The Moonshine Messiah

Johnson makes an auspicious debut with this evocative Southern crime novel. Mary Beth Cain, the 40-year-old sheriff of Jasper County, W.Va., has her hands full with a steady stream of criminal activity—much of it perpetuated by her mother, the leader of a syndicate known as the McCray County Mafia, and her brother, a right-wing talk radio host with a significant following who’s stockpiling weapons to form a militia. Meanwhile, she’s under scrutiny for allegations of coerced confessions and evidence tampering. The pressure on Mary Beth increases drastically when her ex-boyfriend, federal prosecutor Patrick Connelly, shows up in Jasper County to make an offer: if Mary Beth goes after Sawyer and his violent followers, the feds won’t pursue charges against her, which could include civil rights violations and election fraud. At first, Mary Beth refuses, knowing most (but not all) of the charges are unfounded, but then Sawyer and his followers carry out a terrorist attack at a local courthouse, and she agrees to try and stop him before things get any bloodier. Johnson perfectly marries pace and character development, resulting in a breakneck neo-noir populated by complicated people whose actions never feel inauthentic. Eli Cranor and Ace Atkins fans should take a look. (Self-published)