Title: The Killing Hills
Author: Chris Offutt
ISBN: 9783608505122
Publisher: No Exit Press
Pages: 256
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Blog tour organised by Random Things Tours
Mick Hardin, a combat veteran now working as an Army CID agent, is home on a leave that is almost done. His wife is about to give birth, but they aren’t getting along. His sister, newly risen to sheriff, has just landed her first murder case, and local politicians are pushing for city police or the FBI to take the case. Are they convinced she can’t handle it, or is there something else at work? She calls on Mick who, with his homicide investigation experience and familiarity with the terrain, is well-suited to staying under the radar. As he delves into the investigation, he dodges his commanding officer’s increasingly urgent calls while attempting to head off further murders. And he needs to talk to his wife.
Official Summary
The Killing Hills is a novel filled with crime, honour and a small community that believes an eye for an eye is the only means of justice. This book transports you to a small community in the hills where a dead body is found, and the sheriff faces political interference as she tries to solve a crime before more people die.
Chris Offutt is new to me. His writing transports you to a small community in the hill of Kentucky where the community lives by old standards. His creative description of scenery makes it easy to visualise the beautiful setting and the isolated homes filled with families who are part of the land.
When the body of a dead woman is found on a hillside, new sheriff, Linda Hardin is faced with her first murder investigation. When local politicians want to hand the case over to city policy or the FBI Linda is not sure if they lack faith in her ability or if there is something bigger at play.
Pressured to solve the murder quickly Linda enlists the help of her brother, Mick Hardin, a combat veteran now working as an Army CID agent who is home on leave. While Mick unravels the pieces, his leave is running out and he soon finds himself AWOL. Yet he is determined to help his sister before returning to the army. Mick needs to speak to his wife and deal with a personal matter, but the hunt for a killer proves to welcome distraction.
This book is set in a colourful setting making it a refreshing read. The creative characters add a change to the usual crime mystery books, and you feel as if you are wandering the Kentucky hills with Mick as he searches for the killer. I read this book slowly and enjoyed the different characters.
Mick Hardin is an unusual hero. He is honourable, but he is also a local who understand how the community works. He has no problem bending rules to achieve the desired result, even if that means crossing the legal line just a little. He is a man of few words you cannot help liking.
The Killing Hills is an easy crime, mystery read with an unusual hero and breath-taking scenery making it a novel that is easy to love. The story transports you to small-town life and different way of law enforcement. It is a refreshing read.
Crime and mystery fans will find this book appealing. I would recommend The Killing Hills to anyone eager to escape into a small town with small-town rules. This book will leave you with a better understanding of small-town living and a new look at community behaviour.
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Author bio from the Publisher
Chris Offutt is the author of the short-story collections Kentucky Straight and Out of the Woods, the novels The Good Brother, Country Dark and The Killing Hills, and three memoirs: The Same River Twice, No Heroes, and My Father, the Pornographer. His work has appeared in Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays, among many other places. He has written screenplays for Weeds, True Blood, and Treme, and has received fellowships from the Lannan and Guggenheim foundations.
Thank you Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for including me in this blog tour. Thank you to Chris Offutt and No Exit Press for this relaxing, entertaining read that transported me to a world far from everyday life. I loved every minute I spend reading this book. Have you read anything by Chris Offutt? What is your favourite? Leave a comment below.
As always, thank you for your support and for taking the time to read my review.
Until next time… Happy Reading! 
Sounds like a book that I would enjoy!
Yep, you will like this one
Sound like a very interesting book.
Yes, it’s different.
Thanks so much for the blog tour support x
Always a please!