Scan barcode
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
In Ace Atkins' seventh installment in the Quinn Colson series, The Fallen, Tibbehah County, Mississippi is once again a hotbed of illegal activity which runs the gamut of bank robberies, missing teenage girls and an underlying corruption that Sheriff Quinn Colson just cannot seem to stay ahead of.
When bank robbers Rick Wilcox, Jonas Cord and their buddy Opie make an ill-fated decision to rob Jericho First National Bank, they are certain they will get away with their crime. However, instead of a clueless small town police force, their crime falls under the jurisdiction of Sheriff Quinn Colson and assistant Sheriff Lillie Virgil who have proven time and again they are a formidable crime fighting duo. Colson correctly deduces the men are former military and with few clues to go on, he turns to federal agent Jon Holliday who does not have any more information about the crew than Quinn and Lillie.
Interspersed with the investigation into the bank robbery are a couple of story arcs set in the local community. Quinn's sister Caddy is worried about two missing teenagers that she has been trying to locate under the Sheriff's radar. Strip bar owner Fannie Hathcock is running up against good ole boy Skinner whose Southern Christian values are greatly offended by her establishment. The search for the missing girls leads straight to Fannie's strip joint and ultimately, the latest round of corruption that is attempting to gain a toehold in Tibbehah County.
In between the investigation of the bank robbery and fighting petty crimes in the county, Quinn reunites with childhood friend Maggie Powers who has recently moved to town with her nine year old son Brandon. As they reminisce about their innocent exploits, a simmering passion threatens to explode into full blown passion but since Maggie is in the midst of a messy divorce, they attempt to keep their relationship platonic.
When Quinn begins putting the pieces of the various puzzles together, Lillie's concerns about his objectivity lead her to make a surprising decision about her future. When the multiple plotlines finally converge into a violent showdown, she concedes Quinn's suspicions are, indeed correct, and her expertise is instrumental in bringing the siege to an end. In the aftermath, will Lillie change her mind about the events she set into motion during a moment of frustration?
The Fallen is another well-plotted mystery with a storyline that is an accurate reflection of the pervasive political mindset of the deep South today. Ace Atkins lightens the mood with some laugh out loud funny one-liners as Quinn and Lillie take aim at the corruption and crime that threaten to destroy Tibbehah County. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Quinn Colson series, it can easily be read as a standalone. However, I have to warn readers that the novel's tantalizing conclusion will leave them impatiently awaiting the next book in this fantastic series.
In Ace Atkins' seventh installment in the Quinn Colson series, The Fallen, Tibbehah County, Mississippi is once again a hotbed of illegal activity which runs the gamut of bank robberies, missing teenage girls and an underlying corruption that Sheriff Quinn Colson just cannot seem to stay ahead of.
When bank robbers Rick Wilcox, Jonas Cord and their buddy Opie make an ill-fated decision to rob Jericho First National Bank, they are certain they will get away with their crime. However, instead of a clueless small town police force, their crime falls under the jurisdiction of Sheriff Quinn Colson and assistant Sheriff Lillie Virgil who have proven time and again they are a formidable crime fighting duo. Colson correctly deduces the men are former military and with few clues to go on, he turns to federal agent Jon Holliday who does not have any more information about the crew than Quinn and Lillie.
Interspersed with the investigation into the bank robbery are a couple of story arcs set in the local community. Quinn's sister Caddy is worried about two missing teenagers that she has been trying to locate under the Sheriff's radar. Strip bar owner Fannie Hathcock is running up against good ole boy Skinner whose Southern Christian values are greatly offended by her establishment. The search for the missing girls leads straight to Fannie's strip joint and ultimately, the latest round of corruption that is attempting to gain a toehold in Tibbehah County.
In between the investigation of the bank robbery and fighting petty crimes in the county, Quinn reunites with childhood friend Maggie Powers who has recently moved to town with her nine year old son Brandon. As they reminisce about their innocent exploits, a simmering passion threatens to explode into full blown passion but since Maggie is in the midst of a messy divorce, they attempt to keep their relationship platonic.
When Quinn begins putting the pieces of the various puzzles together, Lillie's concerns about his objectivity lead her to make a surprising decision about her future. When the multiple plotlines finally converge into a violent showdown, she concedes Quinn's suspicions are, indeed correct, and her expertise is instrumental in bringing the siege to an end. In the aftermath, will Lillie change her mind about the events she set into motion during a moment of frustration?
The Fallen is another well-plotted mystery with a storyline that is an accurate reflection of the pervasive political mindset of the deep South today. Ace Atkins lightens the mood with some laugh out loud funny one-liners as Quinn and Lillie take aim at the corruption and crime that threaten to destroy Tibbehah County. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Quinn Colson series, it can easily be read as a standalone. However, I have to warn readers that the novel's tantalizing conclusion will leave them impatiently awaiting the next book in this fantastic series.
perednia's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent entry in the Quinn Colson series. This is a bright-eyed look at the darkness in the Southern countryside, with characters both honorable and dis, and epic outcomes.
martyfried's review against another edition
4.0
Good read, kind of abrupt ending, I thought. Maybe there will be a another one coming?
No time for a review right now - maybe later.
No time for a review right now - maybe later.
sunny76's review against another edition
4.0
I like Quinn Colson, Lillie Virgil, and most of the characters of Tibbehah County, Mississippi. I'm ready for the next one, because I need to know why Lillie Virgil did what she did. Fannie can move on down the road any day after what she did. I recommend reading these in order, although it's not required.
trenton_ross's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
bookhero6's review against another edition
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. 7th in a series about a Sheriff in a small town in northern Mississippi, I don't know exactly what I was expecting. Granted, I have lots of preconceived notions about Mississippi based on an extensive family history there. Granted also, I have lots of preconceived notions about detective stories. Consequently, this book surprised me.
In it we have a strong of bank robberies and a local Sheriff who must solve the case, along with a wonderful cast of side characters, and side stories that all tie somehow to the bigger mystery. There is less in this detective story about solving the actual case than there is about the interplay of all the different characters and forces acting in this book, forces much too complex for just one book, which makes me glad there is a series wherein these forces hopefully play out.
It works very well as a stand alone novel. Having never read any of the other books in this series I did not feel at all lost, but I did find myself very curious about who all are recurring characters. Fannie Hathcock, a business proprietor who features heavily in this book, was one I was very curious about. I hope this is not her only book, and I found her character development over the course of the story to be very intriguing. She is kind of a villain, but also not really. She is a complex character, which only furthered my curiosity. Quinn Colson, our Sheriff, is obviously the central character. His sister Caddy and their friend Boom, seem also to be highly likely to be recurring, and they both appear to have very interesting back stories I would like to know more about. Which, of course, means I will be looking into more of this series.
All together, I very much liked this book and will continue reading the series to which it belongs.
I received a free digital copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program.
In it we have a strong of bank robberies and a local Sheriff who must solve the case, along with a wonderful cast of side characters, and side stories that all tie somehow to the bigger mystery. There is less in this detective story about solving the actual case than there is about the interplay of all the different characters and forces acting in this book, forces much too complex for just one book, which makes me glad there is a series wherein these forces hopefully play out.
It works very well as a stand alone novel. Having never read any of the other books in this series I did not feel at all lost, but I did find myself very curious about who all are recurring characters. Fannie Hathcock, a business proprietor who features heavily in this book, was one I was very curious about. I hope this is not her only book, and I found her character development over the course of the story to be very intriguing. She is kind of a villain, but also not really. She is a complex character, which only furthered my curiosity. Quinn Colson, our Sheriff, is obviously the central character. His sister Caddy and their friend Boom, seem also to be highly likely to be recurring, and they both appear to have very interesting back stories I would like to know more about. Which, of course, means I will be looking into more of this series.
All together, I very much liked this book and will continue reading the series to which it belongs.
I received a free digital copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program.
eleellis's review against another edition
4.0
The Fallen is the seventh book by Ace Atkins involving his Quinn Colson character and each novel becomes better and better.
What I like about this series is that it has avoided becoming stale. It also lacks the appearance of being assembled with a cookie cutter-like formula, so often found with novels involving recurring characters and settings.
Atkins brings back familiar and earlier introduced characters and allows them to grow and progress through his novels. He also introduces new characters and villains, some clearly quite dangerous.
In this novel, Colson finds himself in the middle of an investigation involving highly trained bank robbers, with skills he respects and believes have been developed through military training. Along the way, his foes included the returning of Fannie Hathcock, who is slowly revealed to be quite cagey and very dangerous. Other villains remain hidden below the surface, with the promise of being revealed later in future installments.
Additional plotlines are included, which later converge along with the main storyline.
The Fallen is highly recommended and I envy the reader that gets to pick up this series from the start for the first time because each novel grows.
The bad thing about receiving an advanced reader's copy of The Fallen is the anticipation of waiting for the next novel because Atkins clearly has set that one in motion to pick up where this one has left off.
What I like about this series is that it has avoided becoming stale. It also lacks the appearance of being assembled with a cookie cutter-like formula, so often found with novels involving recurring characters and settings.
Atkins brings back familiar and earlier introduced characters and allows them to grow and progress through his novels. He also introduces new characters and villains, some clearly quite dangerous.
In this novel, Colson finds himself in the middle of an investigation involving highly trained bank robbers, with skills he respects and believes have been developed through military training. Along the way, his foes included the returning of Fannie Hathcock, who is slowly revealed to be quite cagey and very dangerous. Other villains remain hidden below the surface, with the promise of being revealed later in future installments.
Additional plotlines are included, which later converge along with the main storyline.
The Fallen is highly recommended and I envy the reader that gets to pick up this series from the start for the first time because each novel grows.
The bad thing about receiving an advanced reader's copy of The Fallen is the anticipation of waiting for the next novel because Atkins clearly has set that one in motion to pick up where this one has left off.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve accepted the fact that Ace Atkins is basically going to write the same book each time with the Quinn Colson series. Over-their-head gangsters with connections to Tibbehah. People swooping in from Quinn’s past. A bunch of random references to vaginas. Some dirty dealing Mississippi pols and crooks. And overall, mostly fun southern fried crime stories.
I don’t know if I would have gorged on this series so hard had it not been for quarantine. But I’m glad I am. They’re enjoyable. Atkins knows how to write. Even now, as I’m familiar with all the beats he will hit, I still get a kick out of it. I love the characters, the dialogue, the setting. Atkins is great at skewing his home state of Mississippi without condescending it. You get why these people, have hard lives but you also understand that they love where they come from with a fierce passion.
That’s not to say this one doesn’t have faults. I think Caddy is outliving her usefulness as a primary character. The b-plots that revolve around her don’t really land anymore, this one included. Also, Atkins has never had any idea how to write Quinn’s love life in an effective manner. He seems to use a rotating cast of women as filler.
And while I’m not sure how other fans feel, I think it’s kind of an open secret that Lillie Virgil is a more interesting character than Quinn is.
Still, this is another fun entry in a fun series. I’m hoping to get to the rest of them before year’s end.
I don’t know if I would have gorged on this series so hard had it not been for quarantine. But I’m glad I am. They’re enjoyable. Atkins knows how to write. Even now, as I’m familiar with all the beats he will hit, I still get a kick out of it. I love the characters, the dialogue, the setting. Atkins is great at skewing his home state of Mississippi without condescending it. You get why these people, have hard lives but you also understand that they love where they come from with a fierce passion.
That’s not to say this one doesn’t have faults. I think Caddy is outliving her usefulness as a primary character. The b-plots that revolve around her don’t really land anymore, this one included. Also, Atkins has never had any idea how to write Quinn’s love life in an effective manner. He seems to use a rotating cast of women as filler.
And while I’m not sure how other fans feel, I think it’s kind of an open secret that Lillie Virgil is a more interesting character than Quinn is.
Still, this is another fun entry in a fun series. I’m hoping to get to the rest of them before year’s end.
alexcarbonneau's review against another edition
3.0
It pains me to rate a Quinn Colson, let along an Ace Atkins novel a 3-star rating, but allow me to make my case.
I have been, and still am, a fan of the Colson and Tibbehah series since i first read the very first chapter of The Ranger. I was actually very excited about The Fallen. The plot seemed to go out of the beaten path of the series and The Redeemers had given Lily Virgil the place she deserved in the series, which is basically more of her.
Unfortunately, The Fallen falls into the exact same molds of its predecessors. Don't get me wrong. It is a good novel. It serves it's purpose. It's gritty and raw and funny. Pure Ace Atkins.
I just feel that there is this mold now in the series where the author just changes the names and the action. The newest books in the series are almost identical to the others although Atkins changed Safe robbers to Bank Robbers.
I will still read every Colson books Ace Atkins throw at me. It is still an enjoyable novel, but I deeply wish that the next one will take us somewhere else.
I have been, and still am, a fan of the Colson and Tibbehah series since i first read the very first chapter of The Ranger. I was actually very excited about The Fallen. The plot seemed to go out of the beaten path of the series and The Redeemers had given Lily Virgil the place she deserved in the series, which is basically more of her.
Unfortunately, The Fallen falls into the exact same molds of its predecessors. Don't get me wrong. It is a good novel. It serves it's purpose. It's gritty and raw and funny. Pure Ace Atkins.
I just feel that there is this mold now in the series where the author just changes the names and the action. The newest books in the series are almost identical to the others although Atkins changed Safe robbers to Bank Robbers.
I will still read every Colson books Ace Atkins throw at me. It is still an enjoyable novel, but I deeply wish that the next one will take us somewhere else.
vkemp's review
4.0
A group of bad boys are robbing banks all over the mid-south and when they hit the bank in Jericho MS, Quinn Colson is livid. Meanwhile, Caddy Colson, Quinn's sister, is on the hunt for two young girls who went missing after visiting The River, Caddy's religious community outside Jericho. Quinn also meets an eligible lady who has just moved to Jericho and they begin dating. Lillie Virgil, Quinn's right-hand woman, is also bound and determined to bring justice down to Franny Hathcock ,who runs the local strip joint, now that Johnny Staggs is serving time in the federal pen. Tibbehah County has more than its share of miscreants and villains and Quinn and Lillie are hot on their trail. As all of these trails come together, the blow-back is monumental. And a lot of people die. Another great read from Ace Atkins.