Broken Heartland: A Mad Dog & Englishman Mystery (Mad Dog & Englishman Mysteries) [Hardcover]

J M Hayes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mad Dog & Englishman Mysteries | Publication Date: November 15, 2007

Sleepy Benteen County, Kansas, turns frantic on election day. The radical religious right is out to unseat Sheriff English, better known as Englishman. Englishmans only available deputy rammed a school bus carrying the Benteen County teen choir while chasing a vehicle involved in a mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This engaging but flawed election-time read, the fourth mystery (after 2004's Plains Crazy) to feature Sheriff English of Benteen County, Kans., examines the nexus of politics and religion. English, up for re-election, faces stiff competition from a born-again Christian who tells voters they should oust the sheriff because his daughters have had abortions. When a deputy crashes into a school bus full of teens on a choir outing, the bus driver vanishes. Before English can figure out what happened to the driver, he must contend with a school shooting. The frequent shifts of point-of-view at times disrupt the narrative flow, while having both of the sheriff's daughters named Heather is confusing. Still, the novel's focus on hot-button political issues will help hold readers' attention, and a setup for a sequel that gives the more intriguing Heather a central role may entice them to come back. (Nov.)
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From Booklist

Sheriff English, better known as Englishman, is having a very bad day. He faces a tough fight for reelection with a right-wing fundamentalist. Still grieving for his wife, who died in Prairie Gothic, he has major problems when his only available deputy rams his car into a school bus carrying the local teen choir. Then a student smuggles a gun into the high school and takes hostages, and a private militia seizes a farm and takes still more hostages, one of whom is Englishman's Cheyenne brother, Mad Dog, who has rushed home from a vision quest because he has a premonition that the sheriff is in danger. Readers will find sleepy Benteen County, Kansas, wide awake and action packed in Hayes' new addition to this quirky series. The mixture of action, humor, and politics will keep readers interested as they wonder just how much can be squeezed into 24 hours. Bibel, Barbara

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 229 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (November 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159058452X
• ISBN-13: 978-1590584521
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,364,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hullabaloo in the Heartland, March 28, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Gunn (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broken Heartland: A Mad Dog & Englishman Mystery (Mad Dog & Englishman Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Broken Heartland: A Mad Dog and Englishman Mystery
J.M. Hayes
Poisoned Pen Press (2007)
ISBN 9781590584521
Reviewed by Elizabeth Gunn (3-28-08)
Sheriff English is a down-to-earth striver who does the best he can with the always inadequate means at his command in a dying Kansas town. His brother tries to help, but Mad Dog has issues about his ethnicity (exactly how many sixteenths of him are Cheyenne?) and his quest to become a shaman strikes a distinctly odd note in straight-laced rural society. Some confusion is caused by the fact that the sheriff's daughters are both named Heather, but the girls are so bright and resourceful, it's worth keeping them straight.
The English brothers' sensibilities fall somewhere between the Marx and Coen brothers', shrewd insights alternating with zany non-stop action. Mad Dog travels with a wolf-hybrid with extra-sensory powers, and his Mini-Cooper carries a bumper sticker reading, "Jesus would use his turn signals."
The one thing you can't do is stop reading.

4.0 out of 5 stars What a Day!, December 19, 2007

By 

Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Broken Heartland: A Mad Dog & Englishman Mystery (Mad Dog & Englishman Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The novels in this series all take place in the span of a single day. In this instance it is Election Day 2006, and Sheriff English, better known as "Englishman," is running for reelection in a hard-fought battle with a war hero backed by the religious right. But what a day it turns out to be. Before dawn, the only available deputy rams a school bus carrying the county teen choir (if, in fact, there is one).

The Englishman's brother, Mad Dog, rushes back from a quest in the Black Hills because of a premonition that the sheriff is in danger. The same fear brings Englishman's two daughters hurrying back from their colleges to keep their father safe. Then a Columbine-like massacre takes place in the high school. A private security force takes control of a nearby farm and holds Mad Dog and others prisoner there. One hectic day in the life of Benteen County, Kansas.

To review more about the plot would spoil the reading. Needless to say it's exciting and well worth reading, and is recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Who will win the election?, November 16, 2007

By 

Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broken Heartland: A Mad Dog & Englishman Mystery (Mad Dog & Englishman Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (6/07)


"Broken Heartland" is a quick read. There is action on every page. The people in this small county in Kansas believe that the sheriff election is exciting. Little do they know that it will become an afterthought. A school shooting leads to the discovery of hostages being held at a nearby farm.

The quiet little town only had a handful of deputies, so the sheriff's daughters have to end up trying to keep order. The town coroner was one of my favorite characters. The Heather 1 and Heather 2 names are a bit too much at times, but beyond that, the characters are fascinating.

Part of the social division in the county is between the members of the Buffalo Springs Church of Christ Risen and the non-members. The members of the church tend to be holier-than-thou. Mad Dog enters the church to speak to a member. The pastor makes a sarcastic comment about being surprised to see him at a church. Mad Dog replies, "...you've got that big welcome sign by the front door. I didn't think anyone would mind." When Mad Dog is not made welcome, he asks, "So the welcome sign is only for show?"

There are many questions "Broken Heartland" leaves the readers wondering. Will Heather quit law school to become a deputy? Why did Chucky start shooting in the school? Why are people being held hostage at that farm? Who will win the election?

Anyone who loves a good mystery will love "Broken Heartland." The title does not accurately reflect the excitement of the book. You cannot judge this book by the title. I recommend reading this "Mad Dog and Englishman Mystery."

Received book free of charge.