Dead Reckoning

Holyoake Heroes #3

by Rachelle McCalla

Risky maneuvers are no novelty for stunt pilot Ginny McCutcheon… until danger follows her to the ground. Someone's targeting Ginny— and former air force pilot Ben McAlister won't rest until he ï ¬  nds the culprit. He'll stay glued to Ginny's side until she's safe, whether the stubborn beauty accepts him there or not.

Ginny tries to resent Ben's protectiveness—and instead finds herself falling for the man whose fierce determination so perfectly matches hers. But trusting Ben means going home, something she can't bear to do. Until someone gets very close to grounding her—and Ben—forever.

Genres: Love Inspired Suspense, Love Inspired, Romance, Mystery, Christian Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I also reviewed this book on my blog:
The Real World According To Sam

Hmm....I'm a sucker for a good romance. Although, my typical romances typically follow along the lines of YA and manga. This was a nice change of pace.

After Patricia recommended it, I took my time getting started on it (I had a lot of other books I felt were more important). HOWEVER!!!! This last statement, I recently discovered, is totally false! This is one of the better books I've read.

A lot of my past experiences with "romantic" books had left me...rather like a shell. They had no substance and existed only for the purpose of labeling the novel, not because the romance was true.

Dead Reckoning was a very nice surprise. I was astonished at how real the story felt, and even more shocked at the relationship between Ben and Ginny. They both seemed extremely real!! I felt as if I was standing right next to them the entire time, instead of just staring at black dots on paper. I really don't know how to describe it in a way that would give the book the credit it is due.

I really enjoyed the plot. It wasn't totally unimaginable. This could be possible, and that's partly why I enjoyed it so much. I was also thrilled by the touch of aviation that Ms. McCalla included in the story. I love aircraft and this gave me a chance to get a deeper feel of what certain branches of aviation are like.

Ginny is a strong heroine, who is NOT IMMORTAL OR PERFECT IN ANYWAY!!!!! Nowadays, authors are always trying to create the perfect character. The one who is always strong and invulnerable....but I've always preferred characters I can relate to and who seem just like anyone else(and I can say that almost everyone I know has agreed or made this point). Ginny knows she is just an average woman, but that doesn't stop her from flying in the Dare Divas flying troupe. Sure, she's been shot at, her trailer's been burned and things just seem to get worse and worse----but still she manages to keep her head up and keep fighting when we all know she would rather crawl into her warm bed, cry and wish it all away.

Ben is the perfect guy for Ginny. He IS strong and he was a pilot in the Air Force. So for starters, they both know the joy that flight provides. But as much as he saves, protects and CARES for Ginny, the more he knows that he can't hold her back from what it is she wants to do.

This book left me smiling and really gave me a taste of what a REAL romance novel should be. I look forward to finding novels that follow along the TRUE romance line that Dead Reckoning has set for me. =)

[Wendy Sparkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ginny McCutcheon is no stranger to danger, after all she's a stunt pilot with the Dare Divas, an all-girl flying and wing walking troupe. However, "accidents" both in the air and on the ground are becoming more frequent, and Ginny seems to be the main target.

Ben McAlister has been given the assignment of bringing Ginny home in time for her brother's wedding. An assignment that becomes more urgent when Cutch and Ben discover the news reporting the trouble following the Dare Divas. They want Ginny safe.

Ginny however is not inclined to bring danger to her loved ones. Her friend Kristy is in a burn unit, having taking Ginny's place at the last minute in a show. She can't live with her family being hurt.

As the trouble and danger towards Ginny escalate, Ben is determined to keep her safe, and uncover who the culprit is.

While I liked this story, I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous two in this series. There were a couple of things that seemed a bit off to me, one being Elise's cousins knowing their secret but keeping Cutch's sister in the dark.

You will probably want to read the previous two stories in the Holyoake Heroes before this one, especially #1 as it tells Cutch and Elise's story which provides a lot of the family background for this story, including the McAlister/McCutcheon feud and Ginny's late father's battle with cancer.

Holyoake Heroes:
#1 #2 #3

[Sandra Orchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Heart-pounding suspense and compelling romance.

[Jenna McCarl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great, but not terrible. *mild spoilers ahead*
The author tells a good, clean, Christian love story, but the characters fell flat for me. Ben is a typical tough military man who jumps out of a plane within a week of getting shot in the stomach (come on, really?), and Ginny is an old-fashioned damsel in distress who cried a little too much for my liking. I get when characters point out the attractiveness in their love interests, but this was over the top. Yes, I get that Ben has beautiful hazel-green eyes, you don’t have to mention it twice every chapter, Ginny (who Ben refers to as “the beauty” nearly just as much). 🙄
Though a lot of the story was predictable, but I was still pleasantly surprised by who the villain turned out to be. The climax was well-written and kept me on edge, and the resolution tied up most loose ends (except the grudge between Ben’s brother and Ginny’s best friend— sequel perhaps? 😉😉).
So, despite the many flaws I found with Dead Reckoning, I actually enjoyed reading it. It was short and sweet, perfect for staying in and avoiding the world, as I’m sure many of you are. 😝

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginny and Ben's relationship is fun and convincing. The progression between friendship and romance was well-paced. However, the character I really want to see more of is Ben's younger brother Tyler, who had some of the best lines in the novel.

[Elizabeth Fiscus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique story line

This story has a story line unlike any others I have read! Stunt flyers and Air Force pilots over the Midwest made for a fantastic read.

[Swhe641200 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book. Love Inspired Romance. Fast read.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever you pick up a romance, you know that two people are going to end up together. The fun in reading that romance is finding out who and how. The how’s usually entail many missed signals and misunderstandings that the two characters will they have to work through on their way to love. In this story, Ginny McCutcheon and Ben McAlister have their work cut out for them, only it isn't as simple as missed signals and misunderstandings, it is about missing gunfire, swinging fists, and sabotage, all the while trying to come to terms with the fact that someone is out to kill Ginny. Through the desert and fire and even some cattle, we see Ginny come to terms with unanswered prayers, faith and ultimately love. During this time Ben saves her not only with his fists and his wits, but with his heart and his faith and love for God and for her.

While reading these types of stories, you want to be swept away into believing this particular story can happen and at the same time believe that this type of love doesn't happen every day. In this book, I was swept away by the characters, not only because they live in the world of aviation, but because they were both believable and likeable. Ben and Ginny are both avid pilots---Ginny being the famous "Ginger McAlister" chief diva for the Dare Divas Barnstorming Toupe, while Ben is a former Air Force Airman, who has recently left Uncle Sam behind to return to his hometown, Holyoake. Holyoake, a place Ginny ran away from and has no intention of ever returning to. Not only does it hold too much pain for her, she genuinely loves her life as a pilot for the Dare Divas. Holyoake is the last place she wants to be. At times, I found Ginny to be naive, but in the end it didn't bother me, since being naive is not that uncommon in real life. Ben was as wonderful a man as any woman could hope to ever find--a true angel even when he wasn't up in the sky flying.

This story is exciting, genuine, and heartwarming. It contains interesting twists and turns on page and in the sky, which were very uplifting. A wonderful story that I won on Goodreads and that is definitely a high-star "goodread.”

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Reckoning by Rachelle McCalla ISBN-978-0-373-44450-2

This is the third book in the series. The first is Out On A Limb and the second is Danger on Her Doorstep. Excellent suspense books that keep you guessing.

Ginny McCutcheon left home right after high school and joined the Dare Divas, an all female stunt pilot troupe. She changed her name to Ginger McAlister. She had always admired Ben McAlister. He was older than she was and had joined the Air Force and she considered him the greatest pilot ever. He was now standing in front of her in a field after almost causing a crash. There had been so many accidents with the troupe lately he had scared her coming into her air space. And he was saying he was there to take her home.

Ben McAlister did not think he would ever get to meet Ginger McAlister face to face. He had seen her show several times. Almost bought her poster, almost. He was surprised when his friend, Cutch, had shown him a recent picture of his little sister Ginny and he recognized her as being Ginger. Cutch had married Ben's cousin Elise and ended a long feud between the McAlister's and McCutcheon's. They had a small wedding because they wanted Ben's dad there before his cancer took him. In a few weeks they were having a large wedding and celebration and Cutch wanted Ginny home early. They had read of all the accidents around her the last few months and decided she needed to come home where they could watch over her.

Ginny was not going to go back to Holyoake, Iowa. She did not want to bring the trouble surrounding her back there and she needed to keep her distance from this handsome airman. She had always admired Ben and now seeing him up close was worse. After he rescues her several times since his arrival she realizes she needs to leave Wyoming though. Trouble don't stop there, a storm and emergency landing in the middle of Nebraska, a sprained ankle and one incident after another allows Ben to continue to rescue her.

[Patriciaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspenseful tale about a female stunt pilot and a former Air Force member. Keeps you guessing as to who the stalker that's trying to kill her is. The ending was a little rushed, as far as the hero and heroine declaring their love for each other, but otherwise it did a good job of wrapping up the plotlines and was emotionally satisfying. Epilogue is fun.

[Jennifer]

What a hard to put down series. I wish there was another book to this series with Tyler and Megan as the main characters. Great story loved Ben but I wanted to yell at Ginny a few times when she was given Earls real name and when his Dad showed up at the hospital. I'm glad Ben and Tyler never gave up!

[Judine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ginny and Ben's relationship is fun and convincing, and the progression between friendship and romance was well-paced. However, the character I really want to see more of is Ben's younger brother Tyler, who had some of the best lines in the novel.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice read, another love inspired book

[Aletha · Rating 5 out of 5]

God loves every single one of His children & will continue to give them opportunities to return to His fold. Daring & suspenseful story.

[Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but pretty predictable.

[Paula Bradway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good escape reading