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Payback: A Kris Redner Mystery
Two grisly murders. A decades-old secret. A friendship tested by fear and revelation. There is some serious payback coming in the latest Kris Redner mystery. When they were 16, Kris Redner and Tracey Lamb thought they’d be best friends forever. One terrible incident shattered that dream, forcing Kris to flee the Ottawa Valley village of Madawaska Mills. Twenty-five years later, with two unsolved killings haunting the village, Tracey pleads for the Ottawa journalist’s help. Kris can’t say no to her old friend, even though she fears the truth will bubble up like swamp gas, to reveal her darkest secret.PRAISE FOR THE KRIS REDNER MYSTERIESDenley’s clean, crisp writing never takes priority over the pace of the plot, which drives along as smoothly as the SUVs favoured by the town’s better class. The plot twists and turns like upstate New York’s mountain roads. — Ottawa CitizenBottom line. I enjoyed One Dead Sister. There are a lot of popular female sleuths out there and Kris Redner deserves to have a place among them. The trick to any good mystery is to create suspense, keep the reader guessing, and Denley does that to a tee. — Ottawa SunDenley has many fans in the Ottawa area, but One Dead Sister deserves a wider audience. — National PostSpiked is an engrossing political thriller and crime story, well-paced and populated by convincing characters. The dialogue is crisp, and the atmosphere believable, informed by years of experience in the Ottawa scene. — Ottawa Review of Books
- GenresMystery
Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 21, 2024
It is rare that I find a book to be better than anticipated. This is one of those books. Randall Denley is a local author who often incorporates local features or locations in his books. “Payback” was written in 2020, published by a local publisher and set in a small lumber town about 100 miles from Ottawa. Kris Redner, the protagonist is a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen and has history in Madawaska Mills. She is asked to investigate two murders and invited to stay with the family of her best friend Tracey, from her teenage years. She accepts the invitation. The second murder occurred a few days ago and the first exactly one year prior.
It is mid-November and cold. While no snow has come and stayed, it is overdue and expected at any time. Denley gets the story off quickly by describing the second murder from the point of view of the victim. He describes his recent change in life; he has stopped drinking as he wants to be a good and welcomed grandfather. He sees a hunter, out of season, across his field. He waves to the hunter who aims his rifle and shoots him in the leg. As he crawls toward the house, the hunter approaches and is recognized. As he turns to the hunter and asks: “What are you doing?” The hunter points his rifle and . . ..
Denley is a master at laying the scene. Not only the visual but the texture and feeling, the weather, the smells and the sounds. The texture adds to the sense of drama or threat as various characters begin to feel fear and plan an escape. As the bodies increase, the police notice that there is always a number on the scene; they have no idea what the numbers represent. Redner starts asking questions about the victims, their families, and their work in an effort to discern a link between them and enrich her articles. She finds that her questions are not welcome; her interviewees are not merely secretive, but they all lie and some threaten. Her worst experience is with Darcy, her teenage idol and devil. The town was so stirred up that Tracey was told to ask her to leave.
The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) are not having much luck either. The detachment is based in Killaloe, but the head of this case is staying in the only local hostelry, the dilapidated and decrepit Madawaska Inn. Redner stayed there also and tried to discuss the case with the Seargent but was given the cold shoulder. As part of the next killing, the hotel was burned to the ground. Redner and Stillwell the OPP officer made a heroic escape captured on a cellphone and sold to the Toronto press. Everybody in town saw them escape from the third floor on a burning rope made from sheets.
By this time, Redner had been told of an unpleasant incident in North Bay 25 years ago. She was told who was involved and that all the victims so far had also been involved. She and the Seargent shared information. They each went to work alone, and each felt they were close. A dramatic climax followed requiring the assistance of both Redner and the OPP to save a hostage and bring the killings to a stop.
Denley was able to rachet up the drama on an ongoing basis. The reader does not find who the protagonist is until Redner does. The language is vary appropriate and folksy. No bad language just for the sake of bad language or shock. There was however language appropriate to the speaker and situation. I am not a fan of books with adult situations and lexicon but not even one “damn.” That feels as if the characters never speak with passion and the writers are afraid of censure.
This book would be of interest to those who like “who done its,” some action, and drama that keeps you turning the pages. I look forward to more of Denley’s work. Four stars.
It is mid-November and cold. While no snow has come and stayed, it is overdue and expected at any time. Denley gets the story off quickly by describing the second murder from the point of view of the victim. He describes his recent change in life; he has stopped drinking as he wants to be a good and welcomed grandfather. He sees a hunter, out of season, across his field. He waves to the hunter who aims his rifle and shoots him in the leg. As he crawls toward the house, the hunter approaches and is recognized. As he turns to the hunter and asks: “What are you doing?” The hunter points his rifle and . . ..
Denley is a master at laying the scene. Not only the visual but the texture and feeling, the weather, the smells and the sounds. The texture adds to the sense of drama or threat as various characters begin to feel fear and plan an escape. As the bodies increase, the police notice that there is always a number on the scene; they have no idea what the numbers represent. Redner starts asking questions about the victims, their families, and their work in an effort to discern a link between them and enrich her articles. She finds that her questions are not welcome; her interviewees are not merely secretive, but they all lie and some threaten. Her worst experience is with Darcy, her teenage idol and devil. The town was so stirred up that Tracey was told to ask her to leave.
The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) are not having much luck either. The detachment is based in Killaloe, but the head of this case is staying in the only local hostelry, the dilapidated and decrepit Madawaska Inn. Redner stayed there also and tried to discuss the case with the Seargent but was given the cold shoulder. As part of the next killing, the hotel was burned to the ground. Redner and Stillwell the OPP officer made a heroic escape captured on a cellphone and sold to the Toronto press. Everybody in town saw them escape from the third floor on a burning rope made from sheets.
By this time, Redner had been told of an unpleasant incident in North Bay 25 years ago. She was told who was involved and that all the victims so far had also been involved. She and the Seargent shared information. They each went to work alone, and each felt they were close. A dramatic climax followed requiring the assistance of both Redner and the OPP to save a hostage and bring the killings to a stop.
Denley was able to rachet up the drama on an ongoing basis. The reader does not find who the protagonist is until Redner does. The language is vary appropriate and folksy. No bad language just for the sake of bad language or shock. There was however language appropriate to the speaker and situation. I am not a fan of books with adult situations and lexicon but not even one “damn.” That feels as if the characters never speak with passion and the writers are afraid of censure.
This book would be of interest to those who like “who done its,” some action, and drama that keeps you turning the pages. I look forward to more of Denley’s work. Four stars.
August 18, 2021
An ingenious plot idea
I haven't read all of the books in this series, but Randall Denley paints such an effective portrait of his protagonist, Kris Redner, that I now want to. She's a grizzled newsroom cop reporter who is reluctantly pulled back into her own tragic past when two mysterious killings occur in the Ottawa Valley town where she came of age. The plot gets stronger and moves more rapidly as the death toll mounts. And there's an ingenious aha! moment, the key to the killings, that our intrepid journalist discovers before the police cotton on. Morally flawed but somehow admirable characters add an extra dimension to this thriller by a writer who knows his way around newsrooms, small towns and police reporters.
I haven't read all of the books in this series, but Randall Denley paints such an effective portrait of his protagonist, Kris Redner, that I now want to. She's a grizzled newsroom cop reporter who is reluctantly pulled back into her own tragic past when two mysterious killings occur in the Ottawa Valley town where she came of age. The plot gets stronger and moves more rapidly as the death toll mounts. And there's an ingenious aha! moment, the key to the killings, that our intrepid journalist discovers before the police cotton on. Morally flawed but somehow admirable characters add an extra dimension to this thriller by a writer who knows his way around newsrooms, small towns and police reporters.
September 1, 2023
about astorey of revenge cover ups cleaning brothers mess
small town old freinds ask to come help with the muders in the small town . daughter he did not know he had
at end not to sure whsat going to happen to William Wellgate he did not mean to kill that muder was shelf denfence so not so how long be in jail for .
they moved out of the town. kris did .
the end leftf parts out in case did not read book ending ok everything else id easre to follow,
small town old freinds ask to come help with the muders in the small town . daughter he did not know he had
at end not to sure whsat going to happen to William Wellgate he did not mean to kill that muder was shelf denfence so not so how long be in jail for .
they moved out of the town. kris did .
the end leftf parts out in case did not read book ending ok everything else id easre to follow,
June 19, 2021
Good yarn. Reasonably complex but realistic enough to be believable. Good character development, an again enough normalcy in the folks that you can believe what they get into and out of. Enjoyable too if you like this part of the world.
December 13, 2023
Good book, strong story line, Denley writes a fast paced novel. Always fun to read about local places you know about in the Ottawa valley. Did feel the structure broke apart a bit as the book neared its climax. Strong read!
March 2, 2022
Lots of twists and turns. Kept me guessing.
January 8, 2023
A really good book. Interesting story that kept me guessing all the way through. I figured out the numbers easy enough, but the rest was a good mystery.
October 28, 2023
Excellent, well written. I would recommend this book to everyone. Canadian author as well
November 7, 2023
Another excellent book by Randall Denley.
Interesting all the way through the book. No dead air.
Interesting all the way through the book. No dead air.
December 1, 2025
really enjoyed the book - local author - bringing in ottawa area - good mystery
December 21, 2025
Great character development. Plot twists, great mystery. I liked the setting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews