The Broken Places - (Quinn Colson Novel) by Ace Atkins (Paperback)

About the Book

A year after becoming sheriff, Quinn Colson is faced with the release of an infamous murderer from prison. Jamey Dixon comes back to Jericho preaching redemption, and some believe him; but for the victim's family, the only thought is revenge.

Book Synopsis

In the third gripping crime novel in Ace Atkins's New York Times bestselling series, small town sheriff Quinn Colson takes on deadly criminals and even deadlier weather...

A year after becoming sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, Quinn Colson is faced with a pardoned killer's return to Jericho. Jamey Dixon now preaches redemption and forgiveness, but the family of the woman he was convicted of killing isn't buying it. They warn Quinn that his sister's relationship with Dixon could be fatal. Others don't think the new preacher is a changed man, either--a couple of dangerous convicts who confided in Dixon about an armored car robbery believe he's after the money they hid. So they do the only thing they can: break out and head straight to Jericho, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

Colson and his deputy, Lillie, have their work cut out for them. But they don't count on one more unwelcome visitor: a tornado that causes havoc just as the manhunt heats up. Communications are down, the roads are impassable--and the rule of law is just about to snap.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Broken Places

"Ace Atkins' killing honestly sets a new standard for Southern crime novels."--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

"Ace Atkins' Quinn Colson novels have been exceptional from the start...whether readers are new to the series or fans from the start, The Broken Places will touch them the way all great novels do, profoundly."--Shelf Awareness

"The action is stark and gripping, the Southern locale suitably atmospheric and the bevy of characters convincing."--The Houston Chronicle

"Atkins continues to combine sturdy character studies with an action-packed tale about the contemporary issues of war veterans and small-town corruption...The Broken Places again shows what a powerful storyteller Atkins is."--Tulsa World

"Atkins' voice is graceful and tense...Atkins' habit-forming series [shares] a tremendous sense of (rural) place and powerfully nuanced characterization with those of James Lee Burke, Craig Johnson, and C. J. Box."--Booklist

"A high-tension thriller with a hero to rival Jack Reacher."--Kirkus Reviews

"Supercool. 'Manly' writing akin to Elmore Leonard's Detroit Westerns."--Library Journal

More Praise For Ace Atkins's Quinn Colson Series

"In Quinn Colson, bestselling author Ace Atkins has created an American hero in a time when we need him."--C. J. Box

"Ace Atkins's Quinn Colson series is, quite simply, the best in crime fiction today--and also so much more. With a rich cast of characters, and a hero we can count on, these are tales of morality and desperation, of shocking violence and the enduring resilience of family and community. And the emotional places they take us make them unforgettable."--Megan Abbott

"Quinn Colson is my kind of guy. I would follow him anywhere."--Lee Child

"Atkins finds his natural-born storytellers everywhere. It's all music to these ears."--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Ace Atkins is the New York Times bestselling author of the Quinn Colson novels, the first two of which--The Ranger and The Lost Ones--were nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he also has a third Edgar nomination for his short story, "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"). In addition, he is the author of several New York Times bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Before turning to fiction, he was a correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times, a crime reporter for the Tampa Tribune, and, in college, played defensive end for the undefeated Auburn University football team (for which he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated). He lives in Oxford, Mississippi.