From the first page until the last, you are glued to these pages. Where Heidi is running for re-election which has turned out to be down and dirty, to a body found buried, a reporter who might want to help and is trying but thinks the man discovered is a Vietnam Vet, then you have her family which her children are all having some sort of issue and her husband is out of town for some baseball thing, oh on top of that a heat wave is going through so everyone is boiling besides their tempers. This all adds up for a very good and at times intense story and very much worth the read.

I sometimes wonder how on earth Sheriff Heidi Kick can manage to stagger from one disaster to another as fraught as her personal life is. I sometimes wonder how she can think Bad Axe County is such a great place to live with all the sordid crimes that take place and all the out-and-out slimy, unhinged people who live there. I sometimes wonder why I like this series so much when those sordid crimes and unhinged people make me want to jump in a hot shower, stick my fingers in my ears, and singsong LA LA LA LA at the top of my voice. But you see, author John Galligan makes it all work, and I enjoyed Bad Moon Rising every bit as much as I did the first two books in the series.

I think my liking for this series has everything to do with its main character, Sheriff Heidi Kick. She's got the smarts, the intuition, and the determination to get the job done each and every time, and that's saying a lot because of her family. At least in this third book, her husband Harley behaved himself. No, it was her wonderful mother-in-law trying to make her life as miserable as possible this time around, bless her. Believe me, this extra grief is not necessary because I think she's got some of the most contentious children in all of crime fiction. But not contentious in the "let me lock 'em in the basement and throw away the key" way. These poor kids have very real problems that the entire family must decipher and learn to deal with, and it just makes me want to hug them all and pitch in to help.

Galligan's stories are always fast-paced and addictive, and no matter how gross the bad guys are, there's something ultimately satisfying in watching them come to justice. Yep. Once justice is served, I want to send dear mother-in-law on an around-the-world cruise she can't refuse, send Heidi and Harley out for a perfect just-the-two-of-them weekend, and babysit their kids.

Now... when a reader gets that involved with the characters, it has a lot to say about a series, doesn't it? Bring on the fourth book!

Third book in Galligan's Bad Axe County series and Galligan continues to grab my attention with this fast paced, gritty crime thriller with a kick ass female sheriff and a seedy underside one would not expect to find in the Wisconsin dairy farm land community. Here is hoping that Galligan is working on book #4 in the series.

“Bad Moon Rising,” by John Galligan (Atria Books) features Sheriff Heidi Kick, whose territory is Bad Axe County, Wis. They are having a record heat wave (sounds like Moore County), and Heidi has a dead body to deal with. The young man was homeless, and the medical examiner says that he was buried alive.
The heat continues and so does the body count. And Heidi is also in the middle of a re-election campaign, complete with rumors about her family.
Leroy Fanta, editor of the local paper and a Vietnam veteran, thinks the case may be related to a reclusive man who has been writing crazy letters to the paper’s opinion section over the years. Fanta, who is fighting heart and liver problems, makes a last ditch effort to help Sheriff Kick.
This is a gritty, page-turning read.

For some series, you can definitely read the third book without having read the first two. I didn’t think it was entirely fair to criticize any pre-established plot stuff for that specific reason. This is the first book of the entire series that I have read, and for that reason, I felt a bit confused towards the beginning, and certain plot developments did not carry as much emotional weigh as they would have if I had read the earlier two books.

John Galligan’s Bad Moon Rising is the third book of the Bad Axe County murder-mystery thriller series set in a very non-pretentious, unvarnished rural Wisconsin setting, something that lends some hefty doses of realism to the story from the outset. The lead female character feels well-drawn with realistic flaws, grounding her also as less of a stoical stock type of female character that just emulates some of the laziest stereotypes of episodic male leads in these types of stories. She is both a mother and also a sheriff, and neither of these roles dominate her character with their own set of gender preconceptions. I personally find it to be quite a relief just to have a female character that is written purely as an interesting character, versus one carrying a certain tokenized role, for the sake of checking-off a political correctness checklist, something that when feels forced reads as hackneyed, and it is oftentimes a pretty big issue as of late in some other novels and film. Readers can discern the difference between the realistic/three-dimensional story formed in tandem with the novel’s structured, or one shoed-in by meeting some kind of contractual obligations. Luckily John Galligan’s characters themselves never feel like this.

Bad Moon Rising suceeds well in the balance department, managing to balance different type of plot elements, including small detours of the plot to chapters featuring a Vietnam War veteran who works for the local newspaper who has to deal with the malcontents in the form of Letters to the Editor, a relic of a bygone world where all journalism still left a actual paper trail. These clever detours offer their own progression of the murder mystery brewing at the core of the novel. Alongside all of this, there is the drama ensuing over the politics of a forthcoming sheriff election. These elements make this book a bit more multifarious of a thriller novel where there is an ongoing mystery, but there’s also concurrent life events going-in all around, this makes the novel feel more fluid and interesting, assisting in fueling the mystery’s suspense.

Most my criticisms would not be fair, given that I did not feel this book can be read out-of-order. As a individual novel, the novel is certainly engrossing, competently written, nothing too intricate or earth-shattering, but there is a place for these types of novels, and I felt it was the perfect summer read in terms of it having very good pacing, characters that are well-differentiated from each other with their own idiosyncratic personalities, enough so that you certainly can easily separate characters from one another and can look forward to the switch between the two shifting perspectives in the novel.

But there were enough plot lines that had already been carried over from the last two books that it was simply impossible to enjoy the book to the fullest extent, knowing that there was still so much missing nuance/context without having read these two books. That is not really the fault of the writer, and if this book left me with anything; it was a strong desire to read the other two books in the series. I think the main characters were interesting enough that I would care enough to want to read from the beginning, and perhaps return to this book with an entirely different vantage of everything. I especially love the rural Wisconsin milieu the writer injects into this book, that same unmistakable quality of the News Orleans setting in Anne Rice’s novels that felt so organic/textured, that you felt immediately pulled into the story. Realism of setting is something I absolutely love about books, and it is crucial to achieving that seamless form of engagement of the reader. Bad Moon Rising’s greatest strength aside from its memorable , oftentimes eccentric cast of characters is the well-written ambiance of the rural Wisconsin setting of the book.

So you can count me in for another two books from this writer, and thankfully, Hoopla, a program offerred through my local library system carries both books. Unfortunately I’ll have to read with a side of eye-strain since Hoopla’s books are not available for my Kindle (my favorite digital format), but I guess nothing better represents my enjoyment of a book more than being willing to endure the discomfort of reading on my IPad in order to read this series properly from the beginning.

Sheriff Heidi Kick returns in Bad Moon Rising, the third entry in John Galligan's Bad Axe County series.

I stumbled across the first book a couple of years back and was immediately hooked. Why? Well, the lead character has much to do with that. Sheriff Kick is a former Wisconsin Dairy Queen turned Sheriff. But don't let that fool you. Kick is seriously bad***. She doesn't back down from anyone or anything. She's had to fight the local council, the local thugs, the good ol' boy network and much more. She's also a mom with three kids and a husband - and a lot of folks think her personal life is fair game too.

She's up for re-election this year and the other guy running is playing down and dirty. Heidi will deal with that when she can, but there's other pressing matters first. Homeless men are going missing - and the last one found was buried alive. Veteran and ex newspaper editor Leroy Fanta has an idea of who might be the perp.

So, a great protagonist and an intriguing plot. Galligan has a scary mind - the who and the why behind the missing men is truly twisted. Although there are some truths behind the madness. And that crazy is stealing past the confines of the hollow to the light of day.

And last, but certainly not least is the setting. Bad Axe County. I doubt I would stop in Bad Axe County - it just says 'keep on driving' to me. In Bad Moon Rising, the county is in the midst of a heat wave with temperatures breaking 100 degrees F. The heat is relentless - almost enough to drive you mad.

There's lots of action in Galligan's books and I was engaged from first chapter to last. I'll be eagerly awaiting the fourth book and more of Sheriff Kick.

Published by Atria Books on June 29, 2021

Thrillers with original or unusual plots are difficult to find. Bad Moon Rising combines a variety of plot elements — homeless men gone missing, a sheriff running for relection who receives mysterious opposition research, a man who believes a creepy diet will flush chronic wasting disease from his system, Amish witnesses to crime who see no evil, and a couple of damaged teens — into a flavorful stew.

The novel is set in fictitious Bad Axe County, near (and perhaps modeled upon) Richland County in western Wisconsin. Wisconsin might not be as crazy as Florida, but its memorable serial killers include a cannibal and a man who made lampshades out of his victims. One of the killers in Bad Moon Rising might have been shaped by that history.

Rumors are flying about Bad Axe County Sheriff Heidi Kick. Some of the rumors are being spread by Barry Rickreiner or his mother. Barry is running against Heidi in the next election. One rumor is that Heidi is pregnant and that her husband Harley isn’t the father. The pregnancy, at least, seems to be more than a rumor.

Heidi and Harley already have three kids. Their daughter is at a summer camp for gender nonconforming youth. Their two boys, Taylor and Dylan, are bothered by Barry’s nasty election campaign. Taylor is the more sensitive and therefore the more disturbed of the two, which makes Heidi wonder whether she needs to involve a therapist. All of Heidi’s woes make her a more multifaceted protagonist than crime fiction typically produces.

Heidi has received anonymous emails that include “opposition research” about Barry, including the possibility that he poisoned his former girlfriend, whose death was regarded as a suicide. That potential crime plays a role in the plot, as does a priest who worries that homeless men are picked to join work crews and never seen again. The priest’s concern seems well-founded when Heidi chases a runaway Amish buggy that is carrying the dead body of a homeless drifter.

Other characters who contribute to the story include: a 17-year-old schizophrenic boy who mostly disobeys the voices that tell him to harm people; a girl of about the same age whose parents allowed her to be sexually abused; a couple of brothers (the bad one and the really bad one) who might or might not be Amish; and a newspaper reporter named Leroy “Grape” Fanta whose newspaper has not survived the arrival of electronic media. Fanta plays a significant role while invetigating crazy screeds about deer prions that, in the screed writer's view, are transferring chronic wasting disease to humans.

Bad Moon Rising might be seen as an indictment of an underfunded mental health system that fails to detect and treat mental illness, leaving it to law enforcement to address the aftermath of that public health failure. Yet John Galligan doesn’t use the novel to make an overt political statement. Rather, he weaves multiple story threads into a tight knit, generates excitement with timely action scenes, and builds tension as one of the deranged characters places Heidi’s family members at risk. Heidi’s troubles make her a convincing and sympathetic character, but she doesn’t lose the reader’s support by endlessly reflecting upon her imperfect life.

Bad Moon Rising tells an engaging story about colorful characters. Galligan moves the plot at a good pace without sacrificing atmosphere or characterization. Only a skilled writer can tell such an offbeat story and make it seem so real. Bad Moon Rising is the third book in a series that deserves a long life.

RECOMMENDED

Bad Moon Rising by John Galligan is a well-written book peopled with characters that are difficult to like. This is fine because it makes the story interesting and thought-provoking. The harsh setting replete with dangerous animals, etc., adds to the challenge of solving a repugnant homicide. Heidi Kick the sheriff of Bad Ax County, is looking into the death of an unidentified corpse while also planning her reelection campaign. Readers are treated to investigatory methodology and family drama that plagues Heidi in her third adventure in Bad Ax which is never as tranquil as she would wish. Unpredictable twists and turns add to this outstanding entry in the Bad Ax series. A proven winner.

Sheriff Heidi Kick has a lot on her plate. A record heat wave is killing the elderly in her rural Wisconsin town. A serial killer is killing the homeless. And local businessman, Barry Rickreiner, is running a vicious campaign against Heidi for Sheriff. He is blaming her for everything that has gone wrong in town lately. For Heidi, it feels like a Bad Moon Rising in Bad Axe County. Can former newspaper man and Vietnam veteran, Leroy “Grape” Fanta, help her defeat both the killer and Barry?

This book is crammed full with sub-plots too. Heidi’s son, Taylor, is acting out by physically assaulting his brother. Her daughter is “at a summer camp for gender-nonconforming kids”. Her mother-in-law, Grammy Belle, blames Heidi’s lack of attention for both issues. In addition, something is causing local “deer to stagger onto the roads and get killed in collisions”. Oh, and Heidi may be pregnant. All that is just from chapter 3.

I enjoyed reconnecting with Sheriff Heidi. While reading the first book in this series a couple of years ago, I loved Heidi but not the book’s pacing. With Bad Moon Rising, that problem has been fixed. The writing and pacing are smooth. The rural Wisconsin setting is unusual. Plus, I love all the ongoing sub-plots. If you are looking for a suspenseful deep dive into rural life, look no further. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

John Galligan kicks off his third Bad Axe County novel with mystery and intrigue that pulls you right into the story. Bad Moon Rising begins with a mentally disturbed drifter hopping off a train and landing in Wisconsin, where a mysterious benefactor is trying to help Sheriff Heidi Kick who is embroiled in a reelection race already turned dirty. Add in the dead body of a homeless man, some oppressive Wisconsin summer heat, a newspaper editor who may be both literally and figuratively dying and you’ve got yourself the makings of a fun thriller.

Sheriff Heidi Kick, aka the Dairy Queen, finds the dead body of a homeless man in a ditch, missing a shoe and the foot that goes in it. This is just what she needs as her reelection campaign is already turning nasty and she has trouble at home that includes a sulky preteen and a mother-in-law always eager to believe the worst about her.

Newspaper and Vietnam veteran Leroy Fanta is trying to stave off the closing of his newspaper. He has a hunch that the sheriff’s case might be tied to a long-time letter to the editor writer. As it looks like a serial killer may be at work, both Kick and Fanta’s instincts and efforts jump into overdrive.

Galligan does a good job of working relevant topics into the fabric of a thriller. His characters are complex and juggling a lot of balls at the same time. He works in red herrings and intrigue, and a touch of the macabre to keep things moving at a good clip. The landscape unique to western Wisconsin almost becomes a character itself. Filled with coulees, creeks, cliffs and dense vegetation, almost as if you are entering a lost world.

Bad Moon Rising is another solid entry in this unique series that will entertain mystery and thriller buffs.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

I was drawn to this book based on the synopsis describing a sheriff and a heatwave in Wisconsin. I imagined something along the lines of Jane Harper’s DRY or Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, both are huge favorites of mine. And BAD MOON RISING is the third in a series, so that was also enticing.

Unfortunately, it isn’t quite that kind of book. DRY does an excellent job of creating a sense of place and making the weather a character; it is overwhelming. Johnson’s characters are so realistic, readers could write their dialog, or imagine their lives, outside of the books. And both authors are so very good at creating hooks that grab you at the last minute, upending everything you thought you knew about the plot, and tossing it aside.

BAD MOON RISING telegraphs too much, too far ahead of time, leaving little to reveal at the end. I wish the characters were more complex. The book is a reliable mystery. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

For a first time reader of the series, the narrative felt disjointed with a slightly difficult vernacular to follow. The mystique of the crime was enjoyable but the pacing could be improved.

Sheriff Heidi Kick is up for re-election but she has no time to campaign. An alarming number of murders and missing persons keep her from hitting the campaign trail. When her deputies wind up missing, she begins full 18-hour days to solve the mysteries. Her four kids are being raised by their grandmother.

Some areas of her beat are only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles through deer trails and hidden canyons. Living within these hidden areas is a family of miscreants. Some of the young are never sent to school and speak pidgin German mixed with a modicum of English.

The Goodgolly farm is owned by two brothers with very sketchy backgrounds. There is almost a schizophrenic relationship between the two. They live on their land and do not interact with others. A car in a ditch hides a body which has not been identified. Sheriff Kick goes into the backcountry to solve the problem.

The picture painted by John Galligan of remote Wisconsin backwoods life is both informative and disturbing. Stir-crazy brothers create a living hell on earth for their offspring. Multiple births by the age of twelve are typical.

The book reveals a very different and horrific lifestyle. I would never want to spend time in this kind of environment. The reading experience was graphic and many times aggravating. 3.5 stars - C.E. Williams

It almost seems contradictory to say this is a good book when there's not a single character I'd ever want to meet or a location that makes me want to be there even if I'm just passing through. After watching all the characters sweat their way through gruesome murders, investigations meandering through muddy streams, bug-infested woods and temperatures hot enough to grill steaks on the pavement, I said a prayer of thanks for the air conditioning that was keeping me cool while I read.

That said, the style in which it's written makes for a bit of a tough go figuring out what's going on here, but once it began to come together in my head, the whole thing was full of action, twists and turns and on the whole a real page-turner. Bad Axe County (Wisconsin) Sheriff Heidi Kick, who's in the midst of a down-and-dirty reelection campaign, is called in when a dead body is found (this is, BTW, the third in the author's Bad Axe County series). Heidi's friend, former editor-in-chief of the local newspaper that's just been bought out by the mother of the guy running against her, thinks the dead guy might somehow be connected to an anonymous person who's been sending dire (and irrational) doomsday warnings to the paper. Unbeknownst to Heidi, he sets off on his own to ferret out the truth despite health issues that threaten to sideline him (or worse) at any given minute.

Meanwhile, Heidi's personal life is less than ideal; her loving husband, Harley, is a local baseball superstar who's away at a tournament - leaving her alone with twin sons Taylor and Dylan, one of whom has serious emotional issues, a daughter who's away at some kind of camp and a mother-in-law from you-know-where. On top of trying to do her job in the unyielding heat, she has to deal with near-threats from the man who's looking to replace her.

There's no way to describe the directions the investigation, political race and Heidi's personal life will go - it's way too complicated - so you'll just have to read the book to find out how it all comes out (and together) in the end. I'm glad I read it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Beyond that, I'm still breathing a (cool) sigh that I don't live anywhere near this part of the country. Whew!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sheriff Heidi is trying to win re-election while trying to solve several murders. The murders are like nothing she has seen before. It will take everything she has to find the killer.

Honestly- this is such an odd book. It’s written well, but that is the strangest plot I’ve ever read.

Wow, what a story. The third instalment of a series and was full of action. Bit disjointed at times but excited for the next instalment.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

This is the third installment in a unique mystery series by John Galligan. The main protagonist is a female sheriff named Heidi Kick who is trying to solve the murder of a homeless man. I have really never read anything quite like this book and it is a refreshing addition to the mystery genre. I personally like reading series in order but I don’t think it is necessary with this one. An enjoyable read!

Third in the Bad Axe County series, this installment helps us to learn more about Sheriff Heidi Kick. Galligan’s writing is strong, atmospheric, and memorable.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thoroughly love this series!

Bad Moon Rising is book 3 in the Heidi Kick series and I hope the author keeps Heidi and her family around for a very long time.

As usual, this is a crime novel filled with both horrors and heart – and those horrors manage to be both terrible and heartbreaking in this one! As for the heart, watching Kick deal with horrific crimes while still trying to do the best for her family will hit any parent hard. Galligan brings us a woman who always tries and, like us, sometimes fails.

Please know that the book works very well as a standalone. While having familiaity with the series will help you to understand the dynamics of the town a bit better, the author still does a good job of bringing new readers into his world – you won’t get lost.

Happily waiting for the next book!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley