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Reckoning
After escaping Santa Fe with twenty million dollars in offshore accounts, Jane Ashcroft, her partner R, and their faithful dog, Fable, think they’ve finally found the place where no one can find them. They choose Bergen, Norway—a city of fog and fjords, of quiet streets and second chances—as the place no one could possibly find them.
At first, it feels perfect. They buy a villa high above the city, take a Norwegian class, and walk the cobblestone lanes pretending to be ordinary. Jane and Fable walk endlessly in the hills around the city, relaxing for the first time in years. Jane almost believes they’re safe.
But peace is fragile, and secrets have long shadows. When strangers begin asking questions and an old enemy resurfaces in a new disguise, Jane and R are forced back into the game they swore they’d left behind. Every move tightens the noose; every choice tests their loyalty, their courage, and the limits of what they’re willing to do to stay free.
In the end, Bergen will demand everything from them—a final reckoning that will decide whether they escape again… or vanish for good.
The Dog Reckoning is a taut psychological thriller of reinvention, betrayal, and survival set against the luminous darkness of Norway’s western coast.
At first, it feels perfect. They buy a villa high above the city, take a Norwegian class, and walk the cobblestone lanes pretending to be ordinary. Jane and Fable walk endlessly in the hills around the city, relaxing for the first time in years. Jane almost believes they’re safe.
But peace is fragile, and secrets have long shadows. When strangers begin asking questions and an old enemy resurfaces in a new disguise, Jane and R are forced back into the game they swore they’d left behind. Every move tightens the noose; every choice tests their loyalty, their courage, and the limits of what they’re willing to do to stay free.
In the end, Bergen will demand everything from them—a final reckoning that will decide whether they escape again… or vanish for good.
The Dog Reckoning is a taut psychological thriller of reinvention, betrayal, and survival set against the luminous darkness of Norway’s western coast.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
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3652 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 11, 2026
‘We could try – what do they call it? – a life’ – The mystery weaves on!
Adding to the suspense of this psychological thriller is the ‘secret’ identity of the fine author who assumes the nom de plume of D.L. Maddox for creating this excellent fourth volume of The Dog Walker series, stories driven by emotional realism, layered suspense, and protagonists who confront danger with resilience and complexity. As Maddox offers, the use of a pen name ‘reflects a creative choice – designed to align with the unique voice, themes, and characters of these books – rather than a concealment of identity.’
Grasping the readers’ attention, this new volume opens in Bergen, Norway, and the aura of the main character is captured in the opening lines: ‘Morning sunlight spilled across the hillside above Vagen harbor. Pale and cool in the late-winter sky. From their terrace, the vew stretched over Bergen’s colorful wooden houses and the slate roofs tumbling down toward the sea. Fishing boats bobbed in the harbor below, gulls circling with sharp cries that echoed off the water.’ The author distills the plot well: ‘After escaping Santa Fe with twenty million dollars in offshore accounts, Jane Ashcroft, her partner R, and their faithful dog, Fable, think they’ve finally found the place where no one can find them. They choose Bergen, Norway—a city of fog and fjords, of quiet streets and second chances—as the place no one could possibly find them. At first, it feels perfect. They buy a villa high above the city, take a Norwegian class, and walk the cobblestone lanes pretending to be ordinary. Jane and Fable walk endlessly in the hills around the city, relaxing for the first time in years. Jane almost believes they’re safe. But peace is fragile, and secrets have long shadows. When strangers begin asking questions and an old enemy resurfaces in a new disguise, Jane and R are forced back into the game they swore they’d left behind. Every move tightens the noose; every choice tests their loyalty, their courage, and the limits of what they’re willing to do to stay free.In the end, Bergen will demand everything from them—a final reckoning that will decide whether they escape again… or vanish for good.’
Maddox continues to impress with writing skills that further sustain both interest and admiration. This superb novel stands well on its own, but likely the reader will stay with this entire excellent psychological thriller series!
Adding to the suspense of this psychological thriller is the ‘secret’ identity of the fine author who assumes the nom de plume of D.L. Maddox for creating this excellent fourth volume of The Dog Walker series, stories driven by emotional realism, layered suspense, and protagonists who confront danger with resilience and complexity. As Maddox offers, the use of a pen name ‘reflects a creative choice – designed to align with the unique voice, themes, and characters of these books – rather than a concealment of identity.’
Grasping the readers’ attention, this new volume opens in Bergen, Norway, and the aura of the main character is captured in the opening lines: ‘Morning sunlight spilled across the hillside above Vagen harbor. Pale and cool in the late-winter sky. From their terrace, the vew stretched over Bergen’s colorful wooden houses and the slate roofs tumbling down toward the sea. Fishing boats bobbed in the harbor below, gulls circling with sharp cries that echoed off the water.’ The author distills the plot well: ‘After escaping Santa Fe with twenty million dollars in offshore accounts, Jane Ashcroft, her partner R, and their faithful dog, Fable, think they’ve finally found the place where no one can find them. They choose Bergen, Norway—a city of fog and fjords, of quiet streets and second chances—as the place no one could possibly find them. At first, it feels perfect. They buy a villa high above the city, take a Norwegian class, and walk the cobblestone lanes pretending to be ordinary. Jane and Fable walk endlessly in the hills around the city, relaxing for the first time in years. Jane almost believes they’re safe. But peace is fragile, and secrets have long shadows. When strangers begin asking questions and an old enemy resurfaces in a new disguise, Jane and R are forced back into the game they swore they’d left behind. Every move tightens the noose; every choice tests their loyalty, their courage, and the limits of what they’re willing to do to stay free.In the end, Bergen will demand everything from them—a final reckoning that will decide whether they escape again… or vanish for good.’
Maddox continues to impress with writing skills that further sustain both interest and admiration. This superb novel stands well on its own, but likely the reader will stay with this entire excellent psychological thriller series!
January 22, 2026
I went into The Dog Walker: Reckoning expecting a sleek “we’re on the run in a gorgeous foreign city” thriller, and… yes, it absolutely delivers that vibe. But it also kept widening the circle in a way I didn’t totally anticipate, and I found myself both impressed and slightly overwhelmed (in a good, anxious way).
Jane Ashcroft and R land in Bergen trying to disappear with their money and their dog, Fable, and the early chapters are honestly my favorite kind of tension: the quiet kind. Rain on cobblestones, fog that makes every street feel like a blind corner, the ritual of taking a Norwegian class and pretending you’re normal… while your nervous system is still scanning for threats. Then a compass-rose mark starts surfacing in their life, first as an elegant little clue, then as something far more ominous, and the story shifts from “maybe we can rest” to “oh, we are being sized up.”
What worked for me most is character connection. Jane is competent, but not invincible, and I liked that her calm reads less like superhuman cool and more like a choice she has to keep making. R, meanwhile, is all razor-edged vigilance and loyalty, and their relationship feels lived-in in the best way: funny in tiny flashes, fierce when it counts, and occasionally prickly because of course it is. And Fable… listen, I am always going to be the easiest audience member for a dog who’s treated like a real presence instead of a prop. I would follow Fable into battle, no questions asked.
The setting is also doing a ton of heavy lifting. Bergen isn’t just “pretty backdrop,” it’s atmosphere, beautiful and claustrophobic at the same time. And when the book leans into art-world menace, private power, and the way civility can be a disguise, it gets genuinely riveting.
My small issues: the cast balloons as the stakes escalate, and there were moments where I had to pause and re-orient myself (wait, who’s aligned with who right now…). And the plot gets so tightly wound that a few turns feel almost too polished, like the machinery is showing, just a bit.
Still, by the time everything barrels toward its final confrontations, I was very into it, heart-in-throat, flipping pages like it was my job . If you like thrillers with mood, smart tension, and characters you actually care about… this one is worth the ride.
Jane Ashcroft and R land in Bergen trying to disappear with their money and their dog, Fable, and the early chapters are honestly my favorite kind of tension: the quiet kind. Rain on cobblestones, fog that makes every street feel like a blind corner, the ritual of taking a Norwegian class and pretending you’re normal… while your nervous system is still scanning for threats. Then a compass-rose mark starts surfacing in their life, first as an elegant little clue, then as something far more ominous, and the story shifts from “maybe we can rest” to “oh, we are being sized up.”
What worked for me most is character connection. Jane is competent, but not invincible, and I liked that her calm reads less like superhuman cool and more like a choice she has to keep making. R, meanwhile, is all razor-edged vigilance and loyalty, and their relationship feels lived-in in the best way: funny in tiny flashes, fierce when it counts, and occasionally prickly because of course it is. And Fable… listen, I am always going to be the easiest audience member for a dog who’s treated like a real presence instead of a prop. I would follow Fable into battle, no questions asked.
The setting is also doing a ton of heavy lifting. Bergen isn’t just “pretty backdrop,” it’s atmosphere, beautiful and claustrophobic at the same time. And when the book leans into art-world menace, private power, and the way civility can be a disguise, it gets genuinely riveting.
My small issues: the cast balloons as the stakes escalate, and there were moments where I had to pause and re-orient myself (wait, who’s aligned with who right now…). And the plot gets so tightly wound that a few turns feel almost too polished, like the machinery is showing, just a bit.
Still, by the time everything barrels toward its final confrontations, I was very into it, heart-in-throat, flipping pages like it was my job . If you like thrillers with mood, smart tension, and characters you actually care about… this one is worth the ride.
January 21, 2026
The Dog Walker: Reckoning drops Jane Ashcroft and R into Bergen, Norway, and somehow makes “foggy fjords and a quiet villa” feel just as dangerous as a battlefield. Yep. This one is a psychological thriller that knows how to build dread without needing constant explosions.
After pulling off the kind of escape that should come with a lifetime supply of peace, Jane and R try to disappear into an ordinary life. They buy a house high above the harbor, sign up for Norwegian classes, and let Jane’s loyal Belgian Malinois, Fable, anchor their days with long walks and routine. For a little while, it almost works. But then strangers start circling, a glossy “business opportunity” appears in the most ominous way possible, and the past they thought they buried starts knocking like it owns the door.
What worked for me is the atmosphere. Bergen feels damp and luminous and watchful, like the city itself is listening. I also love Jane as a lead because she’s competent but not invincible, and you can feel how badly she wants to believe in safety even while she’s scanning exits. And R is such a great counterpart, all precision and sharp instincts, but still quietly human when it counts. Their partnership is the heartbeat of the story, you know?
And honestly, the tension is a slow squeeze at first, then it turns into a full on noose. The cast around them adds to that unease too, especially Erik Dahl, their Norwegian teacher who is charming in a way that immediately makes you go… hmm. Haha.
Sigh. My only real nitpick is that the book sometimes lingers a little long in its quiet scenes and “beautiful detail” mode before snapping back into action. I didn’t mind most of it because it fits the tone, but a couple stretches felt like they were stalling right when I was ready for the next move.
Still, this was absolutely worth it for the mood, the character work, and the way the danger escalates without losing emotional clarity. I’m calling it 5 stars.
After pulling off the kind of escape that should come with a lifetime supply of peace, Jane and R try to disappear into an ordinary life. They buy a house high above the harbor, sign up for Norwegian classes, and let Jane’s loyal Belgian Malinois, Fable, anchor their days with long walks and routine. For a little while, it almost works. But then strangers start circling, a glossy “business opportunity” appears in the most ominous way possible, and the past they thought they buried starts knocking like it owns the door.
What worked for me is the atmosphere. Bergen feels damp and luminous and watchful, like the city itself is listening. I also love Jane as a lead because she’s competent but not invincible, and you can feel how badly she wants to believe in safety even while she’s scanning exits. And R is such a great counterpart, all precision and sharp instincts, but still quietly human when it counts. Their partnership is the heartbeat of the story, you know?
And honestly, the tension is a slow squeeze at first, then it turns into a full on noose. The cast around them adds to that unease too, especially Erik Dahl, their Norwegian teacher who is charming in a way that immediately makes you go… hmm. Haha.
Sigh. My only real nitpick is that the book sometimes lingers a little long in its quiet scenes and “beautiful detail” mode before snapping back into action. I didn’t mind most of it because it fits the tone, but a couple stretches felt like they were stalling right when I was ready for the next move.
Still, this was absolutely worth it for the mood, the character work, and the way the danger escalates without losing emotional clarity. I’m calling it 5 stars.
December 17, 2025
The Dog Walker-Reckoning: A Psychological Thriller is the fourth book in The Dog Walker series by D.L. Maddox. Though Jane and R have their nest egg and a comfortable house in Bergen, Norway, they know this moment of peace is just calm before a storm. No matter how hard they try to live a typical life after escaping prison, it eludes them, and the life of crime calls to them as a siren. Taking a language class just to fit into their community becomes the wedge that cracks the facade that they painted for themselves. Now they are sucked back into the underworld, but past experience has given them the skills and knowledge to take the fight to their oppressors, if they can stay together.
I have been following Jane and R through each heist, attraction, and attack since they reinvented themselves. The Dog Walker-Reckoning is a little different than the first three books. This novel brings back past players to mingle with a present nemesis. There is less interaction with dogs and their owners, and more about being assertive before being pushed into a corner. D.L. Maddox still emits a mood of turbulence mixed with suspense. I envisioned rough seas that grew into great turbulence. It will be a bittersweet moment when I purchase The Dog Walker: Prequel and finish this series. I highly recommend this book and series.
I have been following Jane and R through each heist, attraction, and attack since they reinvented themselves. The Dog Walker-Reckoning is a little different than the first three books. This novel brings back past players to mingle with a present nemesis. There is less interaction with dogs and their owners, and more about being assertive before being pushed into a corner. D.L. Maddox still emits a mood of turbulence mixed with suspense. I envisioned rough seas that grew into great turbulence. It will be a bittersweet moment when I purchase The Dog Walker: Prequel and finish this series. I highly recommend this book and series.
January 23, 2026
This is.book 4 in the Dog Walker series. I highly recommend reading these books in order so you understand the characters, their relationships, and the enemies they are escaping. Jane and R are in Bergen, Norway, after fleeing the US. When a group tries to recruit Jane, she doesn't want to be involved. However, the group plays dirty, and when both her and R's lives are put in danger, and a former nemesis threatens them, they need to devise a plan to escape.
I really enjoyed this novel, and have enjoyed all of the books in the series.
I really enjoyed this novel, and have enjoyed all of the books in the series.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews