she has a plan that will clear TJ's name, she manages to coerce TJ and Ladarius into following her lead - which turns out to be neither a good idea nor the truth; in fact, her plan only digs a deeper legal hole for the teens and a not-bright future for any of them.

Meanwhile, Quinn isn't convinced that TJ is guilty, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. He tries, and comes close to, winning over old friend and former partner, U.S. Marshal Lillie Virgil - but as they track the rampage and devastation the teen runaways leave behind, it becomes harder to believe they have any chance of getting off with no consequences (a belief shared by TJ, who is convinced she'll never get a fair shake). Back on the home front, some seriously bad guys make appearances as they're recruited to pull off some seriously grisly stuff (just a warning to readers who don't enjoy that kind of thing). Still other bad guys are hard at work trying to appear legitimate, muddying up the investigative waters even more.

After a lot of sleuthing, the truth starts to emerge - but it may come too late to be of much help to the runaway teens. At that point, it's a wild ride to see who can get to them first - and the winner likely will determine whether they live or die. The ending is only partially satisfying, with plenty of loose ends that no doubt will be woven into another book. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

The Heathens by Ace Atkins (G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2021); 416 pp.

INJUSTICE FOR ALL

5 stars out of 5

This is the third book I've read in the author's series featuring Tennessee lawyer Joe Dillard, and I continue to be amazed at how much I'm enjoying them. This is the best so far, IMHO - I didn't want to put it down (just ask my husband, who was forced to eat an extra-late dinner one day because I had just a few chapters left to read). 

Dillard has moved from a defense attorney to the prosecutor's office, but from both sides now he's had to deal with the same hard-nosed, unfair and vindictive criminal court judge. When that judge's body turns up charred and hanging from a tree, Dillard isn't exactly crying, but then he finds himself at the center of the investigation. The son of his son's best friend, it turns out, is the prime suspect (the judge, it seems, had done his daddy wrong). Worse, the young college student has, in a panic, given critical evidence to Dillard's wife, who in turn destroyed it - thus committing a potentially criminal act that puts Dillard square in the middle of an ethics dilemma.

A second story line follows a young girl who loses her entire family - then most of another - and a third focuses on the sudden disappearance of a young woman who recently joined the district attorney's office. There's even a fourth as Dillard struggles with his unsuccessful defense of a client who was convicted and has just been executed - a client Dillard continues to believe was innocent. 

All these situations are brought to closure by the end, of course; some happily, others not so much, depending on who you're rooting for. And, a big change at the end makes me eager to read the next installment (not that I wasn't already). Bring it on!

Injustice for All by Scott Pratt (Phoenix Flying Inc., December 2013); 367 pp.

AN INNOCENT CLIENT

4 stars out of 5

As I've said in other reviews, I'm always looking for a good mystery/thriller series - one in which the stories are good enough that I'm happy to read them any time, but mostly to fill in gaps between other books - when I need something dependably enjoyable and easy to read. As luck would have it, I've found two winners in that department over the last couple of weeks - this one included.

I keep a running list of free and low-cost books I've downloaded as a result of membership in services like BookBub that specialize in that kind of thing; I cross them off as I read them and try not to get too far behind. This one, though, managed to slip through the cracks; I got it free back in 2013 and it's been stuck in the middle of my list ever since. When I noticed it's a legal thriller, it got my attention; when I learned it's the first in a series featuring criminal defense attorney Joe Dillard, I couldn't wait to get started.

I finished it in short order, picking it up every chance I got just because the story and characters reeled me in from the beginning. Set in Tennessee, it begins with the murder of a preacher (a cat brings part of the guy to his mistress as a gift, adding a touch of grisly to the murder). The preacher, it seems, had visited a bar known for its "girls," and one of them - a pretty young thing - is accused of the murder. The bar owner, herself a shady character, is rolling in dough and hires Joe to defend the girl.

Joe, however, is beyond ready to stop doing what he's been doing; his mother has Alzheimer's and is failing fast, and his estranged sister is a drug addict who's just been released from prison. On the plus side, he's got a loving wife, a former dance instructor who now helps out in his office, a couple of kids who seem more "normal" than my own two, and a excitable dog who pees on his master's shoe with regularity.

As Joe reaches a birthday, his only wish is to defend just one client who is innocent. As the story unfolds, it appears this young girl may make his wish come true. But haven't we all been advised to be careful what we wish for? 

There are some twists and turns and even more lawyers and judges who try to bend the law when it suits their purposes. The chapters shift from first-person accounts as told by Joe to third-person descriptions of what happened, is happening and may happen down the line. I won't say I was surprised at any point - much of the book is for the most part predictable - but the writing is solid and the story well thought out with insights into the legal process (a tribute, I assume, to the fact that the author holds degrees in both English and law). And yes, if you're asking, I plan to get my hands on the rest of the series, starting with the second, In Good Faith, as soon as I can.

An Innocent Client by Scott Pratt (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 2012, a re-release); 360 pp.