“The Killing Plains” is a gripping mystery novel set in Crescent Bluff, West Texas, where secrets run deep and everyone knows each other. The story revolves around two victims who are murdered twenty years apart, leading to the suspicion of a single elusive killer.

The narrative begins with the shocking discovery of a boy found dead, clutching the skin of a hare’s head in his hand. The town quickly points fingers at Willis Newland, who has just been released from prison after serving two decades for committing an identical murder. This immediate assumption raises questions about the reliability of public perception and whether they could be wrong about Newland’s guilt.

The novel explores themes such as family loyalty, the impact of past crimes on present lives, and the complexities of relationships within small communities. It challenges readers to consider how well we truly know those around us and what lengths individuals will go to hide their truths.

“The Killing Plains” presents a compelling narrative filled with suspense and intrigue as Detective Colly Newland seeks justice while confronting her own family’s dark history.

The writing in Sherry Rankin’s debut mystery, The Killing Plains, shows why she won the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Debut Dagger Award. Set in Crescent Bluff, West Texas, it’s a gritty, atmospheric story.

Colly Newland retired from the Houston police department after her husband and daughter were killed. For the last couple years, she’s been raising her grandson, Satchel, a troubled young boy still struggling with the trauma of finding the family bodies. Colly’s reluctant to return to Crescent Bluff, her late husband’s family home, but his brother, Russ, the chief of police, asks for her help. Twenty years ago, a young boy’s body was found by a pond. Willis Newland was arrested and went to prison for the crime. Now, another boy is dead, and the town suspects Willis. But, Willis died before the Texas Rangers could prove their case. Now, Willis’ mother, Colly’s mother-in-law, pulls strings to have the case reopened. And, Russ wants Colly to investigate.

But, someone in town doesn’t want Colly around. She starts to get threats soon after she arrives. And, she’s torn. Should she work to find the killer, or protect Satchel from all the family and local drama and take him home to Houston? Colly doesn’t even feel up to looking after herself in a community that thrives on rumor, rattlesnake rodeos, and drunkenness. How can she investigate and look after her seven-year-old grandson?

Rankin’s years in West Texas enable her to capture the heat, the dust, the atmosphere of the setting. It’s a gritty, at times, ugly, story. But, her true strength lies in the character of Colly, a woman struggling with her past, her attempt to raise her grandson, and her attempt to find the truth.

What a fantatic debut! I'm not at all surprised it won the Debut Dagger. The sense of place is just brilliant - the heat and the vastness of the Texas landscape is vividly brought to life. It's a deftly written plot with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and a BRILLIANT slow-burn lead up to a really tense and dramatic finale.

I loved Colly as a central character and the relationship between her and Satchel, as well as that with her dead husband's family is beautifully done. I did guess the killer early on but, crucially, not their motivation which I thought was very clever and believable.

This felt like the first in a series, which I very much hope it might be! A cracking new addition to the world of crime fiction!

The author's writing really pulls you in, with great descriptions that make everything feel alive without being too much. The characters are relatable and easy to like, even if their motives are a bit questionable. The mystery is cleverly plotted, giving you a handful of suspects to ponder over. I definitely suggest this book for anyone who loves a good mystery read.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this ARC.

Small town in West Texas. Everyone knows everyone- their secrets, their families, their most embarrassing moments. A young male is found dead- the skin of a hare's head clutched in his palm. Super weird, I'd say probably very unique calling card for a tiny Texas town! Willis Newland- slow, touched in the head- has been released from prison after 20 years for committing a murder against a young boy found in the same manner as the recent one. He must be the killer, right? Colly Newland, a retired detective and caretaker of her fragile seven year old grandchild, is called back home from Houston to assist on the case and get it off the ground running. In true crime fiction fashion, Colly is sent threats to back off- aren't they always? No disrespect toward anyone- it's just so overdone and obvious for this particular genre.
As a lifelong resident of a small Southern town, I felt right at home in this town and plot- aside from the gruesome murder. I liked the characters in this- they really reminded me of Karin Slaughter's beloved Will Trent characters, which I loved and delivered quite the dose of adrenaline. The plot moved along quickly, but was also slow at times. The culprit was quite obvious, but the book was still genuinely so fun to read. The parts with the snakes- terrifying, creepy, hate that. Altogether, really enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the eArc.

I enjoyed this book and will be recommending to others. The story was engrossing and kept me interested until the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Seeing it was the authors first published book, I was skeptical prior to starting it. I was blown away by how good this was. The characters were great and well developed. I consider myself well read and am good at picking out the villain, but this book had me changing my mind about “who did it” every chapter. I was absolutely wrong when the big reveal was made. It’s a gamble to point the finger in several directions, sometimes the details don’t line up and the story loses steam and the ending is not worth the build up, but not this one. This one is worth it.

WOW. What an amazing read. I thought I was going to have push through this book after a couple of chapters. However, I was wrong about my first impressions. I binged read this book. Read the entire thing in one day.

There were so many twists, and when I thought I knew what was happening, I didn't. The writing was well done and kept me on my toes, and was engrossed in this story. If you like following a detectivenarritive while they solve cases, this book is perfect for you. The author gave details and backstory without droning on or fluffing it up, so to speak. You can't trust any of the characters because they all seem to have a secret they hope to keep. Once everything came to light in the end, I loved how the author laid out the evidence from the entire book to connect all the dots and who did it, why, and how. The story was well curated, and I will be recommending this book to my fellow thriller lovers.

The first couple of chapters had me a bit frustrated. I had a hard time with timelines and keeping track of the characters at first. However, after that, I couldn't put this book down. I definitely would like to read more from this author.

Thank you, Thomas and Mercer, for this advanced copy of this book. It is so good and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I will be recommending to my friends and family and hope they enjoy it as much as I did!

Review: A well written mystery with great characterization and amazing visual renderings. So why only three stars? Someone with this kind of talent needs to make the whodunnit more intricate. As it was, by the 20% mark, you should pretty easily be able to figure out who is doing it and why. Yeah there are familial secrets and sudden clashes with the townsfolk, but those are obivious red herrings that tend to markedly separate the guilty party.

One of the better mysteries I have read without the constant olde english verbosity or the man-crushing.

3.4/5

Retired Detective Colly Newland is invited to assist in a murder case by her brother in law Russ.
It appears that there is a serial killer who killed a child twenty years before, and has killed again. There is evidence which has been withheld from the public that ties the two cases together.
There are so many secrets that Colly uncovers and many lies being told, the case is going to be a challenge to solve.

I enjoyed this police procedural very much, it is twisty and there are so many red herrings and so many suspects.
There are many characters, but the author has done a great job of describing them so the reader doesn't get overwhelmed with the amount of characters.
Definitely one to keep on the bookshelf.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read this book.

The Killing Plains is a mystery thriller novel that features the main character Colly Newland, a retired detective, returning to her deceased husband's hometown to help her in-laws solve the murder of two young boys to help clear their family name.

The author's prose is engaging, with good descriptions that make the scenes vivid without being excessive. I found the characters to be believable and likeable, despite some questionable motives. The mystery itself was well done, and did give the reader a couple of good suspects to keep you guessing. I definitely recommend this book to people that like mystery novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

I’ve read so many good mystery thrillers lately. The Killing Plains was my latest. This was a five star read.

"Gritty and intense, "The Killing Plains" by Sherry Rankin is a gripping thriller that explores the darker side of human nature. With a strong protagonist and a twisty plot, Rankin masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative that's hard to put down. A chilling tale of survival, redemption, and the unforgiving American wilderness." 5/5 stars!

5* intro to this author. Good detective work amidst danger and shades of grey...

This is a 5* read with interesting characters, a decent plot, good detective work and an ending, that whilst not a HEA, gave closure and exonerated. I can't say too much more or it'd give away too much, but this tale wouldn't have worked without Colly, for both the top-notch detective that she was, and the outsider that could bring impartiality, fresh eyes and perspective to the case.

Refreshingly, every side character that appeared here turned into a decent red herring, apart, of course, from the killer whose identity I clocked over the Thursday/Friday issue. I bought why Colly didn't clock, in a way, but the mystery could've been solved at that point, rather than dragged out, though it was interestingly done.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for my reading pleasure.

The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin is the first published book by this author. The author's descriptive writing style brings the characters and the setting to life. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

Overall, The Killing Plains was an exciting suspense thriller.

#TheKillingPlains #NetGalley @AmazonPub

This is Sherry Rankin's first published novel and it is to me how a book should be!! Wow!
I loved the main character, Colly (Columbus) Newland. She is a retired cop but returns to her dead husband's area of Crescent Bluff in Texas to solve two murders of 2 boys for which her husband's brother, Willis was accused. Trying to solve the murders, Colly has her own personal problems as well as dealing with her husband's extended family. The story kept me guessing with it twists and turns, the sad moments and the characters are so believable. I found it hard to put the book down, I was totally gripped. If you love murder mysteries then this is right up your street. I cannot wait to read Sherry Rankin's next novel. I have given this 5 stars, but in my opinion deserves a whopping 10!!!!!!

. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, which I devoured in roughly three hours—it's that captivating! The author's writing style is engaging, and the descriptions are vivid enough to set the scenes without becoming tedious. The character development is well-executed, making readers genuinely concerned for the characters' well-being. As an avid reader of the thrillers, I was able to guess the perpetrator's identity early on, but this did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.

This is a good work for a debut author and i liked her writing style.
The descriptions were good to set the scenes but never became excessive or draggy in any way.
Character building was also adequate to the extent where you care about the characters’ welfare.
Of course i’d question some of the characters motives and actions, but with an open mind one can overlook that and it is not a major detractor.
Because i have read enough of the thriller whodunnit genre,i guessed correctly from the onset the identity of the perpetrator but again i still enjoyed the read, so not a negative for me.
I am not sure if the author is planning for this book to be a part of a series or if it is meant to be a stand alone, but i would not mind to hear and read more on the Newland family, Colly, Avery and the rest.
This is a recommended read and i read it in a single day as it was engaging enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.