The North Dakota setting drew me in immediately, partly because I needed it for my 50 States reading challenge, and partly because I’d just passed through the state a couple weeks ago and found it quietly beautiful. Box takes that understated beauty and drapes it in winter, creating an isolated, snowbound backdrop perfect for evil to lurk just beneath the surface.
Cassie Dewell was a solid lead, but the real standout for me was Kyle, a boy everyone underestimates. He struck me as thoughtful, capable, and far less “handicapped” than people assumed, just small for his age and with some speech difficulties. The danger felt sharp and immediate, especially with corrupt cops woven into the crime. Who could you trust when the people sworn to protect you were part of the problem?
The gang members were frightening as hell. Cutting up a rival and scattering the pieces of the body around town was downright diabolical. The biggest surprise was realizing that the two dirty cops were working separately, each unaware of the other’s involvement in the town’s drug trade.
If you like your crime fiction cold, tense, and layered with both human flaws and moral dilemmas, Badlands is a trip worth taking. Preferably from the warmth of your couch.
