A review by randyrasa
Dead Man Dancing, Volume 2: A Bad Axe County Novel by John Galligan

5.0

[b:Bad Axe County|43218140|Bad Axe County|John Galligan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561293832l/43218140._SX50_.jpg|67061750] was one of the best mystery/thrillers I read last year, and this one is even better: dark, gritty, and tense. The novel reflects the hollowing-out of rural America, with the left-behind consumed by hatred, bitterness, grievances, and despair. The communities I know well, not so different from Farmstead WI, are populated by some good people, for sure, but there is a yawning darkness just under the surface, as we can see reflected in recent national politics. The white nationalism and racial animus depicted in Dead Man Dancing are very real, and very dangerous, as is the reluctance of many rural residents to recognize and confront those ugly realities. But despite the dark characters and themes, there is some brightness as well: small-town traditions, the simple joy of polka, even an unexpected and heartwarming LGBTQ subplot. This is simply a terrific book.