In this sequel to the “gritty, brash, and totally gripping” ( The Real Book Spy ) thriller Bad Axe County , Sheriff Heidi Kick is investigating an illicit cage fighting ring with ties to white nationalism when her husband suddenly goes missing. It’s a time for celebration in Bad Axe County as the town gathers for the annual Syttende Mai—or Norwegian Independence Day—festival. During this rollicking family-oriented event filled with dancing and food, Sheriff Heidi Kick discovers a dark and shocking event—a migrant worker has been savagely beaten but refuses to explain what happened. Then, a sudden murder of a band member shatters the festival. Something is deeply wrong in Bad Axe County. As she looks for answers, Heidi plunges into a secret underworld where high-stakes cage fights double as combat training for the White Nationalist movement. Then all hell breaks loose for Heidi when her husband disappears and a secret he’s been keeping from Heidi is revealed. A timely portrait of the deep divisions and simmering tensions brewing in our country today, Dead Man Dancing takes you into the dark heart of a movement defined by violence and hate. Featuring John Galligan’s signature “striking prose, engaging characters” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review), and unforgettable twists and turns, Dead Man Dancing is a breathless thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Praise for Dead Man Dancing “[An] outstanding sequel…gripping.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Given current tensions and deep divisions in the United States, Dead Man Dancing takes on an electrifying relevance made all the more effective thanks to Galligan’s vivid descriptions and emotional portrayal of his characters." — BookPage "Relevant, and as fresh as country air...The thrills inside Dead Man Dancing will get your heart hopping." — Daily Union (Wisconsin) Praise for Bad Axe County "Striking prose, engaging characters, and a searing story of crimes rooted in the heartland...a darkly irresistible thriller." — Kirkus (starred review) "Gritty, brash, and totally gripping. John Galligan is a hell of a writer." —The Real Book Spy "If Joseph Conrad had really wanted to find the heart of darkness, he’d have looked in Bad Axe County...A dark beauty of a novel." —William Kent Krueger, New York Times Bestselling author of Desolation Mountain "Fast-paced and utterly addictive. I loved Heidi kick, the Dairy-Queen-turned-sheriff. Long may she reign." —Lori Rader-Day, Edgar-Award-nominated author of Under a Dark Sky "An exceptional novel...Kick is a remarkable character and this is a bad-axe book." — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel John Galligan is the author of four Bad Axe County novels including, Bad Axe County, Dead Man Dancing, and Bad Moon Rising . He is also the author of the Fly Fishing Mystery series, The Nail Knot, The Blood Knot, The Clinch Knot, The Wind Knot , and the novel Red Sky, Red Dragonfly. He lives and teaches college writing in Madison, Wisconsin. Prologue PROLOGUE March 24, 2018 Bad Axe County, Wisconsin As she watched the shivering band set up to play the farmers market at the corner of Kickapoo and Main, Bad Axe County sheriff Heidi Kick found herself counting days again. How many days since she had danced? Pink-cheeked Augustus Pfaff was the bandleader. His cold hands were full of tuba, so he shot the sheriff a nod and a wink. She waved back, recalling that the last time she had hopped and twirled to a polka was to Pfaff’s band at the bowling alley, with Harley, her husband, at Family Fest on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. So, that was—to calculate, she used an app on her phone—eighty-one days. The number made her wince. She loved to polka. She needed to polka. Polka was sheer and simple joy. Sheriff Kick sighed, feeling she had lost track of herself. She and Harley had been banging heads lately. Last night things had gotten heated. Then she had a nightmare. At times like these, she tried to take a hard, clear look. Wow Long time, no polka . Augustus Pfaff, tuning up, pushed a lungful of air out his old silver tuba and delivered the first oompah of spring. She smiled and made a decision. OK, then: today. Hungry for a two-step, her feet drifted. She found herself gazing at a bushel of yellow onions that had overwintered in an Amish root cellar and were not too awfully shriveled. Right. Today . She always looked for markers in time—points after which things would be different—and Mr. Pfaff’s oompah would mark a new beginning. Family repair begins today. For real this time Keep it simple. No new conflicts. “I’ll take a half dozen onions. Not the muddy ones, though.” “Dem muddies dunna kept better.” An Amish boy, one of the Schrock kids, with a dirty face and bright blue eyes, looked behind him for the support of his granddad. “Eh, Dawdy? Ent dem muddies dunna kept better?” The elder Schrock nodded. “OK, I’ll take a half dozen muddy ones.” Sheri