Shifty’s Boys

Offutt’s strong sequel to 2021’s The Killing Hills finds Army CID officer Mick Hardin back home in rural eastern Kentucky recuperating from an IED attack overseas when he’s hired by local matriarch Shifty Kissick to look into the murder of her drug dealer son, Barney, whose body was found behind an auto parts store. With a keen eye and easy rapport with the town’s seedier characters and members of law enforcement, Mick finds his way into the thick of a conspiracy larger than a heroin deal gone bad. Meanwhile, Mick’s sister, Sheriff Linda Hardin, is running for reelection and has to carefully navigate the freewheeling if nevertheless effective methods of Mick’s investigation in order to keep her nose clean. Mick’s pending divorce with his estranged wife back in Germany adds some depth to his character, but the emotional stakes often feel like an afterthought. Readers will appreciate the novel’s respectful portrayal of the contemporary South as they ride along with Mick on his fair-minded, almost spiritual quest to root out the truth. Fans of contemporary small-town mysteries will look forward to Offut’s next. Agent: Nicole Aragi, Aragi Agency. (June)