After years of war, Army Ranger Quinn Colson returns home to the rugged, rough hill country of northeast Mississippi to find his native Tibbehah County overrun with corruption, decay, meth runners, and violence. His uncle, the longtime county sheriff, is dead. A suicide, he’s told, but others—like tomboy deputy Lillie Virgil—whisper murder.

In the days that follow, it’s up to Colson to discover the truth, not only about his uncle, but about his family, his friends, his town, and himself. And once it’s discovered, there’s no going back for this real hero of the Deep South.

“I have always been impressed with (jealous of) how easy Ace Atkins makes it look. The Ranger is by far his best work…I hope Quinn Colson and Lillie Virgil stick around for a good long time.”—Michael Connelly

“Atkins has written a bunch of great thrillers, but this one sets up a series that should push him to the top of the bestseller list.”—John Sandford

“Goes for extreme thrills, complemented by in-depth character studies and a view to the motives that turn ordinary people corrupt. Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and Greg Iles’s Penn Cage will find a kindred spirit in U.S. Army Ranger Quinn Colson, Atkins’s new take-charge hero.”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“A dark, headlong crime story set in the Mississippi hill country and teeming with corrupt officials, murderous meth dealers and Southern femmes fatales.”—St. Petersburg Times

“Southern-fried noir.”—The Washington Post

“Has the down-and-dirty vibe of a ’70s drive-in action picture.”—Dallas Morning News

“[His] estimable ranger may bring to mind Lee Child’s hard fisted, soft hearted Jack Reacher, which is entirely a good thing.”—Kirkus Reviews