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Bad Axe County #4
Bad Day Breaking
Wild Wild Country and Longmire meet in the latest in the “gritty, brash, and totally gripping” ( The Real Book Spy ) Bad Axe County series, as Sheriff Heidi Kick struggles to prevent a radical religious sect from turning her county into the next Jonestown, all while a dark secret from her past puts her life in danger.
A strange religious sect has arrived in Bad Axe County, Wisconsin. Armed with guns, an enigmatic spiritual leader and his followers set up their compound in an abandoned storage lot. It’s not long before rumors start to spread of sadistic rituals and a planned takeover of the local government. But when one of the followers is found dead in the river, that’s when full-on panic sets in.
Sheriff Heidi Kick may not be a fan of the new group, but she is also dismayed by the hostile reaction of the Bad Axe community. With a murder investigation on her hands, the situation becomes more complicated when Sheriff Kick finds out an ex-boyfriend from her youth is out on parole early and looking to hunt her down. With a tumultuous snowstorm on the horizon, the cult members are on the verge of freezing, Bad Axe is on the edge of violence, and Sheriff Kick is just one false step away from losing her family, her town, and her very life.
By a writer at the height of his powers, Bad Day Breaking is a thrilling mystery that explores the price paid for following false leaders and the power we each have to triumph over trauma.
A strange religious sect has arrived in Bad Axe County, Wisconsin. Armed with guns, an enigmatic spiritual leader and his followers set up their compound in an abandoned storage lot. It’s not long before rumors start to spread of sadistic rituals and a planned takeover of the local government. But when one of the followers is found dead in the river, that’s when full-on panic sets in.
Sheriff Heidi Kick may not be a fan of the new group, but she is also dismayed by the hostile reaction of the Bad Axe community. With a murder investigation on her hands, the situation becomes more complicated when Sheriff Kick finds out an ex-boyfriend from her youth is out on parole early and looking to hunt her down. With a tumultuous snowstorm on the horizon, the cult members are on the verge of freezing, Bad Axe is on the edge of violence, and Sheriff Kick is just one false step away from losing her family, her town, and her very life.
By a writer at the height of his powers, Bad Day Breaking is a thrilling mystery that explores the price paid for following false leaders and the power we each have to triumph over trauma.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2022
48 people are currently reading
3559 people want to read
About the author
John Galligan
16 books113 followersJohn Galligan,in addition to being a novelist and teacher, John has worked as a newspaper journalist, feature-film screenwriter, house painter, au pair, ESL teacher, cab driver, and freezer boy in a salmon cannery. He currently teaches writing at Madison Area Technical College, where his experience is enriched by students from every corner of the local and world community.
Series:
* Fly Fishing Mystery
Series:
* Fly Fishing Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 25, 2022
Heidi Kick is a former drug-addicted alcoholic who ran with the wrong crowd. Coming back from her downward spiral following the death of her parents, long sober and on the right side of the law, Heidi is now Sheriff of Bad Axe County. A radical religious sect sets up in a storage facility on an empty lot in Bad Axe. She has no use for this kind of cult-like group on her watch, but she disapproves of the way the people of Bad Axe parade around with banners and threats of “Kill the Cult.” Rumors are spreading, and county residents are terrified that the cult will take over schools and local government, or that another Waco, Texas mass suicide/murder will take place. When one of the cult followers is found dead in the river, the people begin to panic. To top off the situation, an old “boyfriend” of Heidi’s has made parole and is hell-bent on revenge for the twelve years he spent behind bars and the life he believes Heidi stole from him. Add in a horrendous snowstorm, threats of violence, and being chased by the man who wants her dead, Heidi is in grave danger of losing her career, freedom, family, and life.
First of all, I must say the prose is so beautiful in the novel, lyrical, almost poetic, which for a thriller seems an odd thing to say. It’s a captivating story that grabs you and fully immerses you to the very end. The parallels drawn between Bad Axe and Waco are detailed and terrifying, and those who risked their lives to save others involved are exemplary and surprising in many cases. It’s a tale about the dangers of following the wrong people blindly, and also about the strength of those who rise above past mistakes. I am very glad to have been introduced to the Book 4 of Bad Axe County, and only regret that I didn’t join at Book 1. It reads beautifully as a stand-alone novel as well.
I’d like to thank NetGalley, John Galligan, and Atria/Simon & Schuster for the ability to read and review this ARC.
First of all, I must say the prose is so beautiful in the novel, lyrical, almost poetic, which for a thriller seems an odd thing to say. It’s a captivating story that grabs you and fully immerses you to the very end. The parallels drawn between Bad Axe and Waco are detailed and terrifying, and those who risked their lives to save others involved are exemplary and surprising in many cases. It’s a tale about the dangers of following the wrong people blindly, and also about the strength of those who rise above past mistakes. I am very glad to have been introduced to the Book 4 of Bad Axe County, and only regret that I didn’t join at Book 1. It reads beautifully as a stand-alone novel as well.
I’d like to thank NetGalley, John Galligan, and Atria/Simon & Schuster for the ability to read and review this ARC.
February 10, 2022
It is exceedingly clear that Heidi is a better person than I am. While her moral compass does bend, it doesn’t break. I’d…hold back a lot less than she does here.
Galligan brings crime into the heart of Dairy Land and it’s clear that so much rot lies under that wholesome exterior. And I loved, loved, loved the cult aspect! There were definitely some surprises here.
The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was a new character. While an expert in his field, his information on cults seemed more rambling than coherent. While that fit his character, it also served to confuse me more than once…or maybe I was just exhausted.
In any case, I’m fully on board with this series and can’t wait for the next book!
*ARC via Publisher
Galligan brings crime into the heart of Dairy Land and it’s clear that so much rot lies under that wholesome exterior. And I loved, loved, loved the cult aspect! There were definitely some surprises here.
The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was a new character. While an expert in his field, his information on cults seemed more rambling than coherent. While that fit his character, it also served to confuse me more than once…or maybe I was just exhausted.
In any case, I’m fully on board with this series and can’t wait for the next book!
*ARC via Publisher
January 31, 2022
In some places it’s easy to make good choices, and then there’s Bad Axe County, Wisconsin, where Sherriff Heidi Kick has clawed her way out of addiction and onto the right side of the law. Her deputy is likely the one using the office computers to exchange risqué communications with prisoners (the men’s comments, such as “if you have children of your own that is not at all a problem with me,” could be a novel of their own).
The same deputy’s husband is causing Heidi headaches through his leadership of Kill the Cult, a group that gathers to protest a nomadic religious group that’s moved into a local abandoned storage facility. Cults, whether fiction or nonfiction, are always a big draw, but the undercurrent of strength shown by the sheriff, which is complemented by others who find their way to the right decisions when things heat up, is the quiet draw here.
Galligan has created a flawed character to follow in Heidi Kick, who’s at once jaded by her past and her surroundings and ready to spring into action when needed. And boy is she needed. A nonfiction book by an ex-cultmember would be a great companion read to this: try Tara Westover’s Educated.—Henrietta Verma, First Clue
For more reviews of crime fiction, subscribe to First Clue, our free, weekly newsletter: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/First...
The same deputy’s husband is causing Heidi headaches through his leadership of Kill the Cult, a group that gathers to protest a nomadic religious group that’s moved into a local abandoned storage facility. Cults, whether fiction or nonfiction, are always a big draw, but the undercurrent of strength shown by the sheriff, which is complemented by others who find their way to the right decisions when things heat up, is the quiet draw here.
Galligan has created a flawed character to follow in Heidi Kick, who’s at once jaded by her past and her surroundings and ready to spring into action when needed. And boy is she needed. A nonfiction book by an ex-cultmember would be a great companion read to this: try Tara Westover’s Educated.—Henrietta Verma, First Clue
For more reviews of crime fiction, subscribe to First Clue, our free, weekly newsletter: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/First...
July 21, 2022
Creepy cult vibes would have been better and more clear if I would have started with the first three books in this mystery thriller series.
October 1, 2025
2.5/5 (rounding up to be kind)
This was my first blind book. The seller provided a brief description, the genre, and the GoodReads rating. It's definitely not a book I would've picked up on my own but I'm glad I read this and would be open to reading the other books in this series. I was a little bothered that this was the last from the series but from other reviews I saw that it worked as a standalone novel as well. After reading it myself, I agree. The writing is solid and it's a fast-paced read. It just isn't my type of book, unfortunately. I did enjoy it and maybe I would've enjoyed it more/been more invested if I had read the other books first. I do think my mom will really enjoy this book and probably the others so at least there's that!
Also, for whatever it's worth, there are quite a few typos in this. 😅
This was my first blind book. The seller provided a brief description, the genre, and the GoodReads rating. It's definitely not a book I would've picked up on my own but I'm glad I read this and would be open to reading the other books in this series. I was a little bothered that this was the last from the series but from other reviews I saw that it worked as a standalone novel as well. After reading it myself, I agree. The writing is solid and it's a fast-paced read. It just isn't my type of book, unfortunately. I did enjoy it and maybe I would've enjoyed it more/been more invested if I had read the other books first. I do think my mom will really enjoy this book and probably the others so at least there's that!
Also, for whatever it's worth, there are quite a few typos in this. 😅
August 1, 2022
Won this book in a Giveaway, and so glad I did!
Loved, loved, loved this book!
I haven’t read anything else by this author, but I am sure about too.
Very fast pace, lots of action, and some twist and turns.
A nearby cult, and newly released prisoner with some revenge on his mind is what brings this book together. At the center of it all is good old Sheriff Heidi Kick of Bad Axe County. Just trying to enjoy her holiday with family when a blast from the past emerges and she is thrown into a mess years in the making.
Highly recommend!
Loved, loved, loved this book!
I haven’t read anything else by this author, but I am sure about too.
Very fast pace, lots of action, and some twist and turns.
A nearby cult, and newly released prisoner with some revenge on his mind is what brings this book together. At the center of it all is good old Sheriff Heidi Kick of Bad Axe County. Just trying to enjoy her holiday with family when a blast from the past emerges and she is thrown into a mess years in the making.
Highly recommend!
July 8, 2022
No! Say it isn't so! I don't want this to be the end of this series. I think Galligan can get more out of these characters.
The books in this series just get better and better. The Kick family, as always, is front and center in this one. We get to see different sides of them that we have yet to see. I was not disappointed.
I couldn't get enough of this one. Between revenge, the cult, and the never-ending action in this book, I couldn't read it fast enough. On the flip side, I wanted to slow down to savor all the words.
Based on the ending, it seems possible this could be the final book. However, my mind has conjured all kinds of ways it could keep going. I'm keeping my fingers that Heidi and her family.come back for more stories!
The books in this series just get better and better. The Kick family, as always, is front and center in this one. We get to see different sides of them that we have yet to see. I was not disappointed.
I couldn't get enough of this one. Between revenge, the cult, and the never-ending action in this book, I couldn't read it fast enough. On the flip side, I wanted to slow down to savor all the words.
Based on the ending, it seems possible this could be the final book. However, my mind has conjured all kinds of ways it could keep going. I'm keeping my fingers that Heidi and her family.come back for more stories!
September 14, 2022
I really like John Galligan's 'Bad Axe County' series. The fourth book - Bad Day Breaking - has just released.
What do I like about this series?
The protagonist, Sheriff Heidi Kick, has fast become one of my favorite lead characters. When I first 'met' Sherriff Heidi, I couldn't help but think bad a**, as I got to know her. She's tough, smart and determined to keep her town as crime free as possible. And she's a wife and mother to three as well. Now, as much as she wants to erase crime, there are those who are determined to get rid of Sheriff Kick and run things their way. The more things heat up, the cooler Sherriff becomes. On the outside she presents calm and cool, but inside she's paddling hard.
Next up are the plots. Galligan's plotting is fantastic and makes for addictive reading. This time round, there's a cult that has to be evicted. But the formerly quiet group seem to have some new members with different ideas. And....we get to know more of the 'Dairy Queen's' past. There's some darkness there and an old acquaintance is determined to bring it to the light.
I like that we are not just seeing everything from Sheriff Kick's point of view. Instead we get inside looks at what's happening at the cult, from those innocent and those with evil in their hearts. As listeners, we have more information that Heidi does and that just kept me glued to my player.
The ending is not at all what I expected, but is a great way to close this book. This listener will be eagerly awaiting Galligan's next book.
I did choose to listen to Bad Day Breaking. I've said it before and I'll say it again - listening to a book draws me deeper into the book. That is definitely with the Bad Axe books. The reader is Samantha Desz and her voice is perfect for the mental image I've created with the characters, especially Heidi. I've appreciated that she has done all four books. The continuity is important to me with a series. Her speaking voice is measured, calm and has a wonderfully low tone that draws the listener in. The calmness matches the character perfectly. Now that's not to say she doesn't show emotion. She does, but it's contained. Desz captures Galligan's characters and plotting wonderfully. An excellent presentation of an excellent book.
If you're a 'grit-lit' fan, you're going to enjoy this series. You could absolutely read this as a stand alone, but I would start at the beginning with the first book, Bad Axe County.
What do I like about this series?
The protagonist, Sheriff Heidi Kick, has fast become one of my favorite lead characters. When I first 'met' Sherriff Heidi, I couldn't help but think bad a**, as I got to know her. She's tough, smart and determined to keep her town as crime free as possible. And she's a wife and mother to three as well. Now, as much as she wants to erase crime, there are those who are determined to get rid of Sheriff Kick and run things their way. The more things heat up, the cooler Sherriff becomes. On the outside she presents calm and cool, but inside she's paddling hard.
Next up are the plots. Galligan's plotting is fantastic and makes for addictive reading. This time round, there's a cult that has to be evicted. But the formerly quiet group seem to have some new members with different ideas. And....we get to know more of the 'Dairy Queen's' past. There's some darkness there and an old acquaintance is determined to bring it to the light.
I like that we are not just seeing everything from Sheriff Kick's point of view. Instead we get inside looks at what's happening at the cult, from those innocent and those with evil in their hearts. As listeners, we have more information that Heidi does and that just kept me glued to my player.
The ending is not at all what I expected, but is a great way to close this book. This listener will be eagerly awaiting Galligan's next book.
I did choose to listen to Bad Day Breaking. I've said it before and I'll say it again - listening to a book draws me deeper into the book. That is definitely with the Bad Axe books. The reader is Samantha Desz and her voice is perfect for the mental image I've created with the characters, especially Heidi. I've appreciated that she has done all four books. The continuity is important to me with a series. Her speaking voice is measured, calm and has a wonderfully low tone that draws the listener in. The calmness matches the character perfectly. Now that's not to say she doesn't show emotion. She does, but it's contained. Desz captures Galligan's characters and plotting wonderfully. An excellent presentation of an excellent book.
If you're a 'grit-lit' fan, you're going to enjoy this series. You could absolutely read this as a stand alone, but I would start at the beginning with the first book, Bad Axe County.
September 14, 2022
Bad Day Breaking is a dark and gritty tale and is the 4th book in the Bad Axe County series. This is the first book I’ve read from it and aside from intros of the characters, I didn’t feel I needed to read the other books.
Sheriff Heidi White works for Bad Axe County police department. She has her work cut out for her as her drug-addicted alcoholic past has caught up with her. A religious cult, House of Shalah sets up in a storage facility in Bad Axe. An opposing group called Kill the Cult has formed and the groups antagonize each other.
Worried about it becoming another “Waco, Texas” suicide/ murder disaster, Heidi is consistently at odds with her colleagues and residents. When one of the cult followers is found dead, county residents start to panic and making decisions that may cost everyone. Combine that with Heidi’s old “boyfriend” making parole and coming after her because he thinks he’s owed something and you have a relentless cat and mouse game from all parties that exists throughout the book.
Bad Day Breaking is out now. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC.
Sheriff Heidi White works for Bad Axe County police department. She has her work cut out for her as her drug-addicted alcoholic past has caught up with her. A religious cult, House of Shalah sets up in a storage facility in Bad Axe. An opposing group called Kill the Cult has formed and the groups antagonize each other.
Worried about it becoming another “Waco, Texas” suicide/ murder disaster, Heidi is consistently at odds with her colleagues and residents. When one of the cult followers is found dead, county residents start to panic and making decisions that may cost everyone. Combine that with Heidi’s old “boyfriend” making parole and coming after her because he thinks he’s owed something and you have a relentless cat and mouse game from all parties that exists throughout the book.
Bad Day Breaking is out now. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC.
March 17, 2023
Demons come back to haunt Sheriff Heidi Kick as she deals with a cult and vigilantes who want to kill the cult. It all happens over 48 hours around Thanksgiving and she’s determined to avoid a Waco like result in Wisconsin. Lots of close calls for her and when it’s all over the reader is left wondering if the series has ended. Hope not.
January 17, 2023
Suspenseful & twisty.
July 23, 2022
A very exciting story full of twists, bumps and turns, it will keep you racing towards the finish.
January 3, 2023
Bad Day Breaking is one of those murder mysteries where eventually it gets difficult to separate the good from the bad. Sheriff Heidi Kick has come back home and is trying to uphold the law in a town where unfortunately the people around her remember what Heidi was really like before she left. Bad Day Breaking is the fourth book in the Bad Axe series written by prolific author and fly fisherman John Gilligan.
A body is found in a drainage pipe on the waterway by a young girl. Sheriff Heidi Kick discovers that the body has been tortured. The victim is associated with a religious movement that has recently established on a nearby vacant lot. The town’s people hate what they feel is a cult want it gone before it turns into another Waco incident. The press is moving in and it is becoming quite a national event. Heidi is trying to protect the religious movements rights until there is proof of any wrong doing. However, she has to do her job when even the people she works with are fighting against her. Her job becomes even more complicated when a person from her past shows up as a new recruit in the movement and some of the other converts are also recently released convicts. People are disappearing and/or murdered and Heidi is not getting the support of the town Council. She’s starting to feel as though she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time even though she loves the job.
I am not a big fan of the way the characters are developed. The prisoners themselves are extremely violent offenders. Each of them has extremely violent interests. Even the sheriff has a background that shows that she is out of control and this may be affecting the way she’s doing her job. She also seems to have evil people working around her even in the police station. There don’t seem to be any innocents and, in my opinion, this is interfering with the story that seems to be built on violence for the sake of violence.
The novel itself is a very fast paced and moving all of the time to the point where you actually wonder whether or not anyone is going to survive some of the things that you start to discover. The story relies too much on mud and cold and the reputation of the cult. Within the cult some of the characters seem to be doing the right thing but the people that have infiltrated the cult are obviously there for the all the wrong reasons. I not not a big fan of the story because it is horrific and seems to rely on frenetic behaviour of bad people. I find that after a while everything is quite predictable if you assume that they’re all going to do the wrong thing.
In general, I do not recommend this book but it might be interesting for people who are interested in law enforcement. I give it a 2 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book. I provide this review voluntarily.
A body is found in a drainage pipe on the waterway by a young girl. Sheriff Heidi Kick discovers that the body has been tortured. The victim is associated with a religious movement that has recently established on a nearby vacant lot. The town’s people hate what they feel is a cult want it gone before it turns into another Waco incident. The press is moving in and it is becoming quite a national event. Heidi is trying to protect the religious movements rights until there is proof of any wrong doing. However, she has to do her job when even the people she works with are fighting against her. Her job becomes even more complicated when a person from her past shows up as a new recruit in the movement and some of the other converts are also recently released convicts. People are disappearing and/or murdered and Heidi is not getting the support of the town Council. She’s starting to feel as though she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time even though she loves the job.
I am not a big fan of the way the characters are developed. The prisoners themselves are extremely violent offenders. Each of them has extremely violent interests. Even the sheriff has a background that shows that she is out of control and this may be affecting the way she’s doing her job. She also seems to have evil people working around her even in the police station. There don’t seem to be any innocents and, in my opinion, this is interfering with the story that seems to be built on violence for the sake of violence.
The novel itself is a very fast paced and moving all of the time to the point where you actually wonder whether or not anyone is going to survive some of the things that you start to discover. The story relies too much on mud and cold and the reputation of the cult. Within the cult some of the characters seem to be doing the right thing but the people that have infiltrated the cult are obviously there for the all the wrong reasons. I not not a big fan of the story because it is horrific and seems to rely on frenetic behaviour of bad people. I find that after a while everything is quite predictable if you assume that they’re all going to do the wrong thing.
In general, I do not recommend this book but it might be interesting for people who are interested in law enforcement. I give it a 2 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book. I provide this review voluntarily.
March 15, 2024
This mystery is set in the southwest corner of Wisconsin (I lived in WI for 24 years and recognize most of the place names). The book starts and ends with thoughts from a teenage girl who is the Wisconsin Dairy Queen. At the beginning she gets news that her mother and father died as a result of a murder/suicide. The book covers a time when she is the interim sheriff of Bad Axe County several years later. While doing her job, she is trying to investigate what really happened to her parents. This is the second of this author's mystery books that I've read. I like his style and descriptions. Here's one that struck me (this is while she is travelling home after hearing the news about her parents): "A thousand kinds of no and never, across two hundred miles of landscape, and it might be an insane time to think about geography, but what she notices for the first time, is that the coulee region where she comes from is in all ways below the rest of the state. She sees that she is from wilder, from poorer, from lower elevation."
July 26, 2024
"This was the mystery. It always would be. How the world goes on."
Last in the series and probably my favorite. Still gritty and messy. No pretty bow at the end AMD it's all the better for that.
Wild Geese. Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
Last in the series and probably my favorite. Still gritty and messy. No pretty bow at the end AMD it's all the better for that.
Wild Geese. Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
Read
March 11, 2022John Galligan's latest book in the Bad Axe County series is yet another gripping and exciting page-turner that makes it really hard to lay it aside to catch a few hours of sleep. Heidi Kick, the very well painted main protagonist of the book, this time has to deal with a religious cult and those who oppose it, severe problems within her own sheriff department as well as an incredibly evil ghost from the past coming back to haunt her. Galligan's writing style, as always, leads the reader right from the very first directly into the cold and dangerous atmosphere of Bad Axe County and creates goosebumps after goosebumps the more the thrilling plot progresses. Welcome on the list of my favorite authors, John Galligan.
January 1, 2023
Pretty much every chapter involving the main character, Sheriff Heidi Kick, is ridiculous & wildly unrealistic. The buck in the river, the swimming through pig manure...John Galligan was really trying hard to create scenarios and escape routes for the sheriff/houdini of death and I found myself rolling my eyes a whole lot while forcing myself through this novel. Some aspects and characters of the novel are interesting and have a little bit of suspense...but if you are looking for 'eloquent prose' (as bragged about on the cover of this book), I'm afraid it's lacking and does not inspire me to seek out another novel from this author.
September 25, 2022
As much as I loved the first two books in this series, the last two have been struggles. They're unrelentingly dark, and there are very few positive moments to balance out the darkness. I also feel that the plots are becoming increasingly unrealistic and improbable. The ending of this book redeemed it for me, but the beginning and middle were very nearly a DNF. I may be done with this series.
February 27, 2023
Frenetic as a fever dream; nerve wracking to read. And you can kill off mother-in-law Belle any time now. A septuagenarian who behaves like an incorrigible teenager is not the entertainingly quirky character the author seems to think she is. 🙄As much as I’ve enjoyed this series for its Wisconsin setting, it’s become a case of increasingly diminishing returns. I may be done with the Dairy Queen.
December 28, 2022
That is enough of Bad Axe County. The story is chaotic and confusing. Going all over the place. Sheriff needs to go back to police school and learn how to work with other departments and not keep getting caught up with the same bad guy over and over.
September 19, 2022
BAD DAY BREAKING is John Galligan's latest entry in his popular Bad Axe County series. Despite its title, the novel actually covers several really bad days for the local county head of law enforcement, Sheriff Heidi Kick. She is a native of the area, which means that most are aware of her troubled background. But now she's married with children and loves her job, even if the county board in charge of the sheriff's department has saddled her with a deputy sheriff who is at best incompetent and at worst involved in some extremely unsavory business.
As the book opens, that person is manhandling the "prophet," who is leading what locals call a cult. The House of Shalah and their leader, whom they refer to as "father," all live on land they purchased. The prophet and his wife reside in a motor home, while the followers stay in a storage facility on the property, where there is no running water or heat.
It's the day before Thanksgiving, and Heidi is debating whether or not to meet an old friend from her pre-sheriff days. She's worried about the situation with the cult and the townspeople, who formed their own group, "Kill the Cult," headed by none other than the deputy sheriff's husband, a man with anger issues who was fired from a notorious prison for his behavior. Interspersed throughout the chapters are pages of email correspondence from inmates at the local prison to an unidentified individual. We assume this person will play an important role in the story, but we're not sure how.
Through the multiple points of view from which the novel is narrated, we meet Fernanda, a member of the cult. She was married to Roy, who suddenly disappeared, and was then given as a wife to one of the thugs who recently joined the cult. The "prophet" uses women as concubines whenever he wants, and he is not above pedophilia. Heidi is about to experience some of the worst days of her life, and she's not the only one who will be tested and suffer during this time.
Duke Hashimoto, who has retired from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, reflects on the tragedies of Waco. Through his reminiscences, we learn how the government lied about and misrepresented this fiasco. Duke mostly remembers all the children who died and how that horror was covered up. He and Heidi are determined that the House of Shalah will not meet a similar fate.
Heidi's mother-in-law, who has moved in with the family, has problems of her own. She drinks too much and is resentful of Heidi and the fact that they expect her to help with her grandchildren. She has a new gentleman friend, and Galligan makes it clear that we should be wary of this person, whom he keeps mysteriously hidden. Heidi is also worried about her ex-boyfriend and former drug dealer, who went to prison based on her testimony. He's out now, and she's pretty sure that he's looking for payback. We see fairly quickly that he is indeed out for revenge.
What we don't know is how all the seemingly disparate pieces will fit together, and how Heidi will unravel the multiple webs of murder and bad guys in an effort to stop the violence. She's also on the run after making some poor decisions, so the tension is high. I wish Galligan had provided a map of the cult's property and the scenes where other action takes place. It was difficult at times to keep track of where things were, and which people were connected and in what ways.
The conclusion is not surprising but will make readers wonder if and how the series will continue. Galligan’s books wonderfully capture the rural Midwest and manage to encompass the good and the evil. People who genuinely care about others are effectively contrasted with those who are small-minded and provincial. Sure, there is hate in many of these prejudiced individuals, but there are also those who have true kindness in their hearts. In BAD DAY BREAKING, we see more of the former --- truly despicable people who enjoy their cruelty. Do not look for a happy ending here. There is none. Instead, what we get is the simple truth: life goes on.
Reviewed by Pamela Kramer
As the book opens, that person is manhandling the "prophet," who is leading what locals call a cult. The House of Shalah and their leader, whom they refer to as "father," all live on land they purchased. The prophet and his wife reside in a motor home, while the followers stay in a storage facility on the property, where there is no running water or heat.
It's the day before Thanksgiving, and Heidi is debating whether or not to meet an old friend from her pre-sheriff days. She's worried about the situation with the cult and the townspeople, who formed their own group, "Kill the Cult," headed by none other than the deputy sheriff's husband, a man with anger issues who was fired from a notorious prison for his behavior. Interspersed throughout the chapters are pages of email correspondence from inmates at the local prison to an unidentified individual. We assume this person will play an important role in the story, but we're not sure how.
Through the multiple points of view from which the novel is narrated, we meet Fernanda, a member of the cult. She was married to Roy, who suddenly disappeared, and was then given as a wife to one of the thugs who recently joined the cult. The "prophet" uses women as concubines whenever he wants, and he is not above pedophilia. Heidi is about to experience some of the worst days of her life, and she's not the only one who will be tested and suffer during this time.
Duke Hashimoto, who has retired from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, reflects on the tragedies of Waco. Through his reminiscences, we learn how the government lied about and misrepresented this fiasco. Duke mostly remembers all the children who died and how that horror was covered up. He and Heidi are determined that the House of Shalah will not meet a similar fate.
Heidi's mother-in-law, who has moved in with the family, has problems of her own. She drinks too much and is resentful of Heidi and the fact that they expect her to help with her grandchildren. She has a new gentleman friend, and Galligan makes it clear that we should be wary of this person, whom he keeps mysteriously hidden. Heidi is also worried about her ex-boyfriend and former drug dealer, who went to prison based on her testimony. He's out now, and she's pretty sure that he's looking for payback. We see fairly quickly that he is indeed out for revenge.
What we don't know is how all the seemingly disparate pieces will fit together, and how Heidi will unravel the multiple webs of murder and bad guys in an effort to stop the violence. She's also on the run after making some poor decisions, so the tension is high. I wish Galligan had provided a map of the cult's property and the scenes where other action takes place. It was difficult at times to keep track of where things were, and which people were connected and in what ways.
The conclusion is not surprising but will make readers wonder if and how the series will continue. Galligan’s books wonderfully capture the rural Midwest and manage to encompass the good and the evil. People who genuinely care about others are effectively contrasted with those who are small-minded and provincial. Sure, there is hate in many of these prejudiced individuals, but there are also those who have true kindness in their hearts. In BAD DAY BREAKING, we see more of the former --- truly despicable people who enjoy their cruelty. Do not look for a happy ending here. There is none. Instead, what we get is the simple truth: life goes on.
Reviewed by Pamela Kramer
July 29, 2022
John Galligan’s “Bad Day Breaking” is an exceedingly well-written mystery/thriller. Set in rural Wisconsin just as winter is beginning, it is a very dark and gritty tale.
A radical religious group, lead by an aging but strangely charismatic high priest, has come to Bad Axe County and taken up residence in the unheated units of a self-storage facility while its members build community housing. Some of the more violent and xenophobic citizens of Bad Axe County want them gone before they can take over the town and will use violence to make that happen.
Sheriff Heidi Kick wants to prevent that violence. She and former ATF agent Duke Hashimoto also want to prevent the situation from turning into another Jonestown or Waco, a real possibility since cult members have sworn a suicide pact.
Amidst this turmoil, a cult member is found brutally murdered. As Heidi investigates, a man from her troubled teenage past is released from prison. She helped send him there and now he’d like his revenge. That’s if her mutinous deputy doesn’t throw her in the town jail for attempted murder first.
Clearly, there’s a lot going on. But author John Galligan is quite successful at weaving all these disparate strands together to build an exciting plot. His prose is a pleasure to read. Lyric in places, rhythmic in others, it adds immeasurably to his story (much like author James Lee Burke's prose adds to his stories). As does his treatment of the setting, which reminded me a little of works like “Fargo” and “In Cold Blood.” He’s also done a great job creating characters we can root for as well as detest. The novel moves along at a pretty good clip and involves high stakes, especially for Heidi, and lots of tension and danger.
However, the story is very dark. It examines topics which some may find objectionable, including a fair amount of violence (including murder), cult dynamics, the Waco and Jonestown incidents, child pornography and abuse, civil unrest, and mass suicide. And it is reflective, in microcosm, of some of the political tensions and strife we’ve been experiencing in this country over the past several years.
My thanks to Net Galley, author John Galligan, and publisher Atria Books (Simon and Schuster) for providing to me an ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
A radical religious group, lead by an aging but strangely charismatic high priest, has come to Bad Axe County and taken up residence in the unheated units of a self-storage facility while its members build community housing. Some of the more violent and xenophobic citizens of Bad Axe County want them gone before they can take over the town and will use violence to make that happen.
Sheriff Heidi Kick wants to prevent that violence. She and former ATF agent Duke Hashimoto also want to prevent the situation from turning into another Jonestown or Waco, a real possibility since cult members have sworn a suicide pact.
Amidst this turmoil, a cult member is found brutally murdered. As Heidi investigates, a man from her troubled teenage past is released from prison. She helped send him there and now he’d like his revenge. That’s if her mutinous deputy doesn’t throw her in the town jail for attempted murder first.
Clearly, there’s a lot going on. But author John Galligan is quite successful at weaving all these disparate strands together to build an exciting plot. His prose is a pleasure to read. Lyric in places, rhythmic in others, it adds immeasurably to his story (much like author James Lee Burke's prose adds to his stories). As does his treatment of the setting, which reminded me a little of works like “Fargo” and “In Cold Blood.” He’s also done a great job creating characters we can root for as well as detest. The novel moves along at a pretty good clip and involves high stakes, especially for Heidi, and lots of tension and danger.
However, the story is very dark. It examines topics which some may find objectionable, including a fair amount of violence (including murder), cult dynamics, the Waco and Jonestown incidents, child pornography and abuse, civil unrest, and mass suicide. And it is reflective, in microcosm, of some of the political tensions and strife we’ve been experiencing in this country over the past several years.
My thanks to Net Galley, author John Galligan, and publisher Atria Books (Simon and Schuster) for providing to me an ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
September 6, 2022
Sheriff Heidi Kick cannot catch a break. In Bad Day Breaking, the 4th installment of the Bad Axe County series, she has to deal with a religious cult, released felons (including one who wants to kill her), a vigilante citizens group determined to attack the cult, a vicious mother-in-law, various murders, a deputy who shouldn’t be wearing a badge, and a town that doesn’t deserve the sheriff they have.
Like the other books in this series, I’m convinced that Bad Axe County is a magnet for all things bad. The beginning chapters are a litany of “what else can go wrong” events, and then things get worse. But throughout all the bad things, Heidi Kick perseveres, even when her actions threaten her own safety. Heidi is a hero, albeit a flawed hero, and that is the only reason I can finish her stories. When evil and pain are so unrelenting, there has to be some light to make me keep reading, and Heidi is that light. I respect the way Galligan unfolds the story, seeing how the different events intersect and develop. I especially respect that Heidi Kick is complex. She has created her own moral code, she knows where the line is between lawful and unlawful, and she tries to live up to the standard she’s set for herself. Even when she is betrayed, she seeks to understand why her friends and allies act as they do.
The Heidi Kick stories are not easy to read; there is violence (a lot of violence), revenge, child pornography, and references to the disaster at Waco. Somehow, despite the heaviness of all these topics, at the end of the story, there is a sense of completion, “rightness,” and justice. The journey of reading the story is tough, but the end is satisfying. In fact, of the four books in the series (so far?), I think I enjoyed this story the most.
I won an ARC of the book in a Goodreads giveaway. My thanks to Atria Books for the opportunity to read this great addition to the Bad Axe County series.
Like the other books in this series, I’m convinced that Bad Axe County is a magnet for all things bad. The beginning chapters are a litany of “what else can go wrong” events, and then things get worse. But throughout all the bad things, Heidi Kick perseveres, even when her actions threaten her own safety. Heidi is a hero, albeit a flawed hero, and that is the only reason I can finish her stories. When evil and pain are so unrelenting, there has to be some light to make me keep reading, and Heidi is that light. I respect the way Galligan unfolds the story, seeing how the different events intersect and develop. I especially respect that Heidi Kick is complex. She has created her own moral code, she knows where the line is between lawful and unlawful, and she tries to live up to the standard she’s set for herself. Even when she is betrayed, she seeks to understand why her friends and allies act as they do.
The Heidi Kick stories are not easy to read; there is violence (a lot of violence), revenge, child pornography, and references to the disaster at Waco. Somehow, despite the heaviness of all these topics, at the end of the story, there is a sense of completion, “rightness,” and justice. The journey of reading the story is tough, but the end is satisfying. In fact, of the four books in the series (so far?), I think I enjoyed this story the most.
I won an ARC of the book in a Goodreads giveaway. My thanks to Atria Books for the opportunity to read this great addition to the Bad Axe County series.
September 11, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Bad Day Breaking was a bad day for many people. There was so much hate and evil happening. Heidi as sheriff has too much on her plate. Her mother-in-law, a insubordinate, litigious deputy, a cult, paroles who are back to crime, and a hate group. She makes a few bad choices which spiral into lots of trouble but she does manage to protect most of the town.
We get primarily Heidi's point of view, but we do get the point of view from one of the women in the cult. I felt sorry for the women and children in the cult. The heads were taking all the money and sex and now were planning to get away. They bought in four paroles to help them with the details and that's when everything went downhill. There's plenty of gritty and horrifying all around.
Heidi is also having to deal with a guy she put away in prison who now is trying to kill her for revenge. A dead body turns up from the cult. Her mother-in-law is a constant problem and then goes missing. Luckily, Heidi is smart and figures out most of the issues. Luckily she has some support and honest co-workers.
It is very suspenseful and people get hurt including Sheriff Heidi. She is smart enough to protect her family except for her renegade mother-in-law who goes her own way. I appreciate how honest and hard working Heidi is. I just don't know what she will do now or if the Bad Axe County series will continue.
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Bad Day Breaking was a bad day for many people. There was so much hate and evil happening. Heidi as sheriff has too much on her plate. Her mother-in-law, a insubordinate, litigious deputy, a cult, paroles who are back to crime, and a hate group. She makes a few bad choices which spiral into lots of trouble but she does manage to protect most of the town.
We get primarily Heidi's point of view, but we do get the point of view from one of the women in the cult. I felt sorry for the women and children in the cult. The heads were taking all the money and sex and now were planning to get away. They bought in four paroles to help them with the details and that's when everything went downhill. There's plenty of gritty and horrifying all around.
Heidi is also having to deal with a guy she put away in prison who now is trying to kill her for revenge. A dead body turns up from the cult. Her mother-in-law is a constant problem and then goes missing. Luckily, Heidi is smart and figures out most of the issues. Luckily she has some support and honest co-workers.
It is very suspenseful and people get hurt including Sheriff Heidi. She is smart enough to protect her family except for her renegade mother-in-law who goes her own way. I appreciate how honest and hard working Heidi is. I just don't know what she will do now or if the Bad Axe County series will continue.
March 24, 2023
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Bad Day Breaking is the 4th procedural mystery in Bad Axe County by John Galligan. Released 30th Aug 2022 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a very well written procedural novel with a returning cast of characters including local law enforcement, some of their family members, and a few eccentric small-town notables. Set in a rural area of Wisconsin, it's both isolated and remote enough to render it something of a closed circle/locked room setup. A cult has moved into the local environs and town inhabitants are very unhappy, bordering on panic. Local sheriff Heidi has a stressful and unmanageable PR crisis to deal with which is definitely not improved by the discovery of a murdered cult member with a slashed throat. A winter storm has inconveniently made her town even more isolated than normal.
The author is wonderfully adept with dramatic tension and plotting, and the prose sings in places. His writing is sublime, and unexpected in a police procedural thriller. It's a western- ish story and will likely appeal to current fans of Craig Johnson, Jeffery Deaver, and Dennis Lehane.
Four stars. Very very well done.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Bad Day Breaking is the 4th procedural mystery in Bad Axe County by John Galligan. Released 30th Aug 2022 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a very well written procedural novel with a returning cast of characters including local law enforcement, some of their family members, and a few eccentric small-town notables. Set in a rural area of Wisconsin, it's both isolated and remote enough to render it something of a closed circle/locked room setup. A cult has moved into the local environs and town inhabitants are very unhappy, bordering on panic. Local sheriff Heidi has a stressful and unmanageable PR crisis to deal with which is definitely not improved by the discovery of a murdered cult member with a slashed throat. A winter storm has inconveniently made her town even more isolated than normal.
The author is wonderfully adept with dramatic tension and plotting, and the prose sings in places. His writing is sublime, and unexpected in a police procedural thriller. It's a western- ish story and will likely appeal to current fans of Craig Johnson, Jeffery Deaver, and Dennis Lehane.
Four stars. Very very well done.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
December 9, 2025
Bad Day Breaking pulls you straight into the icy tension and moral chaos of Bad Axe County where danger creeps from every direction. John Galligan delivers a vivid story that blends rural suspense, emotional depth, and a razor sharp look at how charismatic leaders manipulate fear.
Sheriff Heidi Kick remains one of the most compelling figures in contemporary crime fiction. She is flawed yet resilient, burdened by past trauma yet fiercely protective of her community. In this installment, Galligan places her at the center of two storms. One is literal, an approaching blizzard that threatens to freeze the entire county. The other is human, a radical religious sect whose intentions shift from odd to alarming to deadly.
Galligan excels at slow burn tension. The cult’s presence grows more unsettling with each chapter, and the unease of the townspeople feels painfully real. Add in Heidi’s resurfacing past in the form of an ex boyfriend who is freshly released and hunting her, and the novel becomes a tightly wound experience where every page carries a new threat.
The atmosphere is stark and immersive, and the emotional stakes hit deep. Themes of survival, trauma, and misplaced faith are woven with care, making the story feel both grounded and haunting.
A gritty, layered, and reliably compelling entry in the Bad Axe County series. Perfect for readers who enjoy smart rural noir with complex characters.
Sheriff Heidi Kick remains one of the most compelling figures in contemporary crime fiction. She is flawed yet resilient, burdened by past trauma yet fiercely protective of her community. In this installment, Galligan places her at the center of two storms. One is literal, an approaching blizzard that threatens to freeze the entire county. The other is human, a radical religious sect whose intentions shift from odd to alarming to deadly.
Galligan excels at slow burn tension. The cult’s presence grows more unsettling with each chapter, and the unease of the townspeople feels painfully real. Add in Heidi’s resurfacing past in the form of an ex boyfriend who is freshly released and hunting her, and the novel becomes a tightly wound experience where every page carries a new threat.
The atmosphere is stark and immersive, and the emotional stakes hit deep. Themes of survival, trauma, and misplaced faith are woven with care, making the story feel both grounded and haunting.
A gritty, layered, and reliably compelling entry in the Bad Axe County series. Perfect for readers who enjoy smart rural noir with complex characters.
June 28, 2023
The book was about a “cult” that was hated by the town in which it moved. The prophet & his wife were being harassed, & they ended up bringing in former prison inmates as members & “security.” The sheriff, Heidi Kick, had a problematic past & actually put one of those inmates, Hoof, in prison previously. Hoof attempted to now track her down & kill her, while the other inmates attempted to take advantage of the cult. One of the cult members, Fernanda, saw that bad things were starting to happen when they joined. She began to use the help of Duke Hashimoto, a former ATF agent that had been a part of Waco & wanted to prevent that from happening again. Together, law enforcement, Fernanda, Duke, & others fought the town’s “Kill the Cult” members, the cult leaders, & the cult’s inmate members, in order to save the innocent cult members & children.
I will be honest- I didn’t like Sheriff Kick. I felt a lot of the moves she made were very stupid, and some interactions between her & Hoof were just too unrealistic. I enjoyed Duke’s character, however, & his passion for saving the children as a sort of honor to those that were killed at Waco. The book was able to keep me consistently interested. One thing that was frustrating, though, were the multiple grammatical errors. I feel the editing of this book was pretty horrible lol. Still, I give the book 3 stars. It wasn’t terrible. 🤷🏼♀️
I will be honest- I didn’t like Sheriff Kick. I felt a lot of the moves she made were very stupid, and some interactions between her & Hoof were just too unrealistic. I enjoyed Duke’s character, however, & his passion for saving the children as a sort of honor to those that were killed at Waco. The book was able to keep me consistently interested. One thing that was frustrating, though, were the multiple grammatical errors. I feel the editing of this book was pretty horrible lol. Still, I give the book 3 stars. It wasn’t terrible. 🤷🏼♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2022
I love this series, Sheriff Heidi Kick is such a badass and in this story, number 4 in the series, she will need all her unique skills to get through the issues she faces. There is a cult that has taken up occupation of a abandoned storage facility at the edge of Bad Axe county, though the cult considers themselves to be a religious community, most of the town disagree. A member of the cult turns up dead and Sheriff Kick's deputy is assigned to the initial investigation. Meanwhile, a person from Sheriff Kick's past has recently been released from prison and is on the hunt for her because of their shared history. There is a lot going on in this book and if you haven't, you should read the previous ones in the series to understand both Heidi's backstory and the town. There is also a lot of discussion around the incident at Waco TX with David Koresh and the similarities to what happens in Bad Axe, a retired ATF agent is also in Bad Axe, having been in contact with a person in the cult who he hopes would be able to provide evidence against them and prevent another Waco from happening. The action in this book is non stop and builds to quite the finish, I only hope the series continues, the ending was a bit ambiguous. Thank you to #Netgalley and #Atria Books for the ARC.
February 6, 2023
Bad Day Breaking by John Galligan is a 2022 Atria publication.
Heidi Kick, besides dealing with the usual politics of Bad Axe County, must now figure out how to handle a religious cult that has moved in and are beginning to display troublesome signs akin the situation in Waco back in the early 90s. It’s a slippery slope under normal circumstances, as nobody wants history repeating itself. But for Heidi the stakes are raised even higher when a couple of people from her past seem bent on revenge....
This is a good, gritty, atmospheric thriller. Again, the Wisconsin winter backdrop helps create the dark undercurrents, punctuating the bleakness and corruption. The cult segments weren’t as cohesive as I would have liked, but their agenda is clear enough.
Heidi is a complex character. She’s vulnerable and her past is always on the periphery of her subconsciousness. She’s not perfect- and her fate is certainly precarious, but there is no doubt that she’s a survivor- she’s smart, tough, and tenacious- and I hope her story will pick back up soon… another installment is most definitely required!!
Overall, despite a few uneven segments, this is a perfect thriller for deep winter reading!
4 stars
Heidi Kick, besides dealing with the usual politics of Bad Axe County, must now figure out how to handle a religious cult that has moved in and are beginning to display troublesome signs akin the situation in Waco back in the early 90s. It’s a slippery slope under normal circumstances, as nobody wants history repeating itself. But for Heidi the stakes are raised even higher when a couple of people from her past seem bent on revenge....
This is a good, gritty, atmospheric thriller. Again, the Wisconsin winter backdrop helps create the dark undercurrents, punctuating the bleakness and corruption. The cult segments weren’t as cohesive as I would have liked, but their agenda is clear enough.
Heidi is a complex character. She’s vulnerable and her past is always on the periphery of her subconsciousness. She’s not perfect- and her fate is certainly precarious, but there is no doubt that she’s a survivor- she’s smart, tough, and tenacious- and I hope her story will pick back up soon… another installment is most definitely required!!
Overall, despite a few uneven segments, this is a perfect thriller for deep winter reading!
4 stars
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