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Quinn Colson #1
The Ranger
Returning to what has become his violently corrupt hometown in Mississippi after a tour in Afghanistan, Army Ranger Quinn Colson investigates his uncle's alleged suicide and uncovers shocking personal secrets.
495 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2011
1372 people are currently reading
4363 people want to read
About the author
Ace Atkins
71 books1,557 followersAce Atkins is the author of twenty-eight books, including eleven Quinn Colson novels, the first two of which, The Ranger and The Lost Ones, were nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he has a third Edgar nomination for his short story "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"). He is the author of nine 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 and a crime reporter for the Tampa Tribune, and he played defensive end for Auburn University football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 689 reviews
March 10, 2015
South Louisiana has Dave Robicheaux.
Minnesota has Lucas Davenport.
Los Angeles has Harry Bosch, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.
Georgia has Rick Grimes. *high fives*
Now rural Mississippi has Quinn Colson.
Quinn Colson returns home from Afghanistan and his job as an Army Ranger when his uncle that raised him is found dead. Apparently from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Once home with the help of a local deputy and a former soldier he realizes that the town he left is not the same. His uncle's death begins to look suspicious when the local baron shows up to claim his uncle's land.
A gang of meth cookers have pretty much taken over the town and once you start reading this book you just know that Quinn is going to get pissed off and things are going to get ugly.
I love these kinds of books. They are pure guilty pleasure. I get to cheer for the somewhat good guy and well..shit gets blown up and shot all to heck.
Meth heads are becoming a current trend in the bad guy scenario and I'm not complaining at all. Because it's fun to see some of the stupid happen. They just seem to never be able to walk away from trouble.
Then we have the hero of our story. Quinn Colson.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next in this series.
Thanks to my friend Susan for giving me a heads up to these books.
Minnesota has Lucas Davenport.
Los Angeles has Harry Bosch, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.
Georgia has Rick Grimes. *high fives*
Now rural Mississippi has Quinn Colson.
Quinn Colson returns home from Afghanistan and his job as an Army Ranger when his uncle that raised him is found dead. Apparently from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Once home with the help of a local deputy and a former soldier he realizes that the town he left is not the same. His uncle's death begins to look suspicious when the local baron shows up to claim his uncle's land.
A gang of meth cookers have pretty much taken over the town and once you start reading this book you just know that Quinn is going to get pissed off and things are going to get ugly.
I love these kinds of books. They are pure guilty pleasure. I get to cheer for the somewhat good guy and well..shit gets blown up and shot all to heck.
Meth heads are becoming a current trend in the bad guy scenario and I'm not complaining at all. Because it's fun to see some of the stupid happen. They just seem to never be able to walk away from trouble.
Then we have the hero of our story. Quinn Colson.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next in this series.
Thanks to my friend Susan for giving me a heads up to these books.
August 10, 2019
All the classic ingredients are in place: a unique setting, a reluctant hero, a small town rife with corruption, a criminal element who are Really Bad Guys, a pregnant teen looking for the baby daddy who cooks meth. Well, maybe not the last one, although I think the pregnant teen was used in a Walt Longmire story as well as one with Dave Robicheaux. The Ranger doesn't bring anything new to the genre, excepting the ol' Miss setting, but it is a decent entry into the field.
Quinn Colson is on leave from the Rangers, returning home for the funeral of his uncle, sheriff of Jericho, Mississippi. He gives a ride into town of a young, hugely pregnant teen, providing an entry for her point of view. Lily, assistant deputy, thinks the uncle might have been murdered, but as Quinn starts asking questions and connecting with old acquaintances, he discovers the truth might be even less palatable than murder.
There's a definite old-fashioned Western feel to this, with an honest hero riding into a small town to save the populace from villains. Ethics are not particularly complicated. The story felt fast moving to me. Viewpoint switched between Quinn and the pregnant teen, with a couple other brief viewpoints thrown in, including that of Bad Guys 1 & 2. On the upside, it didn't make it feel disjointed. On the down side, I didn't much care about the other viewpoints, which only served to reinforce the Bad Guys were indeed sleezeballs. I'm not even certain they added to the tension.
Characterization might be one of the weaker areas of the story. Most of the character descriptions focus on what the person said or did, and there isn't a lot of descriptive shading to the action. It reminds me of medical or police reports: first this happened, then that. While it's kind of refreshing to read a story where the author unabashedly allows characters to say things (instead of 'drawled,' 'yelled,' or 'muttered'), there's not a lot of emotional connection built, as it is hard to tell how Quinn is really feeling. He might drink a cup of coffee and nod, and somehow this is supposed to stand in for building a man who is thinking and evaluating. I was most intrigued by the potential of Quinn's Ranger training and woodsmanship. Atkins uses it well in a tactical mission, but I can't help feeling like the potential for insight while Quinn strategizes ends up wasted.
The feel of rural Mississippi is decent. Quinn recalls growing up and racing down the roads as a teen and hunting in the woods with his uncle. He also gives a solid feel to the local truck stop and diner. I got a solid sense of the poverty of the area, an interesting choice that plays into the economics of crime. Occasionally a colloquial turn of phrase show up in the writing, but I'm not sure how well it comes off.
It's a good book that provided a solid distraction during a time of poor reading attention. If that sounds like faint praise, it's only because my standards have gotten higher as I've aged. Honestly, in my current reading mood, three stars is worth quite a bit. I'll read the next couple of entries and see if Atkins can retain my interest.
Quinn Colson is on leave from the Rangers, returning home for the funeral of his uncle, sheriff of Jericho, Mississippi. He gives a ride into town of a young, hugely pregnant teen, providing an entry for her point of view. Lily, assistant deputy, thinks the uncle might have been murdered, but as Quinn starts asking questions and connecting with old acquaintances, he discovers the truth might be even less palatable than murder.
There's a definite old-fashioned Western feel to this, with an honest hero riding into a small town to save the populace from villains. Ethics are not particularly complicated. The story felt fast moving to me. Viewpoint switched between Quinn and the pregnant teen, with a couple other brief viewpoints thrown in, including that of Bad Guys 1 & 2. On the upside, it didn't make it feel disjointed. On the down side, I didn't much care about the other viewpoints, which only served to reinforce the Bad Guys were indeed sleezeballs. I'm not even certain they added to the tension.
Characterization might be one of the weaker areas of the story. Most of the character descriptions focus on what the person said or did, and there isn't a lot of descriptive shading to the action. It reminds me of medical or police reports: first this happened, then that. While it's kind of refreshing to read a story where the author unabashedly allows characters to say things (instead of 'drawled,' 'yelled,' or 'muttered'), there's not a lot of emotional connection built, as it is hard to tell how Quinn is really feeling. He might drink a cup of coffee and nod, and somehow this is supposed to stand in for building a man who is thinking and evaluating. I was most intrigued by the potential of Quinn's Ranger training and woodsmanship. Atkins uses it well in a tactical mission, but I can't help feeling like the potential for insight while Quinn strategizes ends up wasted.
The feel of rural Mississippi is decent. Quinn recalls growing up and racing down the roads as a teen and hunting in the woods with his uncle. He also gives a solid feel to the local truck stop and diner. I got a solid sense of the poverty of the area, an interesting choice that plays into the economics of crime. Occasionally a colloquial turn of phrase show up in the writing, but I'm not sure how well it comes off.
It's a good book that provided a solid distraction during a time of poor reading attention. If that sounds like faint praise, it's only because my standards have gotten higher as I've aged. Honestly, in my current reading mood, three stars is worth quite a bit. I'll read the next couple of entries and see if Atkins can retain my interest.
June 24, 2019
I see them long hard times to come.
Wait a second. This isn’t Justfied. But there’s enough similarity to excuse my temporary confusion.
In his younger days Quinn Colson was a small town hell-raiser in Mississippi, but he went on to become a US Army Ranger who has spent most of his twenties fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. About the only thing that could get him to return home is the funeral for the uncle who practically raised him, and Quinn has every intention of not staying a second longer than necessary.
However, Quinn learns that his uncle, who was also the county sheriff, died under suspicious circumstances and a slimy redneck wannabe-land-baron pops up claiming that the family land is now forfeit due to a debt his uncle owed. Quinn's refusal to sign over the land gets him tangled up with a bunch of meth dealing white supremacists.
The comparisons to Raylan Givens are fairly easy to see. You’ve got a government trained and certified bad ass reluctantly returning to his Southern hometown and having to deal with a variety of criminal rednecks as well as his own family issues. This also seems like the classic action hero set-up of a soldier returning home to find that his people have fallen prey to vicious thugs.
Despite the similarities to Justified or a story that is pretty familiar from several action movies, Ace Atkins makes Quinn a unique character and spins the plot off in unexpected directions so that it doesn’t play out in the obvious ways. The Alabama born and Auburn educated Atkins lives in Mississippi now, and it’s obvious that he’s a guy who knows the ways of small town life as he lays out a vividly realistic portrayal of what it‘s like in an area where the only growth industry is meth production.
Atkins also nails what it likes to return to the small town where you grew up. As a guy who left the Little Town for the Big City, I can testify that there’s a weird dynamic at play when you have reason to return. You’re not entirely an outsider, but you’re not one of the locals anymore. It’s kind of like watching a TV show for a few years, then skipping a couple of seasons and then seeing a new episode. You know most of the actors and the basics of the story, but you always feel like you‘re missing something.
I wouldn’t say this fits the hick-lit or redneck noir styles of a Daniel Woodrell or Donald Ray Pollock, but it’s a well crafted and entertaining crime story in a rural setting by a guy who knows that lifestyle well.
Wait a second. This isn’t Justfied. But there’s enough similarity to excuse my temporary confusion.
In his younger days Quinn Colson was a small town hell-raiser in Mississippi, but he went on to become a US Army Ranger who has spent most of his twenties fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. About the only thing that could get him to return home is the funeral for the uncle who practically raised him, and Quinn has every intention of not staying a second longer than necessary.
However, Quinn learns that his uncle, who was also the county sheriff, died under suspicious circumstances and a slimy redneck wannabe-land-baron pops up claiming that the family land is now forfeit due to a debt his uncle owed. Quinn's refusal to sign over the land gets him tangled up with a bunch of meth dealing white supremacists.
The comparisons to Raylan Givens are fairly easy to see. You’ve got a government trained and certified bad ass reluctantly returning to his Southern hometown and having to deal with a variety of criminal rednecks as well as his own family issues. This also seems like the classic action hero set-up of a soldier returning home to find that his people have fallen prey to vicious thugs.
Despite the similarities to Justified or a story that is pretty familiar from several action movies, Ace Atkins makes Quinn a unique character and spins the plot off in unexpected directions so that it doesn’t play out in the obvious ways. The Alabama born and Auburn educated Atkins lives in Mississippi now, and it’s obvious that he’s a guy who knows the ways of small town life as he lays out a vividly realistic portrayal of what it‘s like in an area where the only growth industry is meth production.
Atkins also nails what it likes to return to the small town where you grew up. As a guy who left the Little Town for the Big City, I can testify that there’s a weird dynamic at play when you have reason to return. You’re not entirely an outsider, but you’re not one of the locals anymore. It’s kind of like watching a TV show for a few years, then skipping a couple of seasons and then seeing a new episode. You know most of the actors and the basics of the story, but you always feel like you‘re missing something.
I wouldn’t say this fits the hick-lit or redneck noir styles of a Daniel Woodrell or Donald Ray Pollock, but it’s a well crafted and entertaining crime story in a rural setting by a guy who knows that lifestyle well.
December 27, 2017
When his uncle, the county sheriff, eats a gun, Quinn Colson comes home to Tibbehah County, Mississippi, for the funeral. Turns out his home town is a cesspool and the chief turds are Johnny Stagg, a county official, and Gowrie, a meth-dealing white supremicist. Will Colson be able to clean up his home town?
I've read a couple of Ace Atkins' Spenser books and liked them quite a bit. Some guy has been telling me for years how good they are. He was right yet again.
The words are different but the song sounds familiar. Guy comes back to his home town, finds out the shitbags have taken over, and runs the bad guys out of town. Ace Atkins takes a staple of the western genre and shapes it into something all his own. Fortunately, Atkins makes hay with it.
Quinn Colson comes home and finds himself out of the loop, an outsider in his own back yard. The bad guys have a foothold and most of the town is ready to roll over for them. Quinn and his trusted circle of allies have an uphill battle ahead of them in the form of crooked politicians, crooked judges, crooked cops, and meth dealing white supremicists.
For a book with all of those volatile ingredients simmering in the stew pot, The Ranger is a surprisingly slow burner. It takes a while for all the pins to get set up. While things are simmering, Atkins explores small town life in the south, painting a bleak picture of what things are like in small towns once the money starts drying up. Quinn deals with his mother, his sister, and his old flame.
The ending was everything I hoped it would be, a southern fried version of the fight at the OK Corral. While it stood well on its own, it left me wanting more of Quinn Colson dealing with shitheels in his home town. I don't really have anything bad to say about The Ranger. Quinn was capable without being a super hero and the supporting cast Atkins has crafted has a few books in it easily.
The Ranger was a fun thriller and a fascinating look at life in rural Mississippi. I guess I'm in for the whole series now. Four out of five stars.
I've read a couple of Ace Atkins' Spenser books and liked them quite a bit. Some guy has been telling me for years how good they are. He was right yet again.
The words are different but the song sounds familiar. Guy comes back to his home town, finds out the shitbags have taken over, and runs the bad guys out of town. Ace Atkins takes a staple of the western genre and shapes it into something all his own. Fortunately, Atkins makes hay with it.
Quinn Colson comes home and finds himself out of the loop, an outsider in his own back yard. The bad guys have a foothold and most of the town is ready to roll over for them. Quinn and his trusted circle of allies have an uphill battle ahead of them in the form of crooked politicians, crooked judges, crooked cops, and meth dealing white supremicists.
For a book with all of those volatile ingredients simmering in the stew pot, The Ranger is a surprisingly slow burner. It takes a while for all the pins to get set up. While things are simmering, Atkins explores small town life in the south, painting a bleak picture of what things are like in small towns once the money starts drying up. Quinn deals with his mother, his sister, and his old flame.
The ending was everything I hoped it would be, a southern fried version of the fight at the OK Corral. While it stood well on its own, it left me wanting more of Quinn Colson dealing with shitheels in his home town. I don't really have anything bad to say about The Ranger. Quinn was capable without being a super hero and the supporting cast Atkins has crafted has a few books in it easily.
The Ranger was a fun thriller and a fascinating look at life in rural Mississippi. I guess I'm in for the whole series now. Four out of five stars.
June 10, 2012
Quinn Colson is an Army Ranger who returns on leave to his home in Tibbehah County in northeastern Mississippi, to attend the funeral of his uncle who had been the local sheriff. Upon arriving, he is shocked to learn that his uncle apparently committed suicide. He is even more upset when Lillie Virgil, a deputy sheriff, suggests that his uncle was actually murdered.
Quinn is also troubled by the fact that while he has been overseas defending his country, both his family and his home town have badly deteriorated. His father, a former movie stuntman, had abandoned the family years earlier. Now his sister, Caddy, has left home as well, tumbling into a sordid world of drugs and other vices. Caddy has left her small child with Quinn's mom, who is not coping with the world all that well herself. Meanwhile, Tibbehah County is sadly overrun with schemers, thugs, and corrupt local officials and is sinking under the tide of a meth epidemic.
Quinn's uncle has left his home and farm to Quinn, but then a local would-be wheeler-dealer named Johnny Stagg shows up, claiming that he has liens against the property and that he intends to take possession. Quinn has only a few days before he's due back at his Army post, and clearly he's got a lot of work to do before then to sort all of this out. As he probes more deeply into his uncle's death and the other problems of the county, he stirs up a proverbial hornets' nest and the blood begins to flow.
This is the first book in a new series and Ace Atkins has created here a very intriguing protagonist. He has also surrounded him with a great cast of characters both good and bad and set them in a very well-drawn world that is interesting in and of itself. The book is somewhat reminiscent of Ken Mercer's Slow Fire, which also portrays the way in which the scourge of meth can eat away at a small town and its inhabitants.
Ace Atkins has been much in the book news lately for taking over Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, and his first Spenser book, Robert B. Parker's Lullaby, has just been released. But Quinn Colson is at least as compelling a character as Spenser and I'm looking forward to the coming books in the series.
Quinn is also troubled by the fact that while he has been overseas defending his country, both his family and his home town have badly deteriorated. His father, a former movie stuntman, had abandoned the family years earlier. Now his sister, Caddy, has left home as well, tumbling into a sordid world of drugs and other vices. Caddy has left her small child with Quinn's mom, who is not coping with the world all that well herself. Meanwhile, Tibbehah County is sadly overrun with schemers, thugs, and corrupt local officials and is sinking under the tide of a meth epidemic.
Quinn's uncle has left his home and farm to Quinn, but then a local would-be wheeler-dealer named Johnny Stagg shows up, claiming that he has liens against the property and that he intends to take possession. Quinn has only a few days before he's due back at his Army post, and clearly he's got a lot of work to do before then to sort all of this out. As he probes more deeply into his uncle's death and the other problems of the county, he stirs up a proverbial hornets' nest and the blood begins to flow.
This is the first book in a new series and Ace Atkins has created here a very intriguing protagonist. He has also surrounded him with a great cast of characters both good and bad and set them in a very well-drawn world that is interesting in and of itself. The book is somewhat reminiscent of Ken Mercer's Slow Fire, which also portrays the way in which the scourge of meth can eat away at a small town and its inhabitants.
Ace Atkins has been much in the book news lately for taking over Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, and his first Spenser book, Robert B. Parker's Lullaby, has just been released. But Quinn Colson is at least as compelling a character as Spenser and I'm looking forward to the coming books in the series.
November 18, 2024
A great start to a new series. An Army Ranger, Quinn Colson, returns to his backwoods redneck home town to attend his uncle’s funeral. Shortly after arriving he finds a growing rot has taken hold of the once quaint little rural town. Colson has never been one to roll over and his sense of duty to law and order refuse to let him bow to the corruption taking over his home. His Ranger skills have been honed in combat and battle tested and Colson is about to bring his kind of war to this once sleepy little village.
July 7, 2018
Nice to have finally read book one after having listened to book 3-7. Now I have only The Lost Ones left, and of course, The Sinners (book 8) that I'm going to listen to as soon as it's available.
It was great reading The Ranger, although yes, I knew some of the stuff, mostly concerning Quinn's uncle since I have read pretty much every book in the series. I like Quinn and I most definitely like Lillie Virgil, the deputy sheriff. She's a tough cookie and got a lot of chemistry with Quinn (who is still pining after his ex-girlfriend whether or not he will admit it). The plot is great, a small town with lots of corrupted men, which in the end will lead to a big confrontation between Quinn and the bad guys. Just the way I like it!
The Quinn Colson series is fabulous, and if you are a Longmire fan will you love this series.
It was great reading The Ranger, although yes, I knew some of the stuff, mostly concerning Quinn's uncle since I have read pretty much every book in the series. I like Quinn and I most definitely like Lillie Virgil, the deputy sheriff. She's a tough cookie and got a lot of chemistry with Quinn (who is still pining after his ex-girlfriend whether or not he will admit it). The plot is great, a small town with lots of corrupted men, which in the end will lead to a big confrontation between Quinn and the bad guys. Just the way I like it!
The Quinn Colson series is fabulous, and if you are a Longmire fan will you love this series.
February 25, 2016
Okay...this is not the kind of book I usually enjoy if I were placing it in a "preference category" based simply on the "story in general". The thing is it is simply written so well that I got interested and never lost interest. And as I'm now reading the 4th book in the Quinn Colson series I figure it's time to review the first 3 (though I may not get them all reviewed in this sitting).
Quinn Colson is a U.S.Army Ranger and has been for 10 years. He has just gotten word that his uncle is dead, the cause of death has been determined to be suicide. Quinn can't believe this and goes to the hometown he hasn't seen since he enlisted. Quinn loved his uncle who was the closest thing he and his sister had to a dad after their father left.
The book is as I said very interesting and the characters are knowable. If there is a flaw it's the somewhat stereotypical redneck characters and some of the attitudes. That said the writer doesn't fall into any rut or predictability in the tale. From start to book's end the writing is consistently pleasing and for me it led right into the next volume.
I'd say try this one. It's a little unusual in some ways and I can recommend it.
Enjoy.
Quinn Colson is a U.S.Army Ranger and has been for 10 years. He has just gotten word that his uncle is dead, the cause of death has been determined to be suicide. Quinn can't believe this and goes to the hometown he hasn't seen since he enlisted. Quinn loved his uncle who was the closest thing he and his sister had to a dad after their father left.
The book is as I said very interesting and the characters are knowable. If there is a flaw it's the somewhat stereotypical redneck characters and some of the attitudes. That said the writer doesn't fall into any rut or predictability in the tale. From start to book's end the writing is consistently pleasing and for me it led right into the next volume.
I'd say try this one. It's a little unusual in some ways and I can recommend it.
Enjoy.
October 1, 2013
Ace Atkins' protagonist, Quinn Colson, is in the mold of Elmore Leonard's Raylan Givens, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, and Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire. If none of those literary references work for you, the plot of this novel is very reminiscent of this: 
But this simplistic plot -- a soldier returning home to find his idyllic hometown corrupted while he was away -- is pushed to a new level by the author's ability to write realistic, interesting characters. Nothing about Colson, or the supporting cast around him, is one-dimensional. There are layers to each of the characters, both the protagonists and the antagonists, and moral shades of gray for both as well. This depth and shading made what I thought to be a simple page-turning action-revenge into something much more interesting and memorable.
The highest compliment I can give this book is that as soon as I finished it, I bought the second in the series, The Lost Ones, and started reading it that same night.
But this simplistic plot -- a soldier returning home to find his idyllic hometown corrupted while he was away -- is pushed to a new level by the author's ability to write realistic, interesting characters. Nothing about Colson, or the supporting cast around him, is one-dimensional. There are layers to each of the characters, both the protagonists and the antagonists, and moral shades of gray for both as well. This depth and shading made what I thought to be a simple page-turning action-revenge into something much more interesting and memorable.
The highest compliment I can give this book is that as soon as I finished it, I bought the second in the series, The Lost Ones, and started reading it that same night.
October 11, 2023
When Army Ranger Quinn Colson journeys home to the small town of Jericho, Mississippi for the funeral of his uncle, the sheriff, he finds far more questions than answers waiting. His uncle’s death is listed as a suicide, but some think it is murder. Corruption has seized the town as the greed of commercial development has allowed drug runners and swindlers to take over. Quinn becomes embroiled in a conflict to save his uncle’s property and finds out he can trust almost nobody. It is time for the Ranger to take a stand.
The proof copy of The Ranger makes it clear that this is the beginning of a series built around the character of Quinn Colson. Atkins does a nice job of creating an environment and populating it with interesting characters. He paints a stark portrait of rural Mississippi that feels authentic. Atkins also creates some very engaging characters, but he seems so focused on Quinn that the other characters get left underdeveloped. The storytelling moves along at a good, clean pace, never slowing the story. However, the dialog seems to lurch along at times in an attempt to give it an ‘authentic voice.’ But these are small criticisms.
The herculean problem with The Ranger lies with its main character. Quinn Colson is set up as the tough as nails soldier with a heart of gold. Right from the start he goes out of his way to help a lost, broke, pregnant woman on the side of the road as reinforcement to this image. However, he contradicts himself throughout the rest of the story. There is little attempt to explain why Quinn would do the things that he does. Quinn motivation for undertaking his unorthodox mission only makes sense as the retelling of every spaghetti western told since the days of black and white television - he is the good guy and he is fighting the bad guys. That’s enough, right?
Quinn refuses an offer to buy his uncle’s land because it has been in his family’s name for generations, even though he has no intention of moving back to the town and he doesn’t seem to like anyone in his family. His friends, family and even perfect strangers are never once in any kind of jeopardy until Quinn makes a point to put them there. Why? Because we can’t have a hero if there isn’t any conflict…even if he is the one creating it. But it gets worse. One moment Quinn is deep in thought about how as a platoon sergeant he had to show restraint and be a father figure to his men. To be a professional. The next moment he is gleefully wounding the bad guys with a compound bow. Yes, I said wounding! Yes, I said gleefully! I have family members who are both Army Rangers and law enforcement and I can tell you that is not something they are trained to do…or would ever do. And they certainly wouldn’t do it like this:
“Two Cracking shots. A man yelled.
Quinn smiled. Boom was having a time, having found the right spot for the deer rifle, loaded, balanced and sighted right down the path…
Quinn took a breath and steadied himself, letting the string go and zipping an arrow right into Gowrie’s shoulder blade, knocking him forward and then backwards to his knees, the AK chattering away up into the laced branches overhead.
Quinn smiled again and reached for another arrow.”
As if to emphasize the point, few moments later we get Quinn shooting a man in the groin. This might be the way somebody might dream of taking revenge on someone and attempting to scare them off, but it isn’t the way a trained soldier operates, much less a veteran Army Ranger. Atkins also manages to paint everyone in law enforcement as inept or corrupt. We even get the quintessential Tombstone-esc scene with the big showdown in the middle of town where real law enforcement has run for cover and only Quinn and his buddies can come and save the day. The whole story becomes cliché and simply topples like a house of cards, complete with an unsatisfying ending.
The Ranger is built off of the grand storytelling history of the lone good guy vs. the corrupt town full of bad guys. It is a template that has provided many great stories. While the writing itself is good, the hero and his motivation are so unbelievable that the story simply falls apart.
The proof copy of The Ranger makes it clear that this is the beginning of a series built around the character of Quinn Colson. Atkins does a nice job of creating an environment and populating it with interesting characters. He paints a stark portrait of rural Mississippi that feels authentic. Atkins also creates some very engaging characters, but he seems so focused on Quinn that the other characters get left underdeveloped. The storytelling moves along at a good, clean pace, never slowing the story. However, the dialog seems to lurch along at times in an attempt to give it an ‘authentic voice.’ But these are small criticisms.
The herculean problem with The Ranger lies with its main character. Quinn Colson is set up as the tough as nails soldier with a heart of gold. Right from the start he goes out of his way to help a lost, broke, pregnant woman on the side of the road as reinforcement to this image. However, he contradicts himself throughout the rest of the story. There is little attempt to explain why Quinn would do the things that he does. Quinn motivation for undertaking his unorthodox mission only makes sense as the retelling of every spaghetti western told since the days of black and white television - he is the good guy and he is fighting the bad guys. That’s enough, right?
Quinn refuses an offer to buy his uncle’s land because it has been in his family’s name for generations, even though he has no intention of moving back to the town and he doesn’t seem to like anyone in his family. His friends, family and even perfect strangers are never once in any kind of jeopardy until Quinn makes a point to put them there. Why? Because we can’t have a hero if there isn’t any conflict…even if he is the one creating it. But it gets worse. One moment Quinn is deep in thought about how as a platoon sergeant he had to show restraint and be a father figure to his men. To be a professional. The next moment he is gleefully wounding the bad guys with a compound bow. Yes, I said wounding! Yes, I said gleefully! I have family members who are both Army Rangers and law enforcement and I can tell you that is not something they are trained to do…or would ever do. And they certainly wouldn’t do it like this:
“Two Cracking shots. A man yelled.
Quinn smiled. Boom was having a time, having found the right spot for the deer rifle, loaded, balanced and sighted right down the path…
Quinn took a breath and steadied himself, letting the string go and zipping an arrow right into Gowrie’s shoulder blade, knocking him forward and then backwards to his knees, the AK chattering away up into the laced branches overhead.
Quinn smiled again and reached for another arrow.”
As if to emphasize the point, few moments later we get Quinn shooting a man in the groin. This might be the way somebody might dream of taking revenge on someone and attempting to scare them off, but it isn’t the way a trained soldier operates, much less a veteran Army Ranger. Atkins also manages to paint everyone in law enforcement as inept or corrupt. We even get the quintessential Tombstone-esc scene with the big showdown in the middle of town where real law enforcement has run for cover and only Quinn and his buddies can come and save the day. The whole story becomes cliché and simply topples like a house of cards, complete with an unsatisfying ending.
The Ranger is built off of the grand storytelling history of the lone good guy vs. the corrupt town full of bad guys. It is a template that has provided many great stories. While the writing itself is good, the hero and his motivation are so unbelievable that the story simply falls apart.
December 11, 2013
Not a good story for me. I did not smile during this book.
Most of the book has mean unlikeable characters doing things that are not interesting to watch. Most of the characters were poor and uneducated. Their thoughts and actions were not entertaining. No one intrigued me. There was no one to root for.
The two main good guys are Quinn and Lily. Quinn is an army ranger who came home for his uncle’s funeral and is investigating his uncle’s death. Lily is a sheriff’s deputy. It was not fun or special watching them solve the mystery. There wasn’t anything interesting about their relationship. Anna-Lee is supposedly a good character. Her husband is in danger so she begs Quinn to find him. Quinn risks his life to help the husband. Then Anna-Lee is rude and dismissive to Quinn. She doesn’t even thank him. Her actions make her unlikeable, and she’s one of the good guys.
There were two action scenes that were missing key parts. Quinn creates a diversion to enter the enemy compound and rescue hostages. He gets inside to the hostages and says lets go. Then the story skips to the next day. We don’t see how they sneak off and run while the bad guys are shooting. Did any bad guys follow them?
The other scene: Two guys A and B are taking a long car drive. They end up in an ambush with bad guys surrounding them. All of a sudden two good guys C and D are hiding in the nearby woods and shoot the bad guys so A can get away. How did C and D know to be hiding in that place? Were they following A’s car? I don’t know.
I’m not sure how I feel about the narrator Jeff Woodman. I wonder if his interpretations made some characters more unlikeable than I would have made them if I were reading the physical book. All the characters are Mississippi locals so he speaks with southern and hillbilly accents - like sit-shee-aa tion (for situation). It was a little too much southern for me. But that may be personal preference.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 8 hrs and 56 mins. Swearing language: a few strong words including religious swear words, but not often used. Sexual content: No specific sex scenes, but some were referred to as having happened. Setting: current day small town in rural Mississippi. Book copyright: 2011. Genre: crime mystery suspense
Most of the book has mean unlikeable characters doing things that are not interesting to watch. Most of the characters were poor and uneducated. Their thoughts and actions were not entertaining. No one intrigued me. There was no one to root for.
The two main good guys are Quinn and Lily. Quinn is an army ranger who came home for his uncle’s funeral and is investigating his uncle’s death. Lily is a sheriff’s deputy. It was not fun or special watching them solve the mystery. There wasn’t anything interesting about their relationship. Anna-Lee is supposedly a good character. Her husband is in danger so she begs Quinn to find him. Quinn risks his life to help the husband. Then Anna-Lee is rude and dismissive to Quinn. She doesn’t even thank him. Her actions make her unlikeable, and she’s one of the good guys.
There were two action scenes that were missing key parts. Quinn creates a diversion to enter the enemy compound and rescue hostages. He gets inside to the hostages and says lets go. Then the story skips to the next day. We don’t see how they sneak off and run while the bad guys are shooting. Did any bad guys follow them?
The other scene: Two guys A and B are taking a long car drive. They end up in an ambush with bad guys surrounding them. All of a sudden two good guys C and D are hiding in the nearby woods and shoot the bad guys so A can get away. How did C and D know to be hiding in that place? Were they following A’s car? I don’t know.
I’m not sure how I feel about the narrator Jeff Woodman. I wonder if his interpretations made some characters more unlikeable than I would have made them if I were reading the physical book. All the characters are Mississippi locals so he speaks with southern and hillbilly accents - like sit-shee-aa tion (for situation). It was a little too much southern for me. But that may be personal preference.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 8 hrs and 56 mins. Swearing language: a few strong words including religious swear words, but not often used. Sexual content: No specific sex scenes, but some were referred to as having happened. Setting: current day small town in rural Mississippi. Book copyright: 2011. Genre: crime mystery suspense
January 25, 2017
A good beginning to a new series. I enjoyed this one because I come from a long line of rednecks and could identify with many of the characters (not he meth heads). The ending has an obvious segue to another volume. Well written, well plotted. Recommended.
October 13, 2016
LOST LOCAL BOY FOUND
Kemper said this would help scratch the Justified itch and that, combined with how much I liked Atkins's Spenser reboot, made me go into this ready to have a good time. Those are the kinds of expectations so often disappointed, but Atkins unquestionably delivered.
Army Ranger Quinn Colson, twenty-nine and already too old, recently benched from "storming the castle" and assigned to teach instead, is brought back to his childhood home in Tibbehah County when his beloved uncle dies under circumstances that seem to keep popping back up as suspicious even after official explanations land reasonable punches. At first, he's told it's a heart attack; then he hears it's suicide. The wound is too messy, unless it's understandable given a certain degree of drunkenness. His uncle was massively in debt over--what is it, exactly? the equipment he'd rented? the money he'd borrowed to visit casinos? Quinn can't resist poking and prodding, trying to get answers that will satisfy him, and he's aided in that by the equally-skeptical Lillie Virgil, a hometown cop loyal to Quinn's uncle, the former sheriff. Together, they work to get to the bottom of at least some of the corruption and economic despair endemic to their region, complete with meth, white supremacy movements, and shady land deals.
It's a good plot with a lot of surprises and some great action sequences, but the real pleasure here is all the local color, from the food Quinn's mom makes in her Elvis-memorabilia-covered house to the Wal-Mart clothes to the former truck stop Bengal tigers Quinn remembers. There's poverty here, and a certain amount of sordidness, but that's not all there is, and you can see why Lillie would come back from Memphis to fight for the place. However much the system is rigged, it's still full of goodhearted people and a sense of community. And it offers Quinn a sense of purpose that the Rangers no longer can--as he stalls more and more on returning to start his new job as a training instructor, Atkins makes you feel not only the strange allure home has for him but also the allure of purpose and hard struggle. Quinn wants to storm a castle? Tibbehah County has plenty.
This is the start of a series, and open-ended series live or die by their characters. Luckily, Atkins excels at great, unshowy characterization, especially with the stoic, low-key, and unsentimental Quinn, who isn't surprised by much but who also can never pass up a desperate teenage hitchhiker. One of his best moments is the small act of kindness that means treating a kicked-around informant and lifelong criminal with respect and dignity, and it feels as genuinely heroic as any shootout. There's complexity to him, too, as we gradually see that Quinn is in some ways more generous and understanding towards, and more clear-sighted about, strangers than he is his friends and family. He's in a strange outsider-insider position, but he's still familiar enough to have his prejudices, good and bad, and while he gets disillusioned of a few of them over the course of the book, more remain, and suggest potential conflicts and possibilities for growth. There's plenty of good long-term set-up here outside of Quinn, too, from his vanished father to his two possible love interests (I am firmly Team Lillie) to his sister to oily good old boy and mover-and-shaker Johnny Stagg.
All in all, a great book and a great introduction to a series I'm looking forward to reading more of.
Kemper said this would help scratch the Justified itch and that, combined with how much I liked Atkins's Spenser reboot, made me go into this ready to have a good time. Those are the kinds of expectations so often disappointed, but Atkins unquestionably delivered.
Army Ranger Quinn Colson, twenty-nine and already too old, recently benched from "storming the castle" and assigned to teach instead, is brought back to his childhood home in Tibbehah County when his beloved uncle dies under circumstances that seem to keep popping back up as suspicious even after official explanations land reasonable punches. At first, he's told it's a heart attack; then he hears it's suicide. The wound is too messy, unless it's understandable given a certain degree of drunkenness. His uncle was massively in debt over--what is it, exactly? the equipment he'd rented? the money he'd borrowed to visit casinos? Quinn can't resist poking and prodding, trying to get answers that will satisfy him, and he's aided in that by the equally-skeptical Lillie Virgil, a hometown cop loyal to Quinn's uncle, the former sheriff. Together, they work to get to the bottom of at least some of the corruption and economic despair endemic to their region, complete with meth, white supremacy movements, and shady land deals.
It's a good plot with a lot of surprises and some great action sequences, but the real pleasure here is all the local color, from the food Quinn's mom makes in her Elvis-memorabilia-covered house to the Wal-Mart clothes to the former truck stop Bengal tigers Quinn remembers. There's poverty here, and a certain amount of sordidness, but that's not all there is, and you can see why Lillie would come back from Memphis to fight for the place. However much the system is rigged, it's still full of goodhearted people and a sense of community. And it offers Quinn a sense of purpose that the Rangers no longer can--as he stalls more and more on returning to start his new job as a training instructor, Atkins makes you feel not only the strange allure home has for him but also the allure of purpose and hard struggle. Quinn wants to storm a castle? Tibbehah County has plenty.
This is the start of a series, and open-ended series live or die by their characters. Luckily, Atkins excels at great, unshowy characterization, especially with the stoic, low-key, and unsentimental Quinn, who isn't surprised by much but who also can never pass up a desperate teenage hitchhiker. One of his best moments is the small act of kindness that means treating a kicked-around informant and lifelong criminal with respect and dignity, and it feels as genuinely heroic as any shootout. There's complexity to him, too, as we gradually see that Quinn is in some ways more generous and understanding towards, and more clear-sighted about, strangers than he is his friends and family. He's in a strange outsider-insider position, but he's still familiar enough to have his prejudices, good and bad, and while he gets disillusioned of a few of them over the course of the book, more remain, and suggest potential conflicts and possibilities for growth. There's plenty of good long-term set-up here outside of Quinn, too, from his vanished father to his two possible love interests (I am firmly Team Lillie) to his sister to oily good old boy and mover-and-shaker Johnny Stagg.
All in all, a great book and a great introduction to a series I'm looking forward to reading more of.
October 3, 2013
My first encounter with Ace Atkins came by way of the Spenser books; Atkins was chosen to write new books in the popular series after the death of Robert B. Parker in 2010 and has produced three so far that I know of (and read). But Atkins is a relatively prolific author in his own right, and since I've enjoyed his Parker follow-ups, I decided to sample his series featuring U.S. Army Ranger Quinn Colson - this is the first.
On leave from his service duties, Colson, a good ol' boy from northeast Mississippi, returns to his small hometown when his uncle, who was the county sheriff for many years, supposedly commits suicide. But the more he listens to a few friends, the more he's convinced the death was murder. The investigation leads to questions about other deaths that originally were reported as accidental as well as illegal drug activity, dirty politics and surprising insights into Colson's family. Colson also reconnects with old friend and Deputy Sheriff Lillie Virgil, setting the stage for romance that I fully expect will blossom in a future book or books.
The character, plot and writing are reminiscent of John Sandford's two series featuring Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport. Atkins' writing doesn't quite measure up to Sandford's, but it's certainly good enough to keep me reading more.
On leave from his service duties, Colson, a good ol' boy from northeast Mississippi, returns to his small hometown when his uncle, who was the county sheriff for many years, supposedly commits suicide. But the more he listens to a few friends, the more he's convinced the death was murder. The investigation leads to questions about other deaths that originally were reported as accidental as well as illegal drug activity, dirty politics and surprising insights into Colson's family. Colson also reconnects with old friend and Deputy Sheriff Lillie Virgil, setting the stage for romance that I fully expect will blossom in a future book or books.
The character, plot and writing are reminiscent of John Sandford's two series featuring Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport. Atkins' writing doesn't quite measure up to Sandford's, but it's certainly good enough to keep me reading more.
March 19, 2021
Average. Just average. I think I was expecting way too much from Atkins because he seems so devoted to Robert B. Parker. At least that is what I had believed. The mystery was average as were the characters. I really expected more from Coleson. I think I’ll give book two a try. This was a disappointment.
June 9, 2011
Would Bill Faulkner recognize these people?
Quinn Colson returns home for his Idealized uncle’s funeral after six years absence and 10 years worth of Mid-East tours. He’s an army Ranger aka a proven tough guy with wilderness skills. He can face almost anything….except maybe his high school sweetheart who dumped him and married his buddy while he was off fighting for his country. Oh and then there’s his Elvis and Jesus obsessed mom and his drug addled younger sister. Other than that he’s primed for a lovely home visit but as he travels from Fort Benning to the Oxford, Mississippi area he comes within inches of running down a pregnant teen who’s dazedly wandering the back roads in search of her baby daddy. And our hero is still not home yet! He’s not surprised that his mom and sister have skipped the funeral but the town’s leaders, the three wise men, are there. They have a few drinks, toast the dearly departed, and swap war stories.
Then the action really picks up. Supposedly his uncle who was the (drunken) Sheriff committed suicide. Quinn doesn’t buy it. As he starts to investigate he reunites with various friends and enemies from his past (and it’s not always clear who falls into which category) he finds a hornet's nest of political and financial rivalries, prostitution, racism, religion and downright orneriness. Atkins does a swell job of bringing these folks to life especially against the backdrop of an isolated southern town that could almost be a throwback to the 1800’s. From the first conversation you can almost taste the south. My only issue with Mr. Atkins is that he never once mentions home time Oxfordian William Faulkner. This is a great first installment in what promises to be a fun series.
Quinn Colson returns home for his Idealized uncle’s funeral after six years absence and 10 years worth of Mid-East tours. He’s an army Ranger aka a proven tough guy with wilderness skills. He can face almost anything….except maybe his high school sweetheart who dumped him and married his buddy while he was off fighting for his country. Oh and then there’s his Elvis and Jesus obsessed mom and his drug addled younger sister. Other than that he’s primed for a lovely home visit but as he travels from Fort Benning to the Oxford, Mississippi area he comes within inches of running down a pregnant teen who’s dazedly wandering the back roads in search of her baby daddy. And our hero is still not home yet! He’s not surprised that his mom and sister have skipped the funeral but the town’s leaders, the three wise men, are there. They have a few drinks, toast the dearly departed, and swap war stories.
Then the action really picks up. Supposedly his uncle who was the (drunken) Sheriff committed suicide. Quinn doesn’t buy it. As he starts to investigate he reunites with various friends and enemies from his past (and it’s not always clear who falls into which category) he finds a hornet's nest of political and financial rivalries, prostitution, racism, religion and downright orneriness. Atkins does a swell job of bringing these folks to life especially against the backdrop of an isolated southern town that could almost be a throwback to the 1800’s. From the first conversation you can almost taste the south. My only issue with Mr. Atkins is that he never once mentions home time Oxfordian William Faulkner. This is a great first installment in what promises to be a fun series.
March 24, 2013
Being a steadfast fan of the wonderful Ace Atkins for many years, I always relish a new book from this gifted and compelling crime writer. I am pleased to report that ‘The Ranger’ does not disappoint and, in my ever so humble opinion, marks the start of what I believe will be a superlative series featuring Quinn Colson, a man who would be more than capable of giving Jack Reacher a good old run for his money!
When the book opens Colson has returned from Afghanistan and is at a crossroads in his Army career, so along with attending his uncle’s funeral is using the time back home to reassess his future career. It becomes evident that there is a lot more to his uncle’s apparent suicide, drawing Colson into the crosshairs of a community with more than one secret lurking beneath the surface. What Atkins does so well is draw together aspects of Colson’s upbringing within this community, and how the loyalties of the past must inevitably fall by the wayside in his search for the truth. Colson’s immediate family is put under the microscope what with the reckless and selfish actions of his errant sister, and the gradual unveiling of his uncle’s troubles with the most powerful members of this community. This is world of trailer parks and meth labs, and another reviewer tags this book as ‘redneck noir’. Entering into the fray are a small violent band of typical backwoods criminals, highly reminiscent of the criminal fraternity in ‘Justified’, who also have Colson in their sights, but it soon becomes clear that the last thing you should do is underestimate this tough and uncompromising soldier. The plot is gripping and action packed throughout and although largely unsentimental in tone is, at times, punctuated with some more emotional scenes as Colson uncovers betrayal from some unexpected quarters, which adds a good balance to the overall story arc. It isn’t just simply a thriller as you will discover for yourselves…
The characterisation is absolutely pitch perfect as Colson is an archetypal tough guy who through his Army training is well-honed and resourceful in his defence of those he seeks to protect, and is no stranger to physical violence. He exudes an air of morality and is not adverse to expressing his finer feelings, and with this combination of traits makes him an extremely attractive character to male and female readers alike. He is supported by a perfectly drawn cast of characters from his brilliant sidekick Boom, to local deputy Lillie Virgil and the rapport and interaction between these three in particular engages throughout. Likewise, Atkins surrounds them with a cast of typical Mississippi folk, no strangers to violence, but also just trying to get along the best they can. The baddies are great- inbred and for the most part stupid- and whenever they enter the story I heard a distant echo of duelling banjos as they are continually thwarted by Colson’s actions and his dogged determination to bring them to book. The dialogue is taut and slick, with many an interaction suffused with the natural sassy wit of this region’s inhabitants, and the natural intonation of the South sings from every page.
As I made reference to at the beginning, ‘The Ranger’ marks the start of a series and I’ve heard from other bloggers that the second in the series, ‘The Lost Ones’ is even better than the first. Yes, there is much to be recommended here for fans of the earlier books of Lee Child, but for my money, Atkins outreaches Reacher (sorry couldn’t resist) with his superior grasp of character and location. Also once you discover Atkins, there is another world of adventure in store for you with his eclectic back catalogue, mainly set in the South, a combination of the fictional and at times cleverly drawing on the factual, but all imbued with the assured hand of one of the best crime writers you will encounter.
When the book opens Colson has returned from Afghanistan and is at a crossroads in his Army career, so along with attending his uncle’s funeral is using the time back home to reassess his future career. It becomes evident that there is a lot more to his uncle’s apparent suicide, drawing Colson into the crosshairs of a community with more than one secret lurking beneath the surface. What Atkins does so well is draw together aspects of Colson’s upbringing within this community, and how the loyalties of the past must inevitably fall by the wayside in his search for the truth. Colson’s immediate family is put under the microscope what with the reckless and selfish actions of his errant sister, and the gradual unveiling of his uncle’s troubles with the most powerful members of this community. This is world of trailer parks and meth labs, and another reviewer tags this book as ‘redneck noir’. Entering into the fray are a small violent band of typical backwoods criminals, highly reminiscent of the criminal fraternity in ‘Justified’, who also have Colson in their sights, but it soon becomes clear that the last thing you should do is underestimate this tough and uncompromising soldier. The plot is gripping and action packed throughout and although largely unsentimental in tone is, at times, punctuated with some more emotional scenes as Colson uncovers betrayal from some unexpected quarters, which adds a good balance to the overall story arc. It isn’t just simply a thriller as you will discover for yourselves…
The characterisation is absolutely pitch perfect as Colson is an archetypal tough guy who through his Army training is well-honed and resourceful in his defence of those he seeks to protect, and is no stranger to physical violence. He exudes an air of morality and is not adverse to expressing his finer feelings, and with this combination of traits makes him an extremely attractive character to male and female readers alike. He is supported by a perfectly drawn cast of characters from his brilliant sidekick Boom, to local deputy Lillie Virgil and the rapport and interaction between these three in particular engages throughout. Likewise, Atkins surrounds them with a cast of typical Mississippi folk, no strangers to violence, but also just trying to get along the best they can. The baddies are great- inbred and for the most part stupid- and whenever they enter the story I heard a distant echo of duelling banjos as they are continually thwarted by Colson’s actions and his dogged determination to bring them to book. The dialogue is taut and slick, with many an interaction suffused with the natural sassy wit of this region’s inhabitants, and the natural intonation of the South sings from every page.
As I made reference to at the beginning, ‘The Ranger’ marks the start of a series and I’ve heard from other bloggers that the second in the series, ‘The Lost Ones’ is even better than the first. Yes, there is much to be recommended here for fans of the earlier books of Lee Child, but for my money, Atkins outreaches Reacher (sorry couldn’t resist) with his superior grasp of character and location. Also once you discover Atkins, there is another world of adventure in store for you with his eclectic back catalogue, mainly set in the South, a combination of the fictional and at times cleverly drawing on the factual, but all imbued with the assured hand of one of the best crime writers you will encounter.
October 1, 2016
3.5 stars. This plot has been done again and again. Hellraiser from a dysfunctional Southern family, goes into the military, straightens out, comes back to find problems in his hometown that need to be cleaned up, calls on old friends to help, takes some lumps, and survives chaos. Meth, gambling, prostitution, town development, corrupt judges and cops, questionable suicide, etc. That said, Atkins does it pretty well, develops some strong characters: protagonist Quinn Colson, his friend Boom, sleazy criminals, a young pregnant girl seeking the baby's father, a misguided boy who becomes her protector, a female sheriff. Will definitely continue the series.
December 16, 2017
My first instinct was to rate it 2 stars (it was ok) but that wouldn't be fair. The story is pretty good, I just don't care for the author's writing style. I found his way of structuring sentences confusing, and had to do a bit of backtracking a number of times.
May 28, 2013
Received from Goodreads first reads giveaway.
This is the first book I have read written by Ace Atkins and it will not be my last. Army Ranger Quinn Colson comes home to attend his Uncle's funeral. He quickly learns that not everything is at it seems. Greed, corruption, violence and drugs have taken over the town. Not believing that his Uncle's death was a suicide, Quinn makes it his mission to get to the bottom of things.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing and characters were compelling. The book kept my interest until the very end. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
This is the first book I have read written by Ace Atkins and it will not be my last. Army Ranger Quinn Colson comes home to attend his Uncle's funeral. He quickly learns that not everything is at it seems. Greed, corruption, violence and drugs have taken over the town. Not believing that his Uncle's death was a suicide, Quinn makes it his mission to get to the bottom of things.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing and characters were compelling. The book kept my interest until the very end. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
February 5, 2018
I wasn't familiar with the author until I heard him on John Grisham's podcast. It sounded like he writes just the kind of fiction I like to read, and I selected this as my first Ace Atkins book to read. And I loved it. Fast enough paced that I didn't lose interest and detailed enough I could imagine the people and places. Plus an interesting story that wasn't a cookie-cutter mystery/action story. I've already purchased the next book in the Quinn Colson series and it's near the top of my TBR list.
June 28, 2024
A decent thriller. Quinn Colson, a serving Army Ranger heads home on leave to deal with his uncle's funeral. He finds the town deep in corruption.
It was well written enough that while it didn't wow me l did see enough to give the second book a go.
It was well written enough that while it didn't wow me l did see enough to give the second book a go.
December 9, 2024
Interesting and has hooked me into listening to the 2nd book on audio...
May 29, 2018
First in the Quinn Colson thriller series and revolving around an Army Ranger home on leave for the first time in ten years.
In 2012, The Ranger was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.
My Take
This is a dang depressing story, what with the betrayals and poor lives of almost everyone, although Atkins has created some interesting characters.
That Anna Lee and her reactions to Quinn are almost as conflicting as Johnny Stagg’s persona. I don’t think Atkins could quite decide how to play him. Oh, he’s a scumbag all right, but then there’s that twist at the end that simply doesn’t make sense. As for Hamp...dang, it's hard to reconcile his reality with the incredible man Quinn remembers. As for Mom...oh, yeah baby, I do like a woman who sticks up for what's right! Although, I am curious as to how Quinn’s mom pays her bills. As for Deputy Lillie Virgil, her, I love! She's doing what she believes is right and doesn't back down, from anything, lol. Oh jeez, I almost forgot Boom! I LOVE that man. He will always have your back!!
It's a third person point-of-view from Quinn’s perspective, which makes it easy for Atkins to provide a back history on the town through his memories, to set up the betrayals, to get an idea of Quinn's character and his principles, and man, is this boy ever conflicted. We know what he'll decide, but Atkins is doing a great job of keeping me guessing and hoping.
I am definitely confused about that “deal” Hamp had with Stagg, and it never does get cleared up for me. There were also a few interesting bits of foreshadowing. I’m thinking of that frontage road, of Campo's and Stagg's plans for the future, if Caddy really does step up, and how the people in town will react to the changes.
The primary storyline is Quinn investigating his uncle’s “suicide”, discovering the mess of corruption lying everywhere with meth at the heart of it. A secondary story that adds some human interest (and gets us into the main meth production facility) is Lena looking for the father of her baby.
Corruption isn't the only mess, as it seems Quinn has quite the, um, reputation for stirring things up. I'm looking forward to The Lost Ones , if only for all that heroic action.
The Story
It’s a shocker when Quinn comes home for his uncle’s funeral. There’s almost nothing recognizable about the place, trashed to hell-and-gone and logged out. Forests full of good hunting, just gone.
Worse, everywhere he looks (and the longer he looks), the more corruption he finds amongst people he thought were friends. It's no wonder Quinn hasn't been home for the past ten years.
Well, Quinn isn't a Ranger for nothing, and he'll go AWOL before he leaves his family and home struggling with the graft and violence.
The Characters
Platoon Sergeant Quinn Colson is on leave from his Army Ranger platoon where he’s based at Fort Benning. Jean Colson is Mom, and she’s looking after Caddy’s mixed-race son, Jason, and the reason she fought with Hamp. Caddy is the sister who ran off, drugging, working a pole at Dixie Belles these days. His daddy, Jason Colson, had been a stunt man who worked a number of Hollywood movies. Jerry Colson is Jason’s middle brother who makes a good living as a long-haul driver. Van Colson is the ne'er-do-well youngest.
Boom Kimbrough is an old friend who lost an arm in Iraq and now has issues. He’d been coaching football at the high school before he got sent over.
Jericho, Tibbehah County, Mississippi
Hampton Beckett, Quinn’s uncle and Jean’s brother, had been the sheriff and had served in Korea. Hondo is his uncle’s dog. Mary is the waitress from the Fillin’ Station diner whom Hamp had been seeing.
The Tibbehah County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Lillie Virgil is zealous about investigating. Wesley Ruth is acting sheriff and another old friend of Quinn’s. He wife, Meg, left him. Other deputies include Leonard McMinn and George. Mae is the night dispatcher. Chuck Tuttle is the fire marshal.
Dr. Luke Stevens is an old friend who married the girl, Anna Lee Amsden, who ditched Quinn. Purvis Reeves is the judge. The Southern Star is the first bar to set up in the formerly dry Jericho. Sam Bishop has been the keeper of land records for the county for over thirty years.
The Three Wise Men — Mr. Jim (Third Army); Judge Blanton (he saw action in Korea as a Marine and had mentored Hamp); and, Luther Varner, the owner of Varner’s Quick Mart and a sharpshooting Marine from Vietnam days — frequently meet up to drink coffee and bourbon. Javier owns the El Dorado Mexican Restaurant.
Johnny Stagg is the poster child for white trash who crawled their way up. He’s everywhere: on the board of supervisors, the hospital board, and is promising to redevelop Jericho. He owns a titty bar called the Booby Trap. Brother Davis is a shill of a pastor. Mr. Lamar is an expensive attorney from Memphis. Bobby Campo is the big dog in Memphis with lots of money and influence who’s been in and out of prison.
Mr Daniels’ land is where…
…a gang led by Gowrie is running meth, Gowrie preaches about white pride and needing to train for the end times. Daddy Gowrie is a pervert and not too bright. Jessup, Tim “Hogzilla”, and Jody, a.k.a., Charley Booth, are some of his “boys”. Pete “Ditto” Francis is a nice kid who just wants to survive.
Lena is sixteen, pregnant, and looking for Jody. Jill “Jasmine” Bullard has a daughter, Beccalynn, and is the Reverend Bullard’s daughter. She and Kayla are young hookers working the truck stop. Connie Price is Jett’s mother. Jett had been friends with Keith Shackleford, both into drinking and drugs. Latecia Young had been Keith’s girlfriend for a short while, and now she’s working hard. Peanut is a friend of Latecia’s. Miss Williams is a cashier at a grocery store; she used to change Quinn’s diapers. Betty Jo “Miz Mize” Mize is the owner, publisher, managing editor, and lead reporter for the Tibbehah County Monitor and has a love for dirty jokes. Ruth Ann’s is a favorite diner at Fort Benning.
The Cover and Title
The cover is silhouettes in deep brown against an explosive yellow sky, deep orange fragments bursting out in a spray. Quinn stands with his back to us, looking on at the havoc he’s caused. An info blurb in white outlined in black is at the very top. Below that is the author’s name in a Deco-style font in deep brown with a yellow outline. At the bottom is the title in the same sky yellow with the series information below that in white.
The title is the protagonist, The Ranger.
In 2012, The Ranger was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.
My Take
This is a dang depressing story, what with the betrayals and poor lives of almost everyone, although Atkins has created some interesting characters.
That Anna Lee and her reactions to Quinn are almost as conflicting as Johnny Stagg’s persona. I don’t think Atkins could quite decide how to play him. Oh, he’s a scumbag all right, but then there’s that twist at the end that simply doesn’t make sense. As for Hamp...dang, it's hard to reconcile his reality with the incredible man Quinn remembers. As for Mom...oh, yeah baby, I do like a woman who sticks up for what's right! Although, I am curious as to how Quinn’s mom pays her bills. As for Deputy Lillie Virgil, her, I love! She's doing what she believes is right and doesn't back down, from anything, lol. Oh jeez, I almost forgot Boom! I LOVE that man. He will always have your back!!
It's a third person point-of-view from Quinn’s perspective, which makes it easy for Atkins to provide a back history on the town through his memories, to set up the betrayals, to get an idea of Quinn's character and his principles, and man, is this boy ever conflicted. We know what he'll decide, but Atkins is doing a great job of keeping me guessing and hoping.
I am definitely confused about that “deal” Hamp had with Stagg, and it never does get cleared up for me. There were also a few interesting bits of foreshadowing. I’m thinking of that frontage road, of Campo's and Stagg's plans for the future, if Caddy really does step up, and how the people in town will react to the changes.
The primary storyline is Quinn investigating his uncle’s “suicide”, discovering the mess of corruption lying everywhere with meth at the heart of it. A secondary story that adds some human interest (and gets us into the main meth production facility) is Lena looking for the father of her baby.
Corruption isn't the only mess, as it seems Quinn has quite the, um, reputation for stirring things up. I'm looking forward to The Lost Ones , if only for all that heroic action.
The Story
It’s a shocker when Quinn comes home for his uncle’s funeral. There’s almost nothing recognizable about the place, trashed to hell-and-gone and logged out. Forests full of good hunting, just gone.
Worse, everywhere he looks (and the longer he looks), the more corruption he finds amongst people he thought were friends. It's no wonder Quinn hasn't been home for the past ten years.
Well, Quinn isn't a Ranger for nothing, and he'll go AWOL before he leaves his family and home struggling with the graft and violence.
The Characters
Platoon Sergeant Quinn Colson is on leave from his Army Ranger platoon where he’s based at Fort Benning. Jean Colson is Mom, and she’s looking after Caddy’s mixed-race son, Jason, and the reason she fought with Hamp. Caddy is the sister who ran off, drugging, working a pole at Dixie Belles these days. His daddy, Jason Colson, had been a stunt man who worked a number of Hollywood movies. Jerry Colson is Jason’s middle brother who makes a good living as a long-haul driver. Van Colson is the ne'er-do-well youngest.
Boom Kimbrough is an old friend who lost an arm in Iraq and now has issues. He’d been coaching football at the high school before he got sent over.
Jericho, Tibbehah County, Mississippi
Hampton Beckett, Quinn’s uncle and Jean’s brother, had been the sheriff and had served in Korea. Hondo is his uncle’s dog. Mary is the waitress from the Fillin’ Station diner whom Hamp had been seeing.
The Tibbehah County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Lillie Virgil is zealous about investigating. Wesley Ruth is acting sheriff and another old friend of Quinn’s. He wife, Meg, left him. Other deputies include Leonard McMinn and George. Mae is the night dispatcher. Chuck Tuttle is the fire marshal.
Dr. Luke Stevens is an old friend who married the girl, Anna Lee Amsden, who ditched Quinn. Purvis Reeves is the judge. The Southern Star is the first bar to set up in the formerly dry Jericho. Sam Bishop has been the keeper of land records for the county for over thirty years.
The Three Wise Men — Mr. Jim (Third Army); Judge Blanton (he saw action in Korea as a Marine and had mentored Hamp); and, Luther Varner, the owner of Varner’s Quick Mart and a sharpshooting Marine from Vietnam days — frequently meet up to drink coffee and bourbon. Javier owns the El Dorado Mexican Restaurant.
Johnny Stagg is the poster child for white trash who crawled their way up. He’s everywhere: on the board of supervisors, the hospital board, and is promising to redevelop Jericho. He owns a titty bar called the Booby Trap. Brother Davis is a shill of a pastor. Mr. Lamar is an expensive attorney from Memphis. Bobby Campo is the big dog in Memphis with lots of money and influence who’s been in and out of prison.
Mr Daniels’ land is where…
…a gang led by Gowrie is running meth, Gowrie preaches about white pride and needing to train for the end times. Daddy Gowrie is a pervert and not too bright. Jessup, Tim “Hogzilla”, and Jody, a.k.a., Charley Booth, are some of his “boys”. Pete “Ditto” Francis is a nice kid who just wants to survive.
Lena is sixteen, pregnant, and looking for Jody. Jill “Jasmine” Bullard has a daughter, Beccalynn, and is the Reverend Bullard’s daughter. She and Kayla are young hookers working the truck stop. Connie Price is Jett’s mother. Jett had been friends with Keith Shackleford, both into drinking and drugs. Latecia Young had been Keith’s girlfriend for a short while, and now she’s working hard. Peanut is a friend of Latecia’s. Miss Williams is a cashier at a grocery store; she used to change Quinn’s diapers. Betty Jo “Miz Mize” Mize is the owner, publisher, managing editor, and lead reporter for the Tibbehah County Monitor and has a love for dirty jokes. Ruth Ann’s is a favorite diner at Fort Benning.
The Cover and Title
The cover is silhouettes in deep brown against an explosive yellow sky, deep orange fragments bursting out in a spray. Quinn stands with his back to us, looking on at the havoc he’s caused. An info blurb in white outlined in black is at the very top. Below that is the author’s name in a Deco-style font in deep brown with a yellow outline. At the bottom is the title in the same sky yellow with the series information below that in white.
The title is the protagonist, The Ranger.
September 7, 2017
The Ranger is over 300 pages of shady politicians, a suspicious land deal, Neo-Nazi meth dealers, and a gutsy pregnant girl. Ennui settles in around page 40. In fact, it is only the location – rural Mississippi during the cold winter months – that provides any sense of difference as even the title character, Ranger Quinn Colson, doesn’t do much other than brood silently, brag soundly, and eat a fair share of eggs and ham. And if anything, that is exactly what The Ranger needed more of: ham with a healthy side of cheese. Instead, all we get is dry toast.
Ace Atkins provides his natural take on the surroundings, the environment, the establishment of characters, yet he doesn’t get any deeper than that. Colson is the typical silent type who is wound so tightly he is incapable of any action that doesn’t come by way of orders from some CO while out on patrol in Nowheresistan. His lone friend is a Stand By Me good ole boy who doesn’t get any characterization outside of his initial introduction. The villains are predictable. The backstabbing inevitable. Even the high noon showdown is wrapped up in a scant two or three pages with the cavalry’s arrival feeling more Appaloosa-slow than some needed over-the-top-ness ala The A-Team.
The hillbilly/redneck justice genre can be a real hootnanny. Shoot, even good old-fashioned western-style revenge tales get the blood a’flowin’ and the pages a’turnin’. The Ranger is a series of stop-and-starts, of teases and foundation laying. The good boy grimaces and bad guy postulating within has all the uniformity of Barry Manilow when what you really want is the spontaneity of James Brown. Or the A-Team.
Ace Atkins provides his natural take on the surroundings, the environment, the establishment of characters, yet he doesn’t get any deeper than that. Colson is the typical silent type who is wound so tightly he is incapable of any action that doesn’t come by way of orders from some CO while out on patrol in Nowheresistan. His lone friend is a Stand By Me good ole boy who doesn’t get any characterization outside of his initial introduction. The villains are predictable. The backstabbing inevitable. Even the high noon showdown is wrapped up in a scant two or three pages with the cavalry’s arrival feeling more Appaloosa-slow than some needed over-the-top-ness ala The A-Team.
The hillbilly/redneck justice genre can be a real hootnanny. Shoot, even good old-fashioned western-style revenge tales get the blood a’flowin’ and the pages a’turnin’. The Ranger is a series of stop-and-starts, of teases and foundation laying. The good boy grimaces and bad guy postulating within has all the uniformity of Barry Manilow when what you really want is the spontaneity of James Brown. Or the A-Team.
May 14, 2011
Crooked politicians, dishonest developers and everyone on the take made dealing with Meth labs set up around the county extra risky. Who on the local police force can he trust or count on? This is a great story of the strong, quiet, tough Ranger going against a rigged deck. The drug heads and cookers don't count on the resourcefulness of a professional soldier when they tried pushing him, his family and friends too hard. If you like a book busting at the seams with suspense and moment to moment action, this is a book you should rush to own. I was unable to sit it down and finished it in a marathon day even though it is a full 334 pages with little white space. Really a captivation read with characters that describe life in the south from southern gentlemen to poor white trash and all levels between. If you have spent any time living in the south, these are characters that you will readily identify and enjoy sharing some of your life with. Make space on your shelves, this is an important book and author.
September 21, 2013
Okay, we're not supposed to say the characters are "like friends" and places "feel like home" because it's corny or sentimental or some other thing we're supposed to avoid. I DON'T CARE: when reading a book is such easy pleasure and the people in it really are like family, or at least your high school buddies, that is all you need. In this, an Army Ranger, Quinn Colson, finds how abysmally true "you can't go home again," really is. Back in rural northwest Mississippi to attend his uncle's funeral, Quinn will not leave things well enough alone and naturally stirs up much more than he or anyone else thinks possible. Everything about this--plot, dialogue, pacing, you name it--feels right. As just one example, I don't think any character ever utters a single line that you would call stating the obvious. Everything rings exactly true. I sincerely hope this new series keeps going just this way.
May 10, 2015
This book is a firecracker to the eyeball! Love the hero, love the setting, never read a book like it before (the grease! Ham and biscuits, trailers, chaw, possibly crooked lawmen, no teeth, buzz cuts, big old tattoos, Elvis, truck stops, jail time for hitting stuff with sledgehammers, IT IS ALL THERE).
I would give it 4.5 stars but I found the potential romantic interest to be rather dull. Could have been slightly more fighting. Still, fun.
I would give it 4.5 stars but I found the potential romantic interest to be rather dull. Could have been slightly more fighting. Still, fun.
July 7, 2021
Someone on Goodreads recommended this book to me and I am so glad they did! It is the story of Quinn Colson formerly of Jericho, Mississippi in Tibbehah County. Quinn is an Army Ranger who hasn’t been home in six years. His father, a Hollywood stunt man, left when Quinn was twelve, his mother is a certified Elvis freak, and his younger sister is addicted to drugs with a two-year-old son. Just your usual small hick town family issues.
Quinn has come home to attend the funeral of his uncle Hamp, the county sheriff. Upon arriving he finds the town in disarray, full of crime, corruption, drug dealers, and a slimy opportunist trying to steal his uncle’s property. He also learns that his uncle committed suicide, something Quinn refuses to believe. With the help of an old friend, Lillie Virgil, who is now a deputy sheriff, this Army Ranger begins stirring up trouble, trouble that he is ready and willing to resolve any way it takes.
I enjoyed this book so much that as soon as I was done, I was off to the second book in the series. There are eleven books in the series so I may have some serious reading to do soon. I gave this book four stars.
Quinn has come home to attend the funeral of his uncle Hamp, the county sheriff. Upon arriving he finds the town in disarray, full of crime, corruption, drug dealers, and a slimy opportunist trying to steal his uncle’s property. He also learns that his uncle committed suicide, something Quinn refuses to believe. With the help of an old friend, Lillie Virgil, who is now a deputy sheriff, this Army Ranger begins stirring up trouble, trouble that he is ready and willing to resolve any way it takes.
I enjoyed this book so much that as soon as I was done, I was off to the second book in the series. There are eleven books in the series so I may have some serious reading to do soon. I gave this book four stars.
May 22, 2018
First rate Southern-fried crime writing from an under-rated master of the genre. I'll definitely be reading the rest in the series...
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