Don't Let the Devil Ride
A Novel
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
“An instant Southern noir classic” –S.A. Cosby
S.A. Cosby meets Don Winslow in the breakout thriller from New York Times bestselling author Ace Atkins. A Memphis woman hires a PI to find her missing husband, only to discover that he is involved in a dangerous web of international intrigue—and she and her children are now at risk.
Hell is empty…and Addison McKellar’s husband is missing.
Addison McKellar isn’t clueless—she knows she and her husband Dean don’t have the perfect marriage—but she’s still shocked when he completely vanishes from her life. At first Addison is annoyed, but as days stretch into a week and she’s repeatedly stonewalled by Dean’s friends and associates, her frustration turns into genuine alarm. When even the police seem dismissive of her concerns, Addison turns to her father’s old friend, legendary Memphis PI Porter Hayes.
Porter and Addison begin to dig deeper into Dean’s affairs and quickly discover that he was never the hardworking business owner and family man he pretended to be. As they piece together the connections between a hook-handed mercenary, one of Elvis’s former leading ladies, and a man posing as an FBI agent, it becomes clear that Dean was deeply enmeshed in a high-stakes web of international intrigue, and Porter and Addison aren’t the only ones looking for him.
Dean angered some very dangerous people before he disappeared—people who have already killed to get what they want—and they won’t hesitate to come after his family to even the score.
Don’t Let the Devil Ride is a thrilling adventure about what can happen when you pull back the curtain on your life. Ace Atkins, long known for gritty Southern noir with a witty edge, has crafted an ambitious, globe-hopping story that comes home to Memphis in explosive fashion.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A private eye must discover the truth behind a missing husband’s elaborate deception in this high-octane mystery. When Addison McKellar’s husband, Dean, vanishes (again), she hires her father’s friend Porter Hayes to track him down. But Porter’s investigation opens a can of highly lethal, globally reaching worms. Best-selling author Ace Atkins, who also writes the thrilling Mississippi-set Sheriff Quinn Colson series, stirs up a spicy gumbo filled with gritty criminals and dangerous global plans. We loved hanging out with aging detective Hayes (giving elderly-Shaft vibes), who is still cracking crimes and showing off his larger-than-life personality because it’s all he knows how to do. We see the story through several quirky characters’ eyes, moving from steamy Memphis to a worldwide manhunt as Porter and Addison unearth the depth of Dean McKellar’s dealings. Dim the lights, tilt the blinds just right, and prepare for a sultry Southern noir without borders.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
International intrigue and classic P.I. sleuthing combine in this deliciously complex thriller from bestseller Atkins (the Quinn Colson series). Addison McKellar has grown used to her husband Dean's frequent work-related absences, but after several days pass without a word from him, she worries something bad has happened. Though Dean's friends and associates at his Memphis construction firm assure Addison she's overreacting, she follows her father's advice and hires private investigator Porter Hayes. It doesn't take long for the former cop and Vietnam vet to discover that Dean is not the man he claims to be, kick-starting a globe-trotting adventure involving a B-movie actress, Russian mobsters, and a suave French criminal, each of whom are after a mysterious cache of holy relics in transit from Turkey to Memphis. Atkins has loads of fun marrying his hardboiled sensibility to the gonzo espionage plot, and relies on his strengths as a storyteller to keep the whole thing from running off the rails. This should win Atkins oodles of new fans.
Customer Reviews
Pure enjoyment
Witty, fast paced, great references to music and politics. Characters you really get a feel for, great plot. Sorry to see poor reviews here for this refreshing read.
Great
fun.
His worst book ever
Without all the gore there’s nothing there. Meandering, plotless, cardboard characters. Don’t waste your money.