Review of Dead Reckoning

[Brittnay Massingill]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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In this small town thriller, Lea O'Harra immediately sets us up with curiosity and suspension. Her main character, Gilly, has haunting secrets of her childhood following her around. She seems like the normal every day woman with old friends and a new family along with her new life overseas but we find out quickly that life is never what it seems and even "normal" people have facades. O'Harra has a wonderful way of introducing characters just enough to leave you wanting to learn more about them in the coming pages.


This story is mildly paced yet intriguing all the while. Throughout the pages are many fascinating turns that will come as a shock to the reader. Just when you begin to put together perfectly placed details, you will realize that you may not have utilized your information to its fullest extent. O'Harra is crafty this way so that you are always in for a surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed being surprised enough early on to know that this novel would keep me interested and guessing throughout. I was not disappointed by the end when I was surprised one last time by who the culprit was all along.


From the very first page there was beautiful imagery. The kind that allows you to live inside the story. But there was seemingly a loss of flow for the first couple of chapters. All conversation and general narration seemed choppy and I longed for more elaborative sentences. Although that is worth critiquing, it did become resolved rather quickly. O'Harra seemed to find the flow of her writing style and the story went on beautifully.


There were a few religious connotations throughout but no explanation of any certain beliefs. These things included mention about sin or morality but in very small detail. The sexual content was very mild but mentionable. The first occurrence is on page 13. The writer mentions arousal and sex along with a few thoughts but not at all graphic. We also find ourselves in a conversation later among preteens trying to understand what sex and prostitution are but we are left to question right along with the characters. As far as language, the first curse word occurs on page 10. Foul language is infrequently used and is usually mild.


Overall, I would rate this book with a 4 out of 5. Despite my few critiques and the errors I noticed, the book was well written and intriguing. After reading past the introductory phase of the book, it was just as great as any other suspense novel that I've enjoyed in the past.

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Dead Reckoning
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