There's always something special about a thriller that takes place in Texas- the setting just lends itself to creating an atmosphere steeped in tradition, strict social roles, and beautiful landscapes.

THE KILLING PLAINS lives up to that expectation of a setting. In this thrilling novel, Colly Newland is investigating a case in which everyone knows everyone, and the secrets that should remain buried are brought to the surface.

THE KILLING PLAINS is a great, old-fashioned thriller. Going into it, you know what to expect, have a goo idea of where the plot will go, and it delivers in the best ways a thriller can deliver. The pacing is great, making it a good read for vacation or a lazy weekend.

The characters are also well developed- you know that these people exist somewhere and that's a bit frightening.

The Killing Plains is the debut from author Sherry Rankin. Columbo Newland, known by Colly to her friends, has returned to Crescent Bluff, with her seven year old grandson, Satchel, in tow.

Colly has retired from law enforcement, but has returned to her late husband’s hometown, to help his brother, the police chief, by consulting on a case. 20 years ago, Adam Parker went missing. He was discovered in the stock pond, with a curious and disturbing object clutched in his hand. Willis Newland was tried and convicted. A current case bears startling similarities to the historic murder, Willis is the obvious suspect. When Willis himself dies in a bizarre incident, the case is closed. The Newland family matriarch, Iris, believes her son to be innocent, so Colly is summonsed to investigate.

The Newland family are powerful and well known, Newland Wind and the family ranch being a large employer in the area, which causes both loyalty and resentment.
Crescent Bluff is dripping with small town claustrophobia. Everybody knows everybody, with many trying to keep their secrets buried. When these secrets float to the surface, as they inevitably do, it causes a huge headache for the investigation.

I found the constant accusation, that Colly was responsible for the deaths of her husband and daughter wore thin. It seemed that everyone aimed this taunt at her. From her in-laws, which might be understandable, to suspects she was questioning. The reader knows nothing of what happened until virtually the conclusion, which frustrated, rather than intrigued me.

Although Colly was always knee deep in chaos, both regarding grandson Satchel, or the case, I felt the story was a little slow in the midsection; but it certainly picked up at the story neared its conclusion. The author took great care to tie up the loose ends, all the red herrings were explained, which I really appreciated. All in all, I thought it was a really good debut, which I enjoyed. I feel the author has also left the door open for a further book featuring Colly, as she has unfinished business in Crescent Bluff.

Very good mystery written by a very talented writer. The story itself was very well written and interesting. But somewhat predictable.

Still really enjoyed it and would recommend

Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

The Killing Plains is the Debut Dagger Award winning thriller by Shelly Rank.
In short, Detective Colly Newland reluctantly agrees to investigate a case at Crescent Bluff, West Texas, a place where everybody knows everybody & everybody has a secret, including her dead husband’s extended family, whose brother was convicted of a similar murder 20 years ago in the same location and with the same MO. It’s a difficult case to solve for Detective Colly as it’s family and friends she is investigating and assumption based on trust could be fatal to an investigation.
The Killing Plains is a great read, I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline which had plenty going on, cleverly unraveling at a decent pace. Although there were many red herrings I did guess the killer but this didn’t spoil the story at all. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Big thanks to Shelly Rank, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

I chose not to read this book, however I did not want to mark that I won't give feedback because it brings my numbers down and that isn't fair.

**3.5 stars**

This was a good debut mystery: part police procedural, part family drama/mystery. By the way it ends I’m guessing we haven’t seen the last of Colly and west Texas.

The pacing was good, it didn’t drag anywhere. The overall mystery was entertaining and most importantly I did not guess the killer ahead of time.

Overall this was an enjoyable read/listen and I’ll look for the author’s next book.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review**

This is a thriller from a relatively new author, t I am very happy to have found.
Our heroine is a retired police detective. Her last case cost her the deaths of her husband and adult daughter. Now her husband's family need her help, so she takes her young grandson to the town he grew up in.
The family dynamics are very complicated. Lies, tragedy and danger are all around. While she is desperately trying to protect her extremely traumatised grandson and solve the murders, someone is out to stop her.
An action packed and exciting story. I look forward to reading more.
I loved it.

The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin is an excellent story. The writing is detailed enough that you feel like you are in the scenes! The characters are well developed, and there is a steady flow of excitement

This gripping and suspenseful police procedural will captivate thriller fans with its complex mysteries and intricate plot twists. Readers who enjoy being kept on their toes will be enthralled by the story's depth and the constant air of uncertainty that permeates the narrative. The author expertly weaves together multiple threads of investigation, creating a tapestry of suspense that will leave readers guessing until the very end. With its richly developed characters, tense atmosphere, and shocking revelations, this novel is a must-read for anyone who craves a thrilling and thought-provoking literary experience.

When a boy is found dead with the skin of a hare’s head in his hand, everyone knows who killed him—Willis Newland, just released from prison after serving twenty years for an identical murder.

Detective Colly Newland has been called in to investigate despite it being a seemingly airtight case. In the small town if Crescent Bluff un West Texas it seems everyone is involved in some way. That includesher dead husband’s extended family. As she begins to dig up secrets threats are made against her. The situation is more complicated than she could ever have imagined.

The setting of Crescent Bluff is important to the story. The remoteness creates a small town feel despite being a large area of desolate land. The descriptions are done very well and I could see the beauty even while Colly was struggling with her surroundings. The setting also makes it harder to investigate. The writing in general is great and I felt completely immersed in the surroundings.

Colly is a great main character. She is determined to do things the right way. The town and her family are lucky to have her. There are other likeable characters as well despite some of them having many flaws. They are people you want to root for.

There is never a dull moment in the story. Many bizarre things happen to make you question what's going on. There is a great balance between the investigative process and more personal issues.

I don't know if this is going to be a series but I would definitely love to read more about Colly and the town of Crescent Bluff. There is a sad feeling hanging over the town and Colly's family. I would love to return and spend more time there.

I couldn't read fast enough. This one is compelling and keeps you guessing. I was hooked from the beginning. Great characters and suspenseful twists make for one hell of a page-turner. This is an author to keep an eye on. I will happily read her work again!

Every town (and family) has its secrets

Twenty years ago a young boy was found dead near a. pond in Crescent Bluff, a small west Texas town. Willis Newland, the troubled son of the town's most influential family who had already drawn the town's ire for inappropriate behavior around other boys, was arrested and convicted of the crime and released two decades later. When after Willis' return another young boy turns up dead by the same pond Willis is again assumed to be responsible, even though his mother Iris (who never believed in his guilt for the first crime) gives him a solid alibi...there are too many common elements to believe that the two deaths were unrelated Willis himself is soon found dead, strangled by the Burmese python he kept as a pet, and many assume it was his way of committing suicide rather than face another imprisonment, Iris again refuses to believe in Willis' guilt, even though the Texas Rangers have closed the case, and prevails upon her son Russ (who happens to be the local Chief of Police) to bring in a retired Houston detective to review the investigation. That detective is Colly Newland, the widow of Iris's son and Russ's twin brother Randy who is still grieving the death of her husband and her daughter Victoria (under traumatic circumstances, the details of which the reader doesn't know) while she struggles to raise Victoria's son Satchel. Returning to Crescent Bluff is the last thing Colly wants to do...Iris has never really liked her, and more than a few people in those parts blame Colly for Randy's and Victoria's deaths...but she doesn't feel that she really has a choice. People in small towns often have secrets, and in this case someone is willing to kill to keep their's from being revealed. Can Colly sort through the lies told and the mistakes made to discover the truth of what happened to the two boys, or will she or someone she loves become another victim?
In The Killing Plains, the setting is as much a character as are the people who live there. Colly is a complicated protagonist, a talented detective who had once hoped to leave her humble roots and Texas behind and head east to become an FBI profiler while Randy would pursue journalism. The same family ties that have Colly heading back to Crescent Bluff now had kept Randy back then from following his dreams after WIllis' first arrest and conviction. Resentment, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy are all twisted together as Colly returns, this time with Satchel, who not only suffers from health issues but has been traumatized by his mother's and grandfather's deaths. A young police woman with a chip on her shoulder resents Colly's arrival on the scene, which makes doing the job she's been asked to do even harder for Colly. The one ally that Colly has other than Russ is Brenda, ex-wife of the other remaining Newland brother Lowell (a real piece of work), but even that relationship feels off to her sometimes. The story unfolds with more than a few twists (and more than a few snakes lurking about, not my favorite creature for the record) and, while I had my suspicions fairly early on as to who the likely killer was, the pacing and atmosphere as well as the compelling characters kept me turning pages. Readers of authors like Karin Slaughter, J A Jance and Kendra Elliot might find this novel by first-time author Sherry Rankin an enjoyable read (I certainly did). My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me access to this entertaining tale in return for my honest review.

The Killing Plains delivers a solid whodunnit with a compelling protagonist in Colly, who I could easily see leading a series. The mystery kept me engaged, though the pacing dragged at times, especially with some of the detours into the town’s history. The number of characters introduced at the onset made the connections and relationships a bit hard to keep straight early on.

One of my biggest frustrations was how often Colly was blamed for her husband’s and daughter’s deaths without any explanation until near the end—it would have been much more effective to reveal that backstory sooner. While the ultimate culprit was not very surprising, the long-held secrets felt more like sudden reveals than clues the reader could piece together.

I appreciated the way the story wrapped up loose ends, and I enjoyed the journey overall.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A thriller mystery that started slow and Dragged in parts. I still throughly enjoyed the story and found myself holding my breath until the next chapter.

The story did have quiet a few red herrings but I felt the ending was worth it, as it wrapped up any loose ends and questions I had. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGallery for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts on the work.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Killing Plains By Sherry Rankin
Publication Date: February 1, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer | Amazon Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Y'all, I do not know how Thomas & Mercer always manages to find such incredible thrillers from these amazing debut authors, but they've done it again!! A brilliant five stars to Sherry Rankin and The Killing Plains!

This was an atmospheric and creepy as hell thriller, with tangible suspense that had its fingers wrapped around my throat as I read. This book was UNPUTDOWNABLE for me. If I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I barely made it through my workday today because the book was within reach and I was dying to know what was going to happen next!

There's a creepy serial killer terrorizing this small town in West Texas. This killer murdered 2 young boys - 20 years apart - and left behind a tanned rabbit hide face mask with each victim. Retired Houston police officer, Colly, with her grandson Satchel in tow, returns to her husband's hometown, because her police chief brother-in-law wants fresh eyes to take a look at this serial killer investigation. Colly reluctantly agrees to help, but she knows her husband's family (and much of the small town) hates her. Oh, and did I mention that Colly's husband and adult daughter were killed not too long ago, in a scenario that somehow connects to Colly's police work in Houston?

A crime fiction, police procedural, small town mystery, with creepy vibes that hooked me immediately and wouldn't let go til the case was solved. The Killing Plains kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat. I cannot recommend this one enough -- I think it's still a Read Now on NetGalley - so get your butt over there and get it right now if you can. Or buy it on February 1st when it releases on Amazon! Sherry Rankin, this book was so, so good -- I can't wait to see what you write next! Whatever it is, I'm gonna love it.

#TheKillingPlains #SherryRankin #ThomasandMercer #AmazonPublishing #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #mustreads #fivestarreads

First time I have read anything from this author and I enjoyed the style of writing. It was fast paced with a good storyline. Plenty of suspense throughout. I would definitely read the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I just devoured Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin, and it was a great read! This crime thriller had me hooked from the start with all the twists and turns.

4 stars

I really enjoyed the story!

The one thing I liked most was the imperfect characters. The character flaws, leading to eventual character development (Avery and Col, I'm looking at you two!) was sweet to watch. The plot was hella enjoyable! I don't think I've read any Texas based thrillers before.

The easter eggs, hints, here and there, the plot and characters both being so intertwined was written really well!!!!

Some things I liked about this book:
1. The use of metaphors, weather descriptions etc to depict the mood settings. The clouds matching the mood of the weather was beautiful!
2. The culprit's identity being hinted at, at several points, along with some very subtle foreshadowings, rather than a complete 180 plot twist.
3. The character development. I loved the development of Avery and Colly's dynamics throughout the story. It almost felt like an elder sister and rebellious younger sister kinda bond.
4. The ending. It was perfect in every sense to me, a little surprising, but it was just what would be realistic and nice.

One thing I didn't feel too sure about was the use of the word 'depressed' at some points for simple saddened/ melancholic moods, it wasn't much except at 2-3 points, but it just felt a little wrong, specially in a book revolving around psychological conditions.

But overall, I really enjoyed reading the book, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a Texas-vibes in a thriller with psychological factors and imperfect characters with some gore!

The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin takes readers to West Texas and the town of Crescent Bluff. Colly Newland does not want to be back there as the place brings up bad memories. Her late husband, Randy, came from there and his wealthy family controls everything for miles around. While he was physically living with her and their children in Houston, he never escaped the family and their dark secrets.

Now retired and a widow, former Houston Detective Colly Newland and her grandson, Satchel, are back on a temporary basis. They are back for two weeks or so and that means Satchel will be in the local school while Colly is working. Once a cop—always a cop.

Police Chief Russ Newland, brother of her dead husband Randy, asked her to come home and investigate a cold case of sorts. Many years ago, another brother, Willis, who had special needs, confessed to killing a local boy. Eventually, the governor commuted his sentence because of the family wealth and powerful connections.

Willis returned home, and shortly afterwards, another local child died. There were very close links to the first case so suspicion quickly fell on Willis. He soon committed suicide before authorities could clear him or build an actual case based on facts of his guilt. The Texas Rangers, the lead investigating agency, believed Willis was responsible for the killings both times, decades apart, and closed the case.

Iris Newland, family matriarch and no pushover, believes Willis never did any of it. She pushed Russ hard to call Colly and convince her to come back and review everything. Iris did not accept it in 98 when Willis went to prison. In here and now of the book set in 2018, she does not believe it now either. E of it. She knows that Willis did none of it. She has pushed Russ hard enough that Russ now has questions about it all based on what the closed investigation turned up.

Being back is emotionally hard on Colly, Satchel, Russ, Iris, and pretty much everybody. Beyond Willis, there is plenty of pain and guilt to go around for everybody. For Colly, who needs some sort of healing most of all, it is a chance to deal with the ghosts and the legacy of the past, as well as stop a murderer as things get more and more complicated.

Iris just might have been right. If she was right about this, what else was she right about?

A complicated atmospheric read, The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin makes much of its West Texas setting based on the author’s long experience in the area teaching creative writing and literature. That means that the obligatory rattlesnake roundup, a feature of nearly every mystery and crime fiction novel set in West Texas, rears its head here and serves, as expected, to be a pivotal moment. So too does the weather in a variety of forms.

The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin is a solidly mystery read that is well worth your time. This reader hopes that there is a sequel so that we get to see more of Colly, her grandson Satchel, and others in a book to come.


My digital ARC came from the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, through NetGalley with no expectation of a review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

This is a debut novel, a murder mystery set in Texas which was atmospheric and contained a cast of interesting characters. It’s hard to believe that this is Sherry Rankin’s first book. It was so well written and intricately plotted.
Colly is returning to her late husband’s family with her grandson Satchel, having lost her daughter and husband in unexplained circumstances.
She is a cop but taking time out after what has happened and has been asked by her brother in law, also a cop, to investigate some murders. The youngest brother in the family, Willis, who has spent many years in prison for killing a young boy 20 years previously, has been released but has subsequently died after being suspected of a further child’s murder.
Russ, her brother in law, wants her to review the cases and work out whether Willis was really guilty of the crimes of which he was accused. Did he murder two children?
Nothing is as it seems and there are many suspects and clues but these don’t seem to add up. Colly finds it difficult to work out what is going on. Her grandson is traumatised and she has to fit in the investigation around him which proves hard. When she is targeted and warned off the case matters really start to hot up. She feels there has been a miscarriage of justice but will the real killer silence her before she discovers their identity?
This was a great mystery with interesting characters. I raced through the book, savouring the descriptions of the remote Texas plains and customs whilst really getting to know Colly and her family.
So much so that at the end I felt keen to know more about Colly and Satchel and wondered if “The Killing Plains “ might be the start of a series. Definitely recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.