I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
The Ranger
by
Ace Atkins
thriller in a hardcover edition that was published by Thorndike Press on December 25, 2013 and has 495 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Lost Ones, The Broken Places, The Forsaken
First in the Quinn Colson thriller series and revolving around an Army Ranger home on leave for the first time in ten years.
In 2012, The Ranger was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.
My Take
This is a dang depressing story, what with the betrayals and poor lives of almost everyone, although Atkins has created some interesting characters.
That Anna Lee and her reactions to Quinn are almost as conflicting as Johnny Stagg’s persona. I don’t think Atkins could quite decide how to play him. Oh, he’s a scumbag all right, but then there’s that twist at the end that simply doesn’t make sense. As for Hamp…dang, it’s hard to reconcile his reality with the incredible man Quinn remembers. As for Mom…oh, yeah baby, I do like a woman who sticks up for what’s right! Although, I am curious as to how Quinn’s mom pays her bills. As for Deputy Lillie Virgil, her, I love! She’s doing what she believes is right and doesn’t back down, from anything, lol. Oh jeez, I almost forgot Boom! I LOVE that man. He will always have your back!!
It’s a third person point-of-view from Quinn’s perspective, which makes it easy for Atkins to provide a back history on the town through his memories, to set up the betrayals, to get an idea of Quinn’s character and his principles, and man, is this boy ever conflicted. We know what he’ll decide, but Atkins is doing a great job of keeping me guessing and hoping.
I am definitely confused about that “deal” Hamp had with Stagg, and it never does get cleared up for me. There were also a few interesting bits of foreshadowing. I’m thinking of that frontage road, of Campo’s and Stagg’s plans for the future, if Caddy really does step up, and how the people in town will react to the changes.
The primary storyline is Quinn investigating his uncle’s “suicide”, discovering the mess of corruption lying everywhere with meth at the heart of it. A secondary story that adds some human interest (and gets us into the main meth production facility) is Lena looking for the father of her baby.
Corruption isn’t the only mess, as it seems Quinn has quite the, um, reputation for stirring things up. I’m looking forward to The Lost Ones, if only for all that heroic action.
The Story
It’s a shocker when Quinn comes home for his uncle’s funeral. There’s almost nothing recognizable about the place, trashed to hell-and-gone and logged out. Forests full of good hunting, just gone.
Worse, everywhere he looks (and the longer he looks), the more corruption he finds amongst people he thought were friends. It’s no wonder Quinn hasn’t been home for the past ten years.
Well, Quinn isn’t a Ranger for nothing, and he’ll go AWOL before he leaves his family and home struggling with the graft and violence.
The Characters
Platoon Sergeant Quinn Colson is on leave from his Army Ranger platoon where he’s based at Fort Benning. Jean Colson is Mom, and she’s looking after Caddy’s mixed-race son, Jason, and the reason she fought with Hamp. Caddy is the sister who ran off, drugging, working a pole at Dixie Belles these days. His daddy, Jason Colson, had been a stunt man who worked a number of Hollywood movies. Jerry Colson is Jason’s middle brother who makes a good living as a long-haul driver. Van Colson is the ne’er-do-well youngest.
Boom Kimbrough is an old friend who lost an arm in Iraq and now has issues. He’d been coaching football at the high school before he got sent over.
Jericho, Tibbehah County, Mississippi
Hampton Beckett, Quinn’s uncle and Jean’s brother, had been the sheriff and had served in Korea. Hondo is his uncle’s dog. Mary is the waitress from the Fillin’ Station diner whom Hamp had been seeing.
The Tibbehah County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Lillie Virgil is zealous about investigating. Wesley Ruth is acting sheriff and another old friend of Quinn’s. He wife, Meg, left him. Other deputies include Leonard McMinn and George. Mae is the night dispatcher. Chuck Tuttle is the fire marshal.
Dr. Luke Stevens is an old friend who married the girl, Anna Lee Amsden, who ditched Quinn. Purvis Reeves is the judge. The Southern Star is the first bar to set up in the formerly dry Jericho. Sam Bishop has been the keeper of land records for the county for over thirty years.
The Three Wise Men — Mr. Jim (Third Army); Judge Blanton (he saw action in Korea as a Marine and had mentored Hamp); and, Luther Varner, the owner of Varner’s Quick Mart and a sharpshooting Marine from Vietnam days — frequently meet up to drink coffee and bourbon. Javier owns the El Dorado Mexican Restaurant.
Johnny Stagg is the poster child for white trash who crawled their way up. He’s everywhere: on the board of supervisors, the hospital board, and is promising to redevelop Jericho. He owns a titty bar called the Booby Trap. Brother Davis is a shill of a pastor. Mr. Lamar is an expensive attorney from Memphis. Bobby Campo is the big dog in Memphis with lots of money and influence who’s been in and out of prison.
Mr Daniels’ land is where…
…a gang led by Gowrie is running meth, Gowrie preaches about white pride and needing to train for the end times. Daddy Gowrie is a pervert and not too bright. Jessup, Tim “Hogzilla”, and Jody, a.k.a., Charley Booth, are some of his “boys”. Pete “Ditto” Francis is a nice kid who just wants to survive.
Lena is sixteen, pregnant, and looking for Jody. Jill “Jasmine” Bullard has a daughter, Beccalynn, and is the Reverend Bullard’s daughter. She and Kayla are young hookers working the truck stop. Connie Price is Jett’s mother. Jett had been friends with Keith Shackleford, both into drinking and drugs. Latecia Young had been Keith’s girlfriend for a short while, and now she’s working hard. Peanut is a friend of Latecia’s. Miss Williams is a cashier at a grocery store; she used to change Quinn’s diapers. Betty Jo “Miz Mize” Mize is the owner, publisher, managing editor, and lead reporter for the Tibbehah County Monitor and has a love for dirty jokes. Ruth Ann’s is a favorite diner at Fort Benning.
The Cover and Title
The cover is silhouettes in deep brown against an explosive yellow sky, deep orange fragments bursting out in a spray. Quinn stands with his back to us, looking on at the havoc he’s caused. An info blurb in white outlined in black is at the very top. Below that is the author’s name in a Deco-style font in deep brown with a yellow outline. At the bottom is the title in the same sky yellow with the series information below that in white.
The title is the protagonist, The Ranger.
