The Broken Places by Ace Atkins

The Broken Places: A Quinn Colson Novel, Ace Atkins.  New York: Penguin Group, 2013.  e-book, 291 pps.

How to sum this one up:  A fast-paced action crime novel and characters who have great depth.  Yet, there is more to The Broken Places than just that.  There are prisoners and at least one guard on the take.  There's a governor who pardons, a few politicos on the take, a crooked sheriff, a couple of attractive women, and a convict turned humble Jesus preacher, sprinkled with a few family members and a tornado.  The characters were believable, the dialogue was believable, the action was believable.  This is not a novel that stops in the middle.  I read The Broken Places in one sitting.  It was that good.  And yeah, the places described were just the way I remembered them some years back when passing through.  Ace Atkins is at his finest with this one.  His ability to tell a story is clearly illustrated within the pages of The Broken Places.

sapphoq reviews says:  The Broken Places is an excellent story with bits of psychology and some blood and guts woven through it.  I loved it.  From the trailer park to the titty bar, from the remote hunting lodge to the tiny downtown, the sense of place instilled into Ace Atkins' work is integral to the action rather than just another random backdrop.  Ace Atkins captures perfectly societal and familial conflicts while avoiding any sort of preachiness.  I liked this one and will be reading more.  Definitely recommended.