Bad Day Breaking

Sheriff Heidi Kick has a demanding job in Bad Axe County, Wisconsin, and it becomes harder when a religious group settles there. The newcomers, followers of an enigmatic spiritual leader, are armed and have set up their compound on an abandoned storage lot. Heidi isn't a fan of the group, but she is troubled by how fiercely the locals turn against them, and she is determined to keep her county from becoming the next Jonestown.

When one of the followers is found dead in the river, unease becomes outright panic. Rumors of sadistic rituals and a plan to seize control of the local government spread through town. Heidi now has a murder to solve, and the case grows more complicated when she learns that an ex-boyfriend from her youth has been released early on parole and intends to track her down.

Winter is closing in. A severe snowstorm is on its way, leaving the cult members at risk of freezing, while Bad Axe teeters on the edge of violence. Heidi is only one wrong move away from losing her family, her town, and her life.

Bad Day Breaking is the latest installment in John Galligan's Bad Axe County series. It is a tense mystery that examines the cost of devotion to deceptive leaders and the ways people can find the strength to overcome trauma.