{"product_id":"the-reluctant-sheriff-a-mick-hardin-novel-9780802164032","title":"The Reluctant Sheriff: A Mick Hardin Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaster storyteller Chris Offutt's acclaimed crime series has been praised by Ian Rankin as \"righteous Kentucky noir with top notes of Daniel Woodrell and S. A. Cosby,\" and in this breakneck new novel, sheriff Mick Hardin navigates the treacherous terrain of a town's festering secrets and the violent forces who want to keep them hidden\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLauded as a \"masterclass in the craft of crime fiction\" (\u003ci\u003eCrimeReads\u003c\/i\u003e), Chris Offutt's beloved and critically acclaimed Mick Hardin series is an atmospheric, tightly crafted testament to Southern noir. \u003ci\u003eThe Reluctant Sheriff\u003c\/i\u003e is a dark, bracing return to the hills of eastern Kentucky where secrets roil beneath the surface, and nothing and no one stays in the past for long.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMick Hardin never wanted to be sheriff. An ex-Army CID officer, he's supposed to be retired--or he was until his sister, Linda, was shot in the line of duty, requiring him to step in as interim sheriff while she recovered. Now he's stuck in Rocksalt, the place he was most hoping to escape.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBack in uniform, Mick is chafing at the sudden dissolution of his retirement plans, wearied by the petty squabbles of Rocksalt's townsfolk. It's all business as usual, until the murder of a local bar owner draws an unlikely suspect who threatens to fan the flames of Mick's past. When two more bodies turn up, seemingly unconnected to the first, Mick is forced to reckon with the mysterious circumstances of a case not so open-and-shut as everyone believes. Meanwhile, Linda is slowly healing when a familiar business tycoon with a vested interest in her returning as sheriff makes it difficult for her to remain on the sidelines.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnflinching and devilishly compulsive, \u003ci\u003eThe Reluctant Sheriff\u003c\/i\u003e is an explosive thriller confirming Chris Offutt as a Southern writer of muscular prose and unrivaled talent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Chris Offutt\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Grove Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.11h x 5.51w x 1.26d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802164032\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/01\/2024 pg. 69\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/06\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2025 pg. 35\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChris Offutt\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of two collections of short stories, three memoirs, and six novels, including four in the Mick Hardin series which began with \u003ci\u003eThe Killing Hills\u003c\/i\u003e. His books have been translated into twelve languages and won four international awards in France. He wrote screenplays for \u003ci\u003eTrue Blood\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWeeds\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eTreme\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA grant, and a Lannan Fellowship. He received an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for \"prose that takes risks.\" His work is included in many anthologies and textbooks, including \u003ci\u003eBest American Short Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBest American Essays\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBest American Food Writing\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eModern American Memoirs\u003c\/i\u003e. He grew up in the hills of eastern Kentucky and lives in Iowa City, Iowa.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Chris Offutt \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47280835526813,"sku":"9780802164032","price":46.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_c6ae4d12-0774-408a-9657-02a5cc88184f.jpg?v=1759922272","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/the-reluctant-sheriff-a-mick-hardin-novel-9780802164032","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}