Bad Moon Rising by John Galligan

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.