Review of Dead Reckoning

[Melinda Hayes]

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

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3 out of 5 stars

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Dead Reckoning by Lea O’Harra

Gilly and Sally are childhood friends growing up in a small, impoverished town. On a hot summer day, while playing in the woods, they find a box wrapped in paper and tied with a bow. In the box is a dead baby girl. The girls decide not to tell anyone about their discovery and bury the box under a tree at Gilly’s house. Soon after, two children are murdered and Gilly is attacked. Gilly goes away to college, marries Toshi and moves to Japan. But she carries the burden of the long ago secret with her, and years pass. She and her husband return to tiny Byron when Gilly’s mother dies, and the murders start again. Then Gilly learns that the man she feared and suspected was released from prison.

The author provides snippets of clues, but not enough to solve the mystery. I liked that the past is used as a precursor to the parallels of what’s happening now. You see a little more and think you’re getting the picture. The main characters are developed enough to feel like you know them, but the supporting cast remains shadowy.

I thought there was too much written about the Toshi, who really didn’t add much to the story. His roll was not germane to the story and could have been summarized more efficiently. The book was well edited, as I only saw one error. However it didn’t detract from the story.

I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 or a 2 out of 4. It was a good, fast read, but did not grip me like James Patterson or Harlan Coben. I’m not convinced to read other novels by this author.

I would recommend this book for an adult reader who needs an easy, fast vacation read. I enjoyed the book, but I wasn’t caught up in it. I kept reading to find out “who done it”. If you love to read nail-biters that draw you in, intrigue you, tease and fool you, this is not the book for you.

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Dead Reckoning
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