Kudzu: A Quinn Colson Short Story

by Ace Atkins

"The Deep South’s true detective" - Men’s Journal

"Ace Atkins is the Southern Noir King" - Lisa Unger, the New York Times bestselling author of THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B

For the first time in print, a new short story in the award-winning, bestselling Quinn Colson series.

Dontell Briggs was a quiet man, a respectable figure in Tibbehah County, Mississippi, working as a janitor at the local high school. But when bulldozers threaten his dilapidated house and family land – a calculated move to make him sell – he picks up a rifle to protect his property.

Sheriff Quinn Colson, a former U.S. Army Ranger turned Southern lawman, respects Briggs and recognizes the county’s corrupt power structure he’s facing. Skinner, a long hated and despised county supervisor in particular, wants to see Briggs arrested and taken off his own land.

Quinn has less than twenty-four hours to understand the tangled mystery that lies within the kudzu-covered Briggs property and to save Briggs from himself. He promises to kill anyone who steps foot on his land. That includes the sheriff.

An exciting return to Tibbehah County from the undisputed master of Southern Noir, Ace Atkins

20 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2025

About the author

Ace 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.

Reviews

[Abibliofob]

It's been a long time since I last went to Tibbehah county. Even though Kudzu is a short story it's always great to meet up with Quinn Colson. Ace Atkins is one of my favorite authors and he will not let you down when it comes to telling a story.

[Ricki]

It's been 4 years since the last Quinn Colson book and this 20 page super short nothing of a story didn't satisfy. Local county supervisor -Skinner & a developer are after some land a local owns which is beyond dilapidated and which he refuses to clean up. Enter Quinn who attempts to broker a truce, get it done without both sides upset.

Didn't find it "exciting" as stated in the synopsis. Two stars only because it was a Quinn story!

[Fran Burdsall]

You can always spot a talented professional writer because within a couple of paragraphs, you are there... sucked into the story and turning the pages. The only disappointment in this novella was that it was only 20 pages. I would have stayed for 2000.

[Brian]

That's a Short Story

Ace does it again. Short and to the point, bare bones really. It tells the whole story in as few words as possible. Can we have more of these please.

[Jeff Mincy]

Not much to it, but it is a short story.

[JonnyThumper]

Skip - this reads as a phoned in effort. I picked it up and put it down (obviously)…that’s deadly for such a short bit of writing.
I’m a fan of Ace and his work, so I struggled to leave this review.