When a pair of dismembered corpses are discovered in sleepy Bradford, Tennessee, the county’s outgoing sheriff Craig Connor launches the first and last murder investigation of his ill-fated career. A series of alarming clues quickly points the morally bankrupt lawman in the direction of a violent neo-Confederate organization known as The Southern Liberation Front. Led by charismatic radical Thomas Marshall, the SLF is preparing to stage a brazen act of domestic terrorism as part of their goal to re-establish a sovereign Dixie Nation. Desperate to save the lives of thousands and potentially prevent the country he loves from being torn apart, Sheriff Connor quickly resorts to extreme and dangerous measures in order to track down Marshall’s militia before they’re able to execute their chilling plan.
My first read by this author, but certainly not my last. This was a thrilling, fast-paced story from the first page to the last. I'm looking forward to reading more from Riley. Highly recommended!
On the positive side, it read well and kept my interest. Everything was straight forward. No unnecessary sidetracks. Short chapters, each focused on one element in the story. In each chapter there was a reminder of who the current character is. In someway it reminded me of Russell W. Johnson’s “Moonshine Messiah”, which was recommended by Longmire creator Craig Johnson. On the negative side, the story is totally contrived. The bad guys cold bloodily killing not only innocent civilians but their own members. The group has supposedly infiltrated the highest levels of goverment including departments like the FBI. Everywhere sheriff Connor went, there was a SLF stooge squealing to the SLF leader General Marshall. The good guys drop like flies. And the ending? Just horrible.