What do you think?
Rate this book
The Reckoning
SHE KILLED A MAN.
HE DESERVED IT.
BUT JUSTICE ISN’T YET DONE.
First in an explosive new thriller series set in the eighties from the author of the critically acclaimed Miranda Corbie series introduces the fierce feminist Renata Drake—on the run from the FBI for the execution-style murder of her little sister’s killer.
“Vivid and haunting. I’m eager to hear more from the tenacious and resourceful Renata Drake” Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
California, Southern Humboldt County, 1985. Renata Drake steps off a Greyhound bus and into small-town Garberville, hoping to disappear. She checks the papers. She’s not headline news. Not yet.
But she’s made a mistake. The FBI have the cannabis-producing “Emerald Triangle” town— and its corrupt residents—in their sights. Even worse, a teenage girl is missing, and when she turns up dead, the third in three years, it’s clear a serial killer is living among them.
Renata knows about murdered girls and the burning desire for justice—and for revenge. Her younger sister Josie is gone, and now, so is the man who killed her. Renata didn’t stay in Washington, D.C. to be arrested for executing a murderer, and she shouldn’t stay here either. But Renata decides to investigate, and what she uncovers will trigger a final For herself, for a killer, and for all of Southern Humboldt.
This powerful, page-turning thriller explores the human cost of corruption and the psychological toll that violence takes on women.
HE DESERVED IT.
BUT JUSTICE ISN’T YET DONE.
First in an explosive new thriller series set in the eighties from the author of the critically acclaimed Miranda Corbie series introduces the fierce feminist Renata Drake—on the run from the FBI for the execution-style murder of her little sister’s killer.
“Vivid and haunting. I’m eager to hear more from the tenacious and resourceful Renata Drake” Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
California, Southern Humboldt County, 1985. Renata Drake steps off a Greyhound bus and into small-town Garberville, hoping to disappear. She checks the papers. She’s not headline news. Not yet.
But she’s made a mistake. The FBI have the cannabis-producing “Emerald Triangle” town— and its corrupt residents—in their sights. Even worse, a teenage girl is missing, and when she turns up dead, the third in three years, it’s clear a serial killer is living among them.
Renata knows about murdered girls and the burning desire for justice—and for revenge. Her younger sister Josie is gone, and now, so is the man who killed her. Renata didn’t stay in Washington, D.C. to be arrested for executing a murderer, and she shouldn’t stay here either. But Renata decides to investigate, and what she uncovers will trigger a final For herself, for a killer, and for all of Southern Humboldt.
This powerful, page-turning thriller explores the human cost of corruption and the psychological toll that violence takes on women.
- GenresFiction
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2026
11 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Kelli Stanley
19 books112 followersKelli Stanley is the multiple award-winning, critically acclaimed and bestselling creator of the Miranda Corbie series (CITY OF DRAGONS, CITY OF SECRETS, CITY OF GHOSTS, CITY OF SHARKS), noir novels set in 1940 San Francisco and featuring "one of crime's most arresting heroines" (Library Journal).
Kelli has also written an award-winning "Roman Noir" series set in Roman Britain (NOX DORMIENDA, THE CURSE-MAKER), and has published numerous short stories and essays.
Kelli also founded and was president of the non-profit publisher Nasty Woman Press, which published the award-winning anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A winner of the Macavity, Bruce Alexander, Golden Nugget and Anthony awards (the latter as a publisher of SHATTERING GLASS), she was also a Shamus and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, while the City and County of San Francisco awarded her a Certificate of Merit for her contributions to literature. She was named a literary heir of Dashiell Hammett by his granddaughter in a Publisher's Weekly article, and critics have compared her work to her icons Raymond Chandler and Norman Corwin. She was by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention as its Historical Mystery Guest of Honor in 2024.
Her eagerly-anticipated next novel, THE RECKONING, is a thriller set in California's "Emerald Triangle" in 1985, and features the debut of new series character Renata Drake. THE RECKONING will publish in the US and UK on January 6, 2026, from Severn House.
Kelli holds a Master's Degree in Classics, and when she's not reading or writing, loves nature walks, jazz, classic film, travel, and, with her spouse, taking care of their two rescue cats. She's also honored to have served as faculty for the famed Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference for many years.
For more more information about Kelli and her work—including interactive, multimedia maps, videos, photos and ephemera—please visit her website at www.kellistanley.com.
Kelli has also written an award-winning "Roman Noir" series set in Roman Britain (NOX DORMIENDA, THE CURSE-MAKER), and has published numerous short stories and essays.
Kelli also founded and was president of the non-profit publisher Nasty Woman Press, which published the award-winning anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A winner of the Macavity, Bruce Alexander, Golden Nugget and Anthony awards (the latter as a publisher of SHATTERING GLASS), she was also a Shamus and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, while the City and County of San Francisco awarded her a Certificate of Merit for her contributions to literature. She was named a literary heir of Dashiell Hammett by his granddaughter in a Publisher's Weekly article, and critics have compared her work to her icons Raymond Chandler and Norman Corwin. She was by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention as its Historical Mystery Guest of Honor in 2024.
Her eagerly-anticipated next novel, THE RECKONING, is a thriller set in California's "Emerald Triangle" in 1985, and features the debut of new series character Renata Drake. THE RECKONING will publish in the US and UK on January 6, 2026, from Severn House.
Kelli holds a Master's Degree in Classics, and when she's not reading or writing, loves nature walks, jazz, classic film, travel, and, with her spouse, taking care of their two rescue cats. She's also honored to have served as faculty for the famed Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference for many years.
For more more information about Kelli and her work—including interactive, multimedia maps, videos, photos and ephemera—please visit her website at www.kellistanley.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 23, 2025
Have you ever heard someone complaining about how cell phones ruined everything? We all have. Well, I am NOT that someone after reading The Reckoning by Kelli Stanley. This thriller, set in 1985 Northern California in the heart of the Emerald Triangle, had me wanting to hand the main character my cell phone more than once. I picked this up because I loved the premise of a protagonist who has killed someone and is now a fugitive. But the moment Renata steps off that bus, it’s clear she’s entered a new world, and that world has teeth. She almost immediately comes across a missing persons poster for a local teenager, and some crimes hit too close to home to ignore.
Renata reminds me of myself in the best ways, independent, quick-thinking, and determined to never rely on anyone, especially a man. Her grief over her sister is palpable, and so is her confusion about the night she killed her sister’s murderer. Small-town 1985 California feels like somewhere I could have actually visited. Stanley writes scenes like a director setting up a shot, with atmosphere, physical detail, and mood layered into every page. That mood is especially clear in the tension simmering through Garberville. Fear and anxiety sit everywhere, particularly for women. The entire story takes place over about a week, yet each day brings new discoveries and new concerns.
For me, the emotional core of this story is Renata’s trauma and the way it shapes every instinct she has. Her trauma shows up as fear, guardedness, and those moments where she has to talk herself off the ledge to keep from spiraling. It’s clear the violence she’s endured has left deep damage, but she still has the grit to push forward and see justice served. That same trauma makes it impossible for her to ignore what’s happening to the girls in Humboldt County, who vanish and are later found murdered. It also makes her the perfect person to question the teenagers who knew the latest victim, meeting them with gentleness and empathy, and offering a sense of safety through her mix of lived experience and legal knowledge.
The Reckoning, the first book in the new Renata Drake Thriller series, starts a bit like Renata herself stepping off that bus into Humboldt County, tentative and unsure at first. But the story quickly finds its footing and shows the same grit Renata carries, and I adored both the book and the character when all was said and done. I recommend this to thriller fans and to anyone looking for a strong, character-driven entry point into the genre.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
I read a digital copy made available by Severn House through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
Renata reminds me of myself in the best ways, independent, quick-thinking, and determined to never rely on anyone, especially a man. Her grief over her sister is palpable, and so is her confusion about the night she killed her sister’s murderer. Small-town 1985 California feels like somewhere I could have actually visited. Stanley writes scenes like a director setting up a shot, with atmosphere, physical detail, and mood layered into every page. That mood is especially clear in the tension simmering through Garberville. Fear and anxiety sit everywhere, particularly for women. The entire story takes place over about a week, yet each day brings new discoveries and new concerns.
For me, the emotional core of this story is Renata’s trauma and the way it shapes every instinct she has. Her trauma shows up as fear, guardedness, and those moments where she has to talk herself off the ledge to keep from spiraling. It’s clear the violence she’s endured has left deep damage, but she still has the grit to push forward and see justice served. That same trauma makes it impossible for her to ignore what’s happening to the girls in Humboldt County, who vanish and are later found murdered. It also makes her the perfect person to question the teenagers who knew the latest victim, meeting them with gentleness and empathy, and offering a sense of safety through her mix of lived experience and legal knowledge.
The Reckoning, the first book in the new Renata Drake Thriller series, starts a bit like Renata herself stepping off that bus into Humboldt County, tentative and unsure at first. But the story quickly finds its footing and shows the same grit Renata carries, and I adored both the book and the character when all was said and done. I recommend this to thriller fans and to anyone looking for a strong, character-driven entry point into the genre.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
I read a digital copy made available by Severn House through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
December 31, 2025
Renata Drake finds herself in Garberville, a small town best known for its dependency on pot growing and now for the spate of disappearances/suspicious deaths. Anyone else would have run a mile…but Renata’s choices are limited. She’s been questioned by the FBI after the young man who killed her sister is found dead. Renata is convinced she did it, so she planned to bury herself somewhere quiet.
Unfortunately, on the day she arrives, the body of the young girl who went missing most recently shows up. Renata cannot help but want to stick around and try to find out a little more about what happened. Her investigations unearth some pretty disturbing behaviours so it becomes a race to find the evidence she needs to be able to ensure those who have committed wrongdoing are punished.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.
Unfortunately, on the day she arrives, the body of the young girl who went missing most recently shows up. Renata cannot help but want to stick around and try to find out a little more about what happened. Her investigations unearth some pretty disturbing behaviours so it becomes a race to find the evidence she needs to be able to ensure those who have committed wrongdoing are punished.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.
October 6, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “The Reckoning” is scheduled for release on January 6, 2026.
The promo for “The Reckoning” (also billed as Renata Drake Book #1) states how Drake, the main character, “steps off a Greyhound bus and into small-town Garberville, hoping to disappear.”
Well, meeting with the publisher of the town newspaper the first day she arrives, then agreeing to be his “eyes and ears” for a story he’s working on, then agreeing to take photos at the high school football game the next night doesn’t exactly lend itself to the goal of disappearing.
Drake, we quickly learn, is on the run from the FBI for the execution-style murder of her sister’s killer. Her problem is that the place she chooses to disappear in, Garberville, in Southern Humbolt County, California in 1985, is the center of a cannabis-producing enterprise. Many of the residents are corrupt, and now a missing teenage girl turns up dead. It’s the third such incident in three years.
So much for disappearing into a quiet northern California town.
The narrative’s pacing is very good. The book is a page-turner, with enough wrinkles thrown in that, even though it’s not a complete shock when all the reveals occur, the story still holds your interest.
My main issue with the story is that things go a bit too smoothly for Renata. Landing a job her first day in town? Quickly gaining the trust of the local teenage girls? Uncovering the cannabis-producing enterprise’s hidden secrets without even coming close to getting caught?
It’s just a bit too unrealistic.
So is how she uncovers the operation. But I won’t spill the beans here.
Renata is certainly an interesting character, driven by the recurring image of her deceased sister, Josie. And the fact that she has blacked out – literally cannot remember aspects of the execution she believes she committed – provide sufficient intrigue to warrant following Renata in subsequent books in the series.
Which I will do.
Three-and-one-half stars for “The Reckoning”, which I will round up to 4 on the strength of the narrative’s pacing and ability to generate future reader interest. Check it out in January.
And you can check out all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.
The promo for “The Reckoning” (also billed as Renata Drake Book #1) states how Drake, the main character, “steps off a Greyhound bus and into small-town Garberville, hoping to disappear.”
Well, meeting with the publisher of the town newspaper the first day she arrives, then agreeing to be his “eyes and ears” for a story he’s working on, then agreeing to take photos at the high school football game the next night doesn’t exactly lend itself to the goal of disappearing.
Drake, we quickly learn, is on the run from the FBI for the execution-style murder of her sister’s killer. Her problem is that the place she chooses to disappear in, Garberville, in Southern Humbolt County, California in 1985, is the center of a cannabis-producing enterprise. Many of the residents are corrupt, and now a missing teenage girl turns up dead. It’s the third such incident in three years.
So much for disappearing into a quiet northern California town.
The narrative’s pacing is very good. The book is a page-turner, with enough wrinkles thrown in that, even though it’s not a complete shock when all the reveals occur, the story still holds your interest.
My main issue with the story is that things go a bit too smoothly for Renata. Landing a job her first day in town? Quickly gaining the trust of the local teenage girls? Uncovering the cannabis-producing enterprise’s hidden secrets without even coming close to getting caught?
It’s just a bit too unrealistic.
So is how she uncovers the operation. But I won’t spill the beans here.
Renata is certainly an interesting character, driven by the recurring image of her deceased sister, Josie. And the fact that she has blacked out – literally cannot remember aspects of the execution she believes she committed – provide sufficient intrigue to warrant following Renata in subsequent books in the series.
Which I will do.
Three-and-one-half stars for “The Reckoning”, which I will round up to 4 on the strength of the narrative’s pacing and ability to generate future reader interest. Check it out in January.
And you can check out all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.
January 8, 2026
📚The Reckoning
✍🏻Kelli Stanley
Blurb:
SHE KILLED A MAN.
HE DESERVED IT.
BUT JUSTICE ISN’T YET DONE.
First in an explosive new thriller series set in the eighties from the author of the critically acclaimed Miranda Corbie series introduces the fierce feminist Renata Drake—on the run from the FBI for the execution-style murder of her little sister’s killer.
“Vivid and haunting. I’m eager to hear more from the tenacious and resourceful Renata Drake” Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
California, Southern Humboldt County, 1985. Renata Drake steps off a Greyhound bus and into small-town Garberville, hoping to disappear. She checks the papers. She’s not headline news. Not yet.
But she’s made a mistake. The FBI have the cannabis-producing “Emerald Triangle” town— and its corrupt residents—in their sights. Even worse, a teenage girl is missing, and when she turns up dead, the third in three years, it’s clear a serial killer is living among them.
Renata knows about murdered girls and the burning desire for justice—and for revenge. Her younger sister Josie is gone, and now, so is the man who killed her. Renata didn’t stay in Washington, D.C. to be arrested for executing a murderer, and she shouldn’t stay here either. But Renata decides to investigate, and what she uncovers will trigger a final For herself, for a killer, and for all of Southern Humboldt.
This powerful, page-turning thriller explores the human cost of corruption and the psychological toll that violence takes on women.
My Thoughts:
Several young girls have been murdered & local police aren't making much progress. Renata, now going by the name Natalie "Natty" Connors & pretending to be a law student taking a year out to travel, knows all about losing someone close & so, against her better judgment, she decides to stay for now & investigate the murders. Renata cannot help but want to stick around and try to find out a little more about what happened.This thriller is a total masterpiece of suspense and pacing, seriously.
Thanks NetGalley, Severn House and Author Kelli Stanley for the advanced copy of "The Reckoning" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#SevernHouse
#KelliStanley
#TheReckoning
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, Murder
✍🏻Kelli Stanley
Blurb:
SHE KILLED A MAN.
HE DESERVED IT.
BUT JUSTICE ISN’T YET DONE.
First in an explosive new thriller series set in the eighties from the author of the critically acclaimed Miranda Corbie series introduces the fierce feminist Renata Drake—on the run from the FBI for the execution-style murder of her little sister’s killer.
“Vivid and haunting. I’m eager to hear more from the tenacious and resourceful Renata Drake” Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
California, Southern Humboldt County, 1985. Renata Drake steps off a Greyhound bus and into small-town Garberville, hoping to disappear. She checks the papers. She’s not headline news. Not yet.
But she’s made a mistake. The FBI have the cannabis-producing “Emerald Triangle” town— and its corrupt residents—in their sights. Even worse, a teenage girl is missing, and when she turns up dead, the third in three years, it’s clear a serial killer is living among them.
Renata knows about murdered girls and the burning desire for justice—and for revenge. Her younger sister Josie is gone, and now, so is the man who killed her. Renata didn’t stay in Washington, D.C. to be arrested for executing a murderer, and she shouldn’t stay here either. But Renata decides to investigate, and what she uncovers will trigger a final For herself, for a killer, and for all of Southern Humboldt.
This powerful, page-turning thriller explores the human cost of corruption and the psychological toll that violence takes on women.
My Thoughts:
Several young girls have been murdered & local police aren't making much progress. Renata, now going by the name Natalie "Natty" Connors & pretending to be a law student taking a year out to travel, knows all about losing someone close & so, against her better judgment, she decides to stay for now & investigate the murders. Renata cannot help but want to stick around and try to find out a little more about what happened.This thriller is a total masterpiece of suspense and pacing, seriously.
Thanks NetGalley, Severn House and Author Kelli Stanley for the advanced copy of "The Reckoning" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#SevernHouse
#KelliStanley
#TheReckoning
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, Murder
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Reckoning is the kind of book that really wants you to know it is serious. Very serious. Dead sister. Murder. FBI manhunt. Northern California fog so thick it deserves its own character arc.
Renata Drake is on the run after killing her sister’s murderer, which is already a lot. She then lands in a small town where everyone is shady, secrets grow on trees, and somehow she has the time and energy to investigate yet another murder. I admire her stamina. I would have needed a nap and a snack before page fifty.
The atmosphere is excellent. Truly. You can smell the damp forests and bad decisions. Unfortunately the pacing sometimes feels like Renata is sightseeing instead of surviving. I spent long stretches wondering if the FBI had lost her or just decided to give her some space to work through things emotionally.
When the plot moves, it moves well. When it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. There were moments of tension followed by stretches where I questioned whether I was still reading a thriller or had accidentally switched to a very moody travel brochure for Humboldt County.
Overall, this is a competent, well written book that I did not hate, did not love, and occasionally rolled my eyes at. Three stars because it has a strong lead and solid vibes, but could really benefit from tightening things up and reminding itself that it is, in fact, supposed to be a chase.
I finished it. I survived it. That feels like the right rating.
Renata Drake is on the run after killing her sister’s murderer, which is already a lot. She then lands in a small town where everyone is shady, secrets grow on trees, and somehow she has the time and energy to investigate yet another murder. I admire her stamina. I would have needed a nap and a snack before page fifty.
The atmosphere is excellent. Truly. You can smell the damp forests and bad decisions. Unfortunately the pacing sometimes feels like Renata is sightseeing instead of surviving. I spent long stretches wondering if the FBI had lost her or just decided to give her some space to work through things emotionally.
When the plot moves, it moves well. When it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. There were moments of tension followed by stretches where I questioned whether I was still reading a thriller or had accidentally switched to a very moody travel brochure for Humboldt County.
Overall, this is a competent, well written book that I did not hate, did not love, and occasionally rolled my eyes at. Three stars because it has a strong lead and solid vibes, but could really benefit from tightening things up and reminding itself that it is, in fact, supposed to be a chase.
I finished it. I survived it. That feels like the right rating.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is an undeniably atmospheric read, steeped in menace from the outset. Corruption, abuse, and murder loom large, and there’s a surprising depth here that initially promised more than I was expecting.
Set in Northern California along the Avenue of the Giants, the redwood setting is presented as awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, despite clear evidence that Kelli Stanley knows—or has thoroughly researched—the area, it never quite materialised for me on the page. I was told it was stunning; I just couldn’t see it.
I also struggled with Renata Drake’s introspection. Her memories surrounding her sister and her killer were effective and emotionally grounded, but much of the inward reflection elsewhere felt overworked and distancing. As a result, my connection to Renata—and to the central mystery—never fully clicked, and the payoff left me underwhelmed.
There’s no faulting the writing itself, and most of the characters are very well drawn. This clearly feels like the opening act of a longer series, and while I can see what the author is setting up, I reached the end knowing I didn’t have the patience to follow it any further.
My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC of “The Reckoning” by Kelli Stanley.
Set in Northern California along the Avenue of the Giants, the redwood setting is presented as awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, despite clear evidence that Kelli Stanley knows—or has thoroughly researched—the area, it never quite materialised for me on the page. I was told it was stunning; I just couldn’t see it.
I also struggled with Renata Drake’s introspection. Her memories surrounding her sister and her killer were effective and emotionally grounded, but much of the inward reflection elsewhere felt overworked and distancing. As a result, my connection to Renata—and to the central mystery—never fully clicked, and the payoff left me underwhelmed.
There’s no faulting the writing itself, and most of the characters are very well drawn. This clearly feels like the opening act of a longer series, and while I can see what the author is setting up, I reached the end knowing I didn’t have the patience to follow it any further.
My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC of “The Reckoning” by Kelli Stanley.
October 27, 2025
Hey, I just met you, and this crazy
But here’s my number
So call me maybe…we can all immediately trust you and share our lives with you as if we have always known you and solve a major mystery
Or something like that. At least that’s how this novel feels. Listen, next time I decide to buy a lottery ticket, I’m taking Renata with me. This girl has some major luck.
Need a job on your first day in the town…check
Immediately stumble on the answers to major crimes being committed in town…check.
Everyone just trusts you and tells you things you need to know…check.
Within a few chapters, I thought of Rainn Wilson’s comments about Hollywood. He attacked the lazy writing in that the moment a minister or Christian is introduced, you can count on them being the bad guy or one of them complicit. Then I thought, surely the author isn’t going to be that cliched. Nope. I was wrong. Lazy and cliched. Like most of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
But here’s my number
So call me maybe…we can all immediately trust you and share our lives with you as if we have always known you and solve a major mystery
Or something like that. At least that’s how this novel feels. Listen, next time I decide to buy a lottery ticket, I’m taking Renata with me. This girl has some major luck.
Need a job on your first day in the town…check
Immediately stumble on the answers to major crimes being committed in town…check.
Everyone just trusts you and tells you things you need to know…check.
Within a few chapters, I thought of Rainn Wilson’s comments about Hollywood. He attacked the lazy writing in that the moment a minister or Christian is introduced, you can count on them being the bad guy or one of them complicit. Then I thought, surely the author isn’t going to be that cliched. Nope. I was wrong. Lazy and cliched. Like most of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This thriller is a total masterpiece of suspense and pacing, seriously. From the first page, it just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The story flies by, keeping you on the edge of your seat with every twist. The author's writing is amazing, crafting a story that's smart and super engaging. I was totally hooked, couldn't put it down until the thrilling end. It really shows how powerful a good plot and vivid storytelling can be. This book will definitely stick with you long after you're done. It totally deserves all its stars. I absolutely can't wait for another book to see where Renata ends up.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews