In Dead Man Dancing, John Galligan has once again found the perfect mix of characters, setting, story, and action to keep me absorbed from first page to last. These harder-edged Bad Axe County books show how no part of the country is safe from crime-- even rural areas with rugged and remote terrain. In this second book, readers are confronted with White Nationalists and the resulting rhetoric these people like to spout as well as the senseless hate crimes that follow them.

Dead Man Dancing isn't always an easy book to read. White Nationalists can make my blood pressure spike faster than almost anything else, but Galligan's characters and story-telling ability are so good that I had to keep reading to find out how everything would be resolved.

Now about these characters... Sheriff Heidi Kick has a new deputy from Texas who's slowly teaching her Spanish. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in future books. On the surface, Heidi's husband, Harley, seems to be the usual spouse who hates sharing his partner with the demands of law enforcement, but readers get to see him in a different light in this book. He is not a two-dimensional man. Neither are his and Heidi's reactions to the demands of their daughter, Opie, and that's another situation I'm looking forward to seeing move along in the next book.

Even secondary characters have lives of their own in Dead Man Dancing. Some residents show us how some people can live their lives wearing blinders while others show us how-- after being kicked over and over again while they're down-- they can make one bad decision after another. The real question for these people is-- will they always make the wrong choice?

One of my favorite quotes in the book came when Heidi-- almost dead on her feet from exhaustion-- is told by her dispatcher to go home and get some rest. Heidi's response? "You know what happens if I go home? As soon as I get there, right about the time I get this uniform off, you call me." This is just one of the many reasons why I was never cut out for a life in law enforcement, and it was good to see the sheriff spell it out so bluntly and truthfully.

There are so many reasons to like this book, and one of them is how skillfully Galligan weaves area history into the narrative. This part of Wisconsin had former slaves move in, and one of them was known for building round barns. Not only was this bit of history fascinating but it added depth to both the story and one of Galligan's characters.

John Galligan's Bad Axe County mysteries may tackle uncomfortable subjects, but his story-telling abilities and the characters he populates the county with will always keep me coming back for more. I've encountered few law enforcement officers as dedicated as Heidi Kick to keeping their jurisdictions safe, and that's just the sort of character I like to read about.

This is a very timely book with everything going on in America these days. It talks about racism, sexism, sexual tendency and how people can be blind to what is going on in their towns.

What I liked about the book was that it is very thought provoking. It made me wonder if I was blind to things that go on in my community. Sad to say, I probably am. The book is also a mystery and I do love a great mystery, though this one was just okay to me. I think bc of all the other heavy topics.

What I didn't like was that it seemed to cliche on certain things. The racial aspect of the young man's name was Neon. I just think Galligan could have came up with a better name. The old people in the book were protrayed as old coggers. The extreme right was protrayed as just good ole boys that mean no harm. Galligan, also, threw in a Deputy Sheriff that was Mexican, don't get me wrong, that's fine with me. I just felt like he was trying to add every race and gender into the book he could. There was female Sheriff, Mexican Deputy Sheriff, a KKK Deputy, an ancestor of slaves, a person trying to come to terms with who was was, a transgender person, old cranky people, and boozers. A lot of characters to keep separated with different issues going on with them.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I requested this book because I thought I would find the story line interesting. As it turned out I found the racially motivated violence and the actions of far right groups very unsettling and at times sickening. Perhaps that speaks to the quality of the writing,

The book is well enough written and I´m sure others will enjoy it more than I did but I can´t honestly say I would recommend it.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I had a really great time reading this book. I look forward to more from the author.

A great sequel for what I hope will be a long-running series! Galligan skillfully provides readers with another well-paced suspense-filled story, this time tackling hot topics of racism, white supremacists, illegal fight clubs, gender identity and the always intriguing mystery of family secrets. Galligan's Bad Axe world is a gritty one. A world where some residents find it easier to not acknowledge the evil that lurks within the community. With Heidi, we get a heroine who does not turn a blind eye, does not back down and is determined to fight against insurmountable odds. Yes, she lets her heart drive her decisions to act, even if it means sometimes deciding to operate outside of her job's mandate as county sheriff. As with the first book in the series, Galligan brings us real complex characters, some facing internal struggles but each comes to the story with their own flaws, biases and problems.

This gritty, crime novel is not for the faint of heart. It is a story about a community with a heart where some disturbing, deep-seated tensions and prejudices are found simmering below the surface. I should note that there are some disturbing scenes that may trigger some readers. As the saying goes, "Forewarned is forearmed."

I received an unedited proof copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very dark, emotional book but timely in reference to events in our country today. It was very well written and I really like the character of Heidi. It was hard to read parts of the story but overall the book was good.

John Galligan’s debut novel “Bad Axe County” was one of the best crime fiction debuts I read in 2019 and there is no sophomore slump with his newest book “Dead Man Dancing.” Heidi Kick has been elected sheriff of Bad Axe County, a rural area of Wisconsin. Although Kick is a country sheriff living in a small town called Farmstead, there is no exemption from dealing with the same crimes that are currently ravaging our country; the rise in white supremacy and violence. “Dead Man Dancing” is dark, gritty, and emotional. It’s also very timely and exceptionally well-written. Galligan continues to excel at character development and suspenseful plotting, and readers will be rooting for the sheriff to really Kick some Bad Axe. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

My review was posted on Goodreads on 9/3/20

I did not read the first book but here you are getting ready for a Norwegian holiday and you also have a man looking forward to having not only his book being published but also selling it at the festival. The book is one of genealogy of the area which he believes to be of vital importance.
Sheriff Heide Kick has noticed an influx of violence lately and is working at stopping it, one of the persons involved is her brother in law. Heidi is also dealing with her husband who feels left out because she is spending time away from him and the family. She feels guilty as well because she is a mother and she does not feel that she spends enough time with her children. With everything going on and then a murder she is working on stopping the people from changing her town from a nice sleepy one to a violent one.
The topic of this story centers around race and how some people from the town don’t believe that any African Americans settled in Wisconsin or their town. That they could be descendants of slaves is a whole other issue. The book itself was a good story with different storylines with different characters. This topic though hot now is really one that should be taught in schools. Freed slaves were given land to settle throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana. Churches, schools, and communities were built yet this is never taught. Hell, here in California we had our own community named Colonel Allensworth who was the highest-ranking black officer of the Civil War. He retired in 1906 and came to California and set up a community of freed slaves, with their own school, bank, church and they framed themselves as well. Sadly, it went away when he passed in 1914. But these communities were around everywhere they are just not talked about or taught. This book gives a little history into it. A very good book.

This is a very good book, very easy to read, though the subject matter is quite dark at times. This can be read as a stand-alone, though it is a sequel to Bad Axe County and I would recommend reading it as well for additional background. Heidi Kick is the Sheriff of Farmstead WI and is preparing for an annual festival the town holds every year. Her husband, Harley, is asking her to take some time off to spend time with the family, something she has not done a lot of recently. There are a lot of events that go on in this book, starting with the murder of a local author who had recently published a book on genealogy of the area. White supremacists, including a national figure, are planning to attend the festival which has Heidi very worried about racial violence. A young black male is also in town to look into the history of his family and is initially arrested as a possible suspect in the murder. Needless to say, Heidi is kept very busy with these and additional events that happen seemingly nonstop. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to the next installment. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Lots of secrets in Bad Axe County. Heidi Kick, the Sheriff, has a strong conscience and a tough road to hoe dealing with the residents of the county, her husband Harley, and her kids. Now, there's a Norwegian Independence Day festival, white supremacists, attacks on non-white people, and much ugliness. AND, her husband Harley isn't what she thought he was. I, sadly, learned something while reading this- sadly because it involves the racism Heidi has to counter. This isn't a pretty read- it isn't a pretty subject- but Heidi is a strong and admirable character. I had not read the first book but this was fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A topical read- I'd like to see more of Heidi (and get more answers).

This books it totally out of my comfort zone but I appreciated the style of writing and the character development.
It's gripping, gritty and kept me hooked.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A gripping read a book that drew me in from the first page.Multi layered tense chilling,A storyline that was very engrossing kept me turning pages late into the night.Recommend this book this author.#netgalley #atriabooks

I love a story where the main character is a feisty woman that is headstrong and with taking no prisoners attitude.
Bad Axe County Sherrif Heidi Kick has her hands full when the annual Syttende Mai festival is threatened by a local White Nationalist organisation that has been simmering away in the community.
For Heidi, we watch as she picks away at a nasty scab little by little until Bad Axe county is exposed as a fragile environment where all can fall apart with devastating results.
A powerful thriller concerning race which resonates now with BLM in both Australia and US in the headlines.
Thank you, John Galligan I look forward to more Heidi Kick.
An independent review of NetGalley / Atria Books

I was hooked on these characters in the first book in this series last year. I was counting down the days for this next book to find its way in my posession.

I am struggling with what to say about this one. It's uncanny that this book will be releasing when it does given it's theme and the current climate in our country right now. This book was written before the current climate became what it was. For that reason, people are either going to love it or be hyper-sensitive and overly critical of it.

For me, the book was spot on. It hits the roots of small town prejudices and racism like no other book I have read so far. The author does not hold back on these characters and their flaws and personal biases. I couldn't put this book down. I had to know that everything would work out in the end.

If you're looking for a story with a strong, take charge, take no crap female character, I highly suggest picking up this book and the book before it. You really should read them in order. They follow the same kick-butt character in chronological order. I can't sing enough praises for both books. I'm hoping I will be reading a third book in the future.

Free ARC from NET GALLEY

There is no burying that hatchet (axe) here as the sequel surpasses the original. Many will frown at the human ugliness found in the story but it leads to the conclusion and is not just there for shock value. Sheriff "KICK" is still kicking hinds and taking names; thankfully not in the superwoman vein yet. Write on!!

Dead Man Dancing is a completely gripping sequel to Bad Axe County. Sheriff Heidi Kick is back and just as brilliant as before.

There is always a fear with a sequel, that it will never quite live up to its predecessor. Rest assured friends, this is not a problem for Galligan. This book had my heartbeat pounding (yes, really) from the very beginning and I didn't put it down until I had turned the very last page. Fair warning though, this book is not for the faint of heart, there is extreme violence, racism and sexism throughout.

But, oh my, is it worth it.

Trigger warning: ugly racial violence.

This is a hard review for me to write.and I am aware that many people rated the book quite highly. However, I can only write about my experience reading the book and my reviews are always straight down the line. I read a lot of dark books but somehow they feel quite ‘fictional’ which of course they are. This, too, is a work of fiction but to me it felt more real which made it very disturbing for me. The book was extremely bleak, and filled with examples of ugly racial violence, sexism, and far right anarchy. I did not like it, I found much of the content sickening.

My first thought was it must be well written fiction to have that reaction with me and to some extent it was. On the other hand the start of the book was very messy and it was hard to keep track of what was happening and of all the characters with their unusual names. And while I am no fan of far right movements I struggle to believe that their membership is as universally dumb as depicted in the book. In other words the characters were very cliched, even the female Sheriff, the corrupt deputy, the ditzy old people and the token half African American, named Neon (seriously?) seemed too good to be true.

So - what is the story about? Sheriff Heidi Kick from Bad Axe County in Wisconsin gets a really bad feeling in the lead up to the local corn festival. She suspects a far right group is planning to disrupt the march. There have been recent incidents of racial violence and an old man is killed to stop a book he recently published on local history from seeing the light of day. The Sheriff is also brutally attacked. And a bigwig white supremacist is coming to town to stir up trouble. Into this mix rides young Neon Shivers on his his bright yellow motorbike to find out more about his great grandmother. The fuse is primed, the slightest spark will set the whole thing off. BOOM!

After reading book one a while back, I wondered if this series would lose some steam. It did not. It is set in a backwards county that is almost as if you looked back 150 years ago. One of the parts I liked was you could not tell who you could trust which gave the story some twists and turns. Once again Sheriff Kick saves the day and foils a plot. I don’t want to say more to ruin the story but it is worth your time.
Thank you Netgalley, John Galligan and Atria books for the ARC for my honest review.

New comer to the crime fiction genres returns with Sheriff Heidi Kick of Bad Axe County in the hills of SW Wisconsin. Galligan holds nothing back in his writing goes for complete distraction with crippling results to his characters. Recommended for those looking for fast paced and crime in one setting.

This was a fantastic read! Before embarking on DEAD MAN DANCING, I read Galligan's first in this series, BAD AXE COUNTY. Both books are gritty, accurately capturing the dirty underbelly of small midwestern towns. The protagonist, Heidi Kick, is a beauty queen turned sheriff, and she doesn't suffer fools, lightly or otherwise. Galligan does a good job of portraying Kick's struggles as a sheriff in a county where there are few women in law enforcement and the guilt she experiences for having less time with her family. Few male writers are able to write female characters that women find convincing, but Galligan does a good job of it. Both books are very well written and completely credible, which makes them all the more chilling. I can't wait for Galligan's nest!