Review of Dead Reckoning

[Laney K]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Dead Reckoning" by Lea O'Harra.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra follows the character of Gilly. She is a woman who is haunted by events from her childhood that started when she and Sally, her childhood best friend, found a dead baby girl hidden in the tall grass of a cemetery. Gilly and Sally didn't report the dead baby. Instead, they buried her and agreed not to tell anyone. Ever since then, Gilly seemed to have bad luck following her. Gilly avoided her hometown until she had to return for her mother's funeral. There she must deal with the past she wants so badly to escape and her husband, a wealthy Japanese lawyer, who seems to have stopped caring about her.

I loved the way O'Harra detailed the town. The book takes place in a small town, and everyone knows the business of everyone else. Gilly had lived in Japan with her husband for many years, but that did not stop the locals from holding grudges from her childhood. Given the limited population of small towns, feuds and issues tend to remain fresh for longer, and O'Harra detailed this excellently.

I also thought Gilly's relationship with her husband, Toshi, was well-developed. The two had drifted apart. Toshi was more concerned with his mother than his wife, and he seemed to resent Gilly because the pair was unable to have a child, even though he was the reason they could not conceive. Gilly wanted the love and attention a person deserves, and it was clear that Toshi was not able to give that to her.

I am happy to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I can not think of a single issue I had with the book, so I believe it is worthy of full marks. The plot of the book and the characters were both interesting, and they kept me engaged from start to finish. I also only noticed one small error throughout the book, causing me to believe that it had been professionally edited.

There is some strong language in the book; it is better suited for adult audiences. I must also note that there are mentions of rape, so audiences sensitive to the topic may want to avoid this book. Readers who are interested in small-town mysteries would enjoy this book. I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers who also enjoy well-developed characters.

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Dead Reckoning
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