Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Another good story by this author: it's gripping and entertaining.
The tightly knitted plot flows, the mystery is solid and the character are interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I requested The Drummers because the cult leader vs. female sheriff premise seemed intriguing. I wondered how being a woman might impact such a scenario. This reads like a book in a series that has its best books already behind it, or perhaps has not picked up steam yet.

Josie is a sheriff whose character struck me as sort of blah. A cult takes up residence in her small Texas town and she has to figure out how to handle the cult, their guns, the other townspeople, the media, the government officials, and the fact that child abuse might be occurring behind their blacked-out windows. The cult leader, predictably, turns out to be evil. Only the cult member's first wife is remotely interesting and I felt that the problems were dispensed with pretty easily by violence and remorse. The book should have been a lot more complex. Maybe this is a cozy series and that would explain the shallowness. Modern cozies are not my favorites.

If I had been reading the series from the beginning and well acquainted with Josie already, I might have enjoyed it better. As it is, jumping in with #6 in the series, I found it very dull.

The Drummers are a cult like group who have descended on a small town in west Texas to live in an abandoned church they bought for a dollar. Soon they are in conflict with local residents, unwilling to integrate into the community and generally giving off bad vibes. The spotlight falls on them when local electricity substations are attacked and before long the local police chief, Josie Gary has uncovered a staggering plot in which they are involved.

I really liked this book. Everything about it seemed completely plausible. Often in crime novels there are passages which pull you up short making you think, no that would never happen, but everything about this book made it believable. In many ways it was terrifying because we know that there are people in cults (whether they call them that or not) and that they can be involved in strange things. The characters are very well drawn, especially Josie the police chief who is a likeable protagonist. I'll be looking out for more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and Canongate for the ARC.

An abandoned church in Artemis has been purchased for one dollar and a commune has taken up residency. They keep to themselves, at first, but still the community complains to Police Chief Josie Gray. Josie attempts to talk to and gain entrance to the church, but the leader, Gideon, seems to have iron control over the members who are called “The Drummers”. When several Drummers cause a problem in town and the power stations are attacked, Josie needs to find out what secrets are held within the church. As she works with the FBI to gain entrance, shots are fired from the church and when they return fire Josie is blamed for killing one of the members. If anyone can put an end to Gideon’s rule, it is Josie Gray with her compassionate yet strong sense of justice. As if the commune isn’t enough, Josie must deal with a new mayor in town and her mother’s problems. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

The arrival of the Drummers, a group led by Gideon, in Artemis, Texas is smooth at first because the group keeps to itself. It does, however, begin to grate on the community and then something happens to the electricity- all of west Texas loses power. Police Chief Josie Gray finds herself in a tight spot, especially when the police raid on on the church where the group is holded up, goes very bad. A young girl is killed, Josie is accused, but not all is what it seems. Fields writes a good topical procedural. There are twists but I liked the characters as much as the plot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The last installment in this series was published 5 yeas ago (!) making this almost. standalone unless you have a better memory than I do- but that was ok because it's a great read.

Many thanks to Severn House for putting back Josie Gray & Artemis (TX) on the map after a 5 years hiatus. It has been a great pleasure of mine to follow Tricia Fields wonderful fiction for over 10 years now since The Territory and to follow Ms Gray's adventures in law enforcement along the Rio Grande.
This time around, our genial chief of police has to deal with the arrival in Artemis of a dysfunctional group of people belonging to a community/sect on the move from Idaho and led by a charismatic but deeply flawed leader named Gideon Masters. After moving into an old abandoned church building in the center of town, the group's behavior starts to antagonize the locals until the situation gets out of control....
This is a delightful novel full of the many problems that are plaguing contemporary America today such as conspiracy theories and the fears of homegrown terrorism. A very tight and twisty plot peopled with wonderfully drawn characters made this wonderful novel a very compelling read even if I was a bit disappointed by its shortness. Well Hopefully Severn House will hear my plea and bring back Josie back among us very soon😉👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and Severn House/Canongate for giving the opportunity to read this novel prior to its release date

It’s a ripped from the headlines, riveting story. It might still be a little too timely for some readers, but the book zeroes in on the reasons lost people might be attracted to a cult.

It’s been five years since the last Josie Gray mystery. Too long. This is an intriguing fast-paced story. Readers of Steven Havill’s bordertown mysteries will want to read this book. And, there’s no reason you can’t start with The Drummers.

(Entire review will appear on my blog, Lesa's Book Critiques, and on Goodreads on 4/4.

The drummers by Tricia Fields.
A good read with likeable characters. I didn't love the story but I didn't hate it either. 4*.