Dead Reckoning

by Lea O'Harra

"Both a drama and a thriller, full of twists and human insight." Thomas Waugh.

Indiana, January 2010.

It’s a hot summer’s day in 1984 when twelve-year-old Gilly and her friend Sally find a dead new-born in a shoebox in the cemetery of their tiny town.

Deciding to keep their discovery a secret, they bury the body in Gilly’s yard.

The results are disastrous. Flowers are mysteriously left on strollers. Two local children disappear and end up dead. A suspect is arrested and confesses, blaming the deaths on the girls’ having taken the dead baby.

Gilly grows up but is haunted by what’s happened. As a young woman, she flees the town and its memories, going all the way to Japan.

Returning with her Japanese husband Toshi to attend her mother’s funeral, Gilly finds the past is not past. She’s threatened, and someone is putting flowers on strollers again.

When another child is abducted, Gilly knows she must discover the truth about what happened all those years ago before more lives are lost.

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2022

About the author

Lea O'Harra is the pen name adopted by Wendy Jones Nakanishi for the publication of her so-called Inspector Inoue mystery series including 'Imperfect Strangers' (2015), 'Progeny' (2016), and 'Lady First' (2017), all published by Endeavour Press (UK) and set in rural present-day Japan. Sharpe Boooks (UK) has recently reissued the series, along with a fourth thriller titled 'Dead Reckoning,' a standalone set in the American Midwest which was published in September 2022. Black Rose Writing (Texas) will publish her fifth crime fiction novel titled 'Sayonara, My Sweet' in May 2025. According to the author, an American by birth who has lived in Japan for forty years, her books are as much dissections of the dark underbelly of Japanese society as murder mysteries.

Reviews

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting tale, split between the past and the present, with details slow to be released to explain what is going on in this tiny town.

This story is filled with unlikeable characters, dysfunctional families, and a secret that is trying to come out but not very successfully.

Gilly (aka Gillian, aka Mouse) has returned home for her mother's funeral. She is living in Japan with her husband, who is quite obnoxious. I'm really not sure how she has stayed married to him for nine years. Once back in Bryon, the past comes rushing back, and Gilly has to face the truth.

A lot of this book seemed quite unbelievable. How could two young girls find a dead baby and then not tell anyone? That seemed very bizarre. Obviously, it is eating away at the girls, or at least it does Gilly. Even decades later, when she is back in town, it comes up. Since this is something she hasn't told her husband, Toshi, he can't understand anything about her past, her family or why it is a secret. While I get where he is coming from, don't we all have secrets from our past? Why does everything have to be shared with a spouse if it doesn't impact them?

There are so many secrets surrounding this little town, and Gilly seems to be in the middle of everything. This makes her look guilty when it is really just coincidental timing with her return to town. However, there are other secrets just dying to get out, and how they impact what is happening in the little town now.

It does take about 2/3 of the book before the past is revealed. Until that point, there are some references but no real explanation of what happened. I believe this is what is called a slow burn. I call it annoying! I wanted to understand how the past impacted the present, but there was no revelation of what happened or why.

However, once the details are revealed, it is a very fast-paced finish to the end of the book. There are some tense moments for Gilly in the last third of the book. Some of the actions of other characters might leave you dumbfounded.

Outside of the mystery, we also see the interactions between Gilly and her brothers. While they were supportive of each other as children, or as much as they could be at that young age, they have all changed, and not necessarily for the better. Nick is self-absorbed, Harry tends to put his head in the sand, and Gilly continues to be bullied. I wondered if there would be any change in that dynamic by the end of the book.

Despite my frustration at the slow pace (because I want to know everything now!), I found myself engaged in this story and wondering how it would turn out.

We give this book 4 paws up.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

When her mother dies, Gilly returns from Japan to her childhood home to attend the funeral and close the estate. The tearful occasion brings back memories that she thought she had resolved years ago. When she was a young child, she and her friend Sally found a deceased newborn child in the woods near the cemetery. They named her Cassie and buried her in their lawn. Around the same time other children were killed and the person responsible was jailed. But now Tim has been released and Sally informs her that it's happening again. Someone is placing dead flowers on babies in strollers.
When a brick is thrown through her window and her rental car is torched, Gilly becomes certain the newborn's killer is after her.
Lea O'Hara has written the perfect taunt thriller with non stop action right to the surprise conclusion. I really liked her character development of Gilly. From the first page we sympathize with Gilly. She has always been a timid child, so much so that she was called Mouse by her older brothers and was easily bullied by the neighbour's children. Now, she has brought along her classic textbook narcissist Japanese husband who finds fault with everything about her, her background, her home, even her job. Instead of trying to help and understand her, Toshi just adds to her mental anguish. Through flashbacks in her diary, Gilly works through her childhood trauma to find out what really happened to the baby she named Cassie. I love how Gilly bloomed from being that little "Mouse" to a real kick ass heroine.

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[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Gillian goes back to her hometown in Indiana with her Japanese husband to bury her mother, all the secrets and lies surrounding a bad decision she had made as a child surface. How different would things have been if she and her friend had alerted the authorities right away when they discovered the dead baby in the cemetery? Would the other two children who died that summer still be alive? Would Gillian’s Japanese husband have stuck by her side when he learned what happened that summer or would he have still scuttled back to Japan to his mother? Set in 1984 and in 2010, we slowly learn the truth of what had happened that fateful summer. But what was in the past is no longer in the past—someone has it out for Gillian. But her childhood nickname “Mouse” is no longer appropriate. She isn’t going to be pushed down any longer.
A real page-turner, this story is set in a small town in Indiana (Unlike O’Harra’s previous mysteries which were set in Japan) and it shows what anyone from a small town in the United States already knows: you might be able to leave and go to the big city, but back home, things remain reliably the same: allies are still allies, and enemies are still enemies. And everyone has a long memory.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happened to that baby??? Once a killer always a killer!!! Glad that Yoshi – I mean Toshi – as gone!!! I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.

[Lynelle Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A terrible thing to happen,” Toshi says, returning the photo to the TV. “To your mother!” He blows a smoke ring and looks up at the ceiling reflectively. I know what he’s thinking. He couldn’t bear anything like that happening to his own mother. To Okaasan.”

Dead reckoning has an interesting plotline, filled with some nasty characters and downright obnoxious ones. Toshi falls in the last category. A hateful character with all the trimmings of an arrogant and self-absorbed man. The day he made his final choice I was happy.

When Gilly returns to her hometown after three years of absences, for her mother’s funeral the undercurrents immediately began to turn. Leaving murky and very deceptive waters.

Her mother’s neglected house laid the foundation for the dramatic plot and Toshi as antagonistic as they come. The only time he had something positive to say or think was when money came into the picture. How they ever got married is beyond me.

Her two brothers were quite a pair and the typical sibling rivalry can be seen as each carries his own weight. The loss of their mother left them in uncertain waters and the father is non-existent. Even though they mentioned him quite a bid he never became part of the plot. Which just showed how big the gap really was between the children and their father.

The relationship between Gilly and Sally were a thin thread with so many nuances within that I wondered what on earth kept it together. But at the end, this relationship proved to be a solid investment to both Sally and Gilly. Both of them had to come to grips with the events in 1984, both had to make do with the choices handed to them.

“Sally leaps up. “God, now it all comes back to me,” she says. Her face is white, and I notice she’s trembling. “That day! I called you, Gilly, angry because we’d arranged to meet at Mabel’s and you never turned up.” I feel myself going pale as I remember, too. The awful coincidence. Mom had her accident the day after we’d found Cassie.”

The story is divided into two parts, the present, and what happened twenty-six years ago. Each chapter gives you a deeper look the inner workings of Gillian while she battle to stay afloat in the present. The impact of that one innocent event cause the snowball effect and Gilly and Sally was right in the middle of it.

When Sally’s daughter was kidnapped, the stage was set, and the nasty characters came out to play.

Again Gilly had to put the mouse persona away to really grow as a woman. All her life she was looked Down because of this. Even though the events back in 1984 should have add to her character it became a place of hiding. Not being true to who she was left its mark on her and her present life. This was clear to see through Toshi’s attitude. But when everything came together, it was beautiful to watch how the strong version of Gillian stepped to the forefront and she kept it up right till the end of the book.

What I didn’t like about the book:
I found the plotline at times dragged out, the point of the story only coming together around halfway in the book. From there all the puzzle pieces began to interlock and suspense showed its head in quick succession.
There was too much dialogue with no real purpose that slowed the story.
The sexual scenes were flat and not believable.

Otherwise, a good dramatic story I can recommend.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

O'Harra's first three crime novels, featuring Japanese Inspector Inoue, were set in the fictious Japanese town of Fujikawa. Dead Reckoning is something of a departure in that it takes place in a tiny town in Indiana. The story is narrated by Gillian Kataoka, nee Blackstone, who returns after a long absence from Japan, where she has been living for years, to attend her mother's funeral. She is accompanied by her Japanese husband Toshi, though it's clear from the start that their marriage is on the rocks.

Toshi, who was brought up in a culture which insists upon decorum, is appalled by the evidence of his mother-in-law's hoarding, and by unsavory stories of Gillian's past which soon come bubbling up. Turns out Gillian had something to do with a dead baby. And she is associated with the murders of two children!

The story alternates between the present, during Gillian's return, and 1984, when twelve-year-old Gilly and her domineering best friend Sally discover a dead baby in a shoe box hidden away near the cemetery. Instead of reporting the corpse to the police, or even a random adult, they decide to bury it in Gillian's yard and keep it a secret. But when two older children are kidnapped and murdered, they begin wonder if the baby had something to do with it. Flashbacks to the 1980s are cued by entries from the diary Gillian kept and rediscovered amongst her mother's possessions.

The 1980s sections reminded me of the NetFlix series "Stranger Things" and the movie version of Grady Hendrix's "My Best Friend's Exorcism." While neither supernatural nor a horror story, Dead Reckoning also features kids roaming free with little adult supervision, going into the woods, riding bikes and making secret hideouts.

O'Harra perfectly captures the smalltown vibe. Everybody knows each other. The adults have jobs working in the tractor factory or selling cars. Most of Gillian's school friends, including Sally, have never left; they have married each other and settled in place. Gillian, who answered to the nickname "Mouse" as a child, turns out to have been the most adventurous of them all.

As the present story unfurls, Gillian appears more and more unreliable. She drinks so much that she passes out on the floor of a convenience store. Her fastidious brother Nick worries that she may turn out to be like their ditzy mother. Meanwhile, the locals wonder if she is somehow responsible when sinister things start to happen again.

Taut and tense throughout, the story builds to an explosive climax. This nail-biter will make readers want to lock their doors and close their curtains -- and stay out of the woods!

[Elizabeth Sirett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Present-day Indiana, and following her mother’s death, Gilly Blackstone has returned with her Japanese husband, Toshi, to the town where she grew up. They plan to attend the funeral and meet with her brothers to wind up her mother’s affairs but find her mother’s house is in a state of squalor. Gilly’s visited straight away by her former best friend, Sally, with the news that the strange events that drove her from Byron have begun again.

This dramatic Gothic chiller hooks you in straight away with the opening back-story: Gilly and Sally’s discovery of a dead baby in the graveyard when they were twelve. We gradually find out more about this event and its aftermath through sentences from Gilly’s old diary, which spark off her memories of the time. Gilly’s the narrator of the story, and we quickly see her lack of confidence, both as a child, when her nickname was Mouse, and Sally bullied her, and now, with the bullying behaviour of her husband, who, she realises, has only come with her because he thinks there’s money to inherit. The cultural differences and expectations between them are vividly evoked, but we also see how much of a facade Gilly is hiding behind, and how little she’s told Toshi of the events of her childhood: her mother’s alcoholism and her difficulties with her brothers – difficulties which reappear when they meet again. As children, Sally and Gilly “investigated” the dead baby, trying to decide whose it was, and O’Harra shows us the townsfolk they suspected as they were then, and now, twenty years on: the dysfunctional Maloney family, the Collins family, with the frightening father, the unpleasant bullying brothers, their kindly mother and their beautiful sister, Melody; Mrs Sullivan and her creepy husband; the kindly policeman Officer Kowalski.

As the hostility to Gilly intensifies to attack, the tension ramps up, especially when Toshi leaves, and she’s alone in her mother’s chaotic and dilapidated house. Gradually the full consequences of their discovery are recalled, and the present danger closes in on her.

A compelling stand-alone thriller, with believably flawed characters whose past has impacted on their present, a vividly-depicted small town and a wonderfully atmospheric build up to a dramatic finish.
------
Reviewer: Marsali Taylor
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Bookgirl86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

With one foot in the past, and one in more recent times, Lea O'Harra's crime fiction novel, 'Dead Reckoning,' uses dual timelines to tell the story of a small Indiana town's brush with murder, and the woman who still carries the shame of being attached to it more than twenty years later.
Byron, Indiana, 2010. A woman named Gillian Kataoka struggles to gain access to the house that her late mother lived in until her death. Gillian grew up in the house, but moved to Japan shortly after high school graduation. Since then, she has gotten married to a man named Toshi and seldom returns to Byron to visit her family. However, Gillian's reluctance to return home is not so much because of her family but because of the tragedy that occurred in Byron when she was a young girl, and her unwitting involvement in it that lead to her wanting to escape the town forever.
Flashback to summer 1984, Gillian, then simply 'Gilly,' is taking a detour through the local cemetery with her best friend, Sally, when the two girls stumble upon a strange shoe box that has been left in the tall grass. The contents of that shoe box will change their lives, and the life of the town, forever. Inside the shoe box is the corpse of a newborn baby, lovingly wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon.
The girls elect to discover who the mother of the baby is by going through the possibilities in town, but before they can find out anything, a local boy goes missing and suspicion falls on Gilly, as she was the last person seen talking to him. When the boy's body is found, things soon begin to snowball and eventually another person is arrested for this and one other murder.
Many years later, when Gillian returns to Byron, the family of the man that was arrested are still out to take their revenge on her for her involvement. Dodging attacks from the guilty man's family and dealing with her imploding marriage, Gillian must face the very real possibility that the man that was arrested all those years ago may not have been guilty after all.
'Dead Reckoning,' is a hell of a novel for a cold winter's evening! I recommend it to both crime fiction readers as well as those who just love a well written, plotted out story!

[Lea O'Harra]

BlueInk Review:
Dead Reckoning Lea O’Harra Sharpe Books, 289 pages, (ebook) $3.99 (Reviewed: November 2022)

The past doesn’t stay buried and secrets unfold in Lea O’Harra’s novel, Dead Reckoning.

This suspense novel centers on Gilly, 38, who arrives in 2010 at her small hometown near Chicago for her mother’s funeral. She has spent the past decade in Japan, and when she and husband Toshi return, her best friend Sally tells her ominously that “it’s happening again.”

When Gilly and Sally were 12 and 13 respectively, the girls discovered a dead baby in a shoebox in the cemetery. They secretly buried the body in Gilly’s yard; then strange things started happening. Flowers were mysteriously left in strollers; then two local children disappeared and were murdered. Although a killer confessed, there’s doubt surrounding the tragedy. Shortly before Gilly’s return, flowers started showing up again in strollers, and when another child is abducted, Gilly fears the worst.

“ ‘… I wish I was twelve again,’ Gilly thinks to herself. ‘That I could tell Sally I didn’t want to play in the cemetery…That I’d put my foot down, saying, “I hate going there, it gives me the creeps,” and walked home alone. If only I had.”

O’Harra delivers an interesting tale of intrigue as Gilly evolves from being a mousy woman (in fact, she’s nicknamed “Mouse”) in a somewhat abusive marriage to an assertive heroine who ends up saving herself as she seeks to save the missing baby.

O’Harra crafts believable characters, and her descriptive prose will draw readers in. Even minor characters are given their due. For example, of her older brother, Gilly’s notes: “The beard hides a receding chin, and my brother looks handsome in an outdoorsy way… It comes to me he’s one of those people who get better looking as they grow older, who need to try out tentative versions of themselves before settling on the right one.”

Such pithy descriptions are planted throughout, and readers will enjoy discovering whodunit clues while watching Dead Reckoning’s protagonist discover herself.

Highly recommended for fans of Denise Mina’s Garnethill.

[Becky Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was first offered to read Dead Reckoning by Lea O’Harra, I was excited. After reading the book’s synopsis, I felt it was one I wanted to read to see what happened. This book is set in two different times of Gilly’s life. She switches back and forth from when she was a child growing up to an adult coming home for her mother’s funeral.

When Gilly was a preteen, her best friend of the same age was Sally. Sally and Gilly would play together in the woods and the cemetery. While in the cemetery, they found a box tied with a ribbon that housed a dead baby girl. I will say myself at 12 years old. I would have had a terrible time finding the baby, let alone taking it. I couldn’t imagine how heart-wrenching that would be.

I know they felt they were doing the right thing by burying the baby in Gilly’s front yard. But that seemed only to make things worse in the town. Mysterious flowers are left around town on strollers; two children turn up missing, then dead. Which now are blamed on the girls who are thought to have taken the baby from the cemetery.

Fast forward years later, when Gilly’s Mom passes away, and Gilly returns to her hometown for her Mom’s funeral. She is now married and living in Japan with her husband, Toshi. (who, honestly, I can’t stand). He is very condescending to Gilly. He is always talking down to her like she is some stupid woman. Nothing like you should speak to your spouse or someone you love.

This made me feel bad for Gilly. Not only did she have a rough childhood but now a hard adulthood. I also noticed this with her one brother Nick, who seemed much like Toshi. Harry, Gilly’s other brother, was much more kind, and I was happy that she had him to somewhat lean on after her mother’s death.

What I loved about this book was how Lea could cross between the past and interweave it with the present. I didn’t know the “who did it” part until almost the end. I also enjoyed how Lea ended the book by tying up all the loose ends on what happened with everyone and their lives. You must get a copy for yourself to get the most out of this awesome book!

[Sally S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally and I found a dead baby girl in a box in the cemetery. She’s pretty. She looks like Cassandra.”
Told through flashbacks to both 2010 and 1984, 'Dead Reckoning,' by Lea O'Harra is the kind of novel that makes you say “Oh!” aloud when everything finally clicks into place. The main character of this story, Gillian, is an American-expat living in Japan, who returns to Indiana to attend her mother's funeral. Gillian has a strained relationship with her family, specifically her mother and older brother, Nick and she has not been back to Indiana for many years. However, there are two reasons that she hasn't returned. Not only does she struggle to get along with her family, but, at the age of 12, Gillian was somewhat involved in solving two local child murders and seeing the guilty party sent off to prison for life.

You might think that would make her a hero in her small town of Byron and to some people there, you'd be right. But to others...well, you'll have to read the story to find out.

The last thing that Gillian expects upon returning to Byron is to find out that the man who committed the murders is now free, and that the strange events that preceded the murders have begun happening again around town.

While dealing with the death of her mother, the bullying of her older brother and the ending of her marriage to her husband, Toshi, Gillian begins receiving threats that make one thing very clear: there are certain people who do not want to see her back in Byron, Indiana.

I don't want to spoil anything else, because you need to read this one yourself to find out what happens! I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! O’Hara’s writing shines as well as her character development. The flashbacks are easy to follow and oh, the plot! The plot and it’s pacing are exquisite!

[Laura Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As children, we all make mistakes, but not all of us make mistakes as big as Gillian Blackstone. As a 12-year-old girl, Gillian discovered a deceased newborn baby that had been placed in a shoebox and left in her town's cemetery. The events that transpired after left her still mentally scarred over 20 years later, and caused her to move across the world to start a life there.

It isn't until she returns home after her mother's death that she begins to understand the full extent of the mistake that she made as a child, and what she must do to rectify it. Instead of calling the police, Gillian and her best friend, Sally decided to take the baby home and bury it under the elm tree in Gillian's yard.

Both Gillian and Sally begin using their amateur detective skills to try and determine who left the baby in the cemetery. It's the kind of mystery that many 12-year-olds would find irresistible, and the two girls are no exception, working down a list of local women until they hit on three possibilities. But when their secret is discovered, it is because of the murder of another local child that causes the police to look closely at Gillian, herself. And what happens next changes the town forever.

Even many years later, Gillian is still terrified of the man that she believes committed the murders in her town. Soon, she begins receiving threats telling her to leave town.

I really enjoyed this novel, and I really appreciated the character of Gillian. Lea O'Harra has a great talent for writing relatable heroines and truly scary villains.

'Dead Reckoning,' is a hit out of the park if you enjoy crime novels, thrillers, or any novel told through dual story lines. Personally, this was a five-star read for me! I can hardly wait to read more by Lea O’Harra!

[Seriesbooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author for a free and unbiased review.
The book follows Gilly return to her hometown following her mother’s death. Her friends and family believe she has an exciting life living and working in Japan but in reality, is trying to save her dying marriage and has given up her career. The author really captures Gilly’s despair and hope as she tries to connect with Toshi, her husband, who has already given up on their relationship.
The book describes the claustrophobic feel of Gilly’s hometown where past traumas and grudges continue into the present day. Gilly herself is a product of her own childhood trauma (absent father and struggling mother) and finding a dead baby in the cemetery is just the start of more problems. In that summer two more children die and the town blames Gilly. This isn’t helped when appears strange things happens on her return culminating in another child disappearing.
There are plenty of suspects including Gilly and her friend, Sally- the plot is face with plenty of reveals and thrills with the perfect end.
Content warning
References to rape, death of children
Perfect for fans of
People with murky pasts returning to small hometown Dragonfly Summer.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead Reckoning is a slow burn mystery. Gilly travels to her home town after the death of her mother. Being at home brings back memories from her childhood and not the good ones. The person responsible for the deaths of a couple of children has been let out of prison and another child has been abducted.

I thought this was a good mystery. It did flow a little slow for my taste, but I enjoyed it. We get peeks into what happened in 1984 through excerpts from Gilly's old diary. I liked those parts the best. The solution was a surprise. The only thing I didn't care for were the characters. I had a hard time connecting with any of them. I thought at first Toshi was Gilly's son from the way he acted. Aside from the msytery, I thought this was a good look at family and old friendships and how they evolve over time. Yet how we can also fall into the same patterns from childhood when we get back together with them. I would recommend this one.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Reckoning is the first book I have read by Lea O'Harra and after reading this one, it will not be the last. I enjoyed taking this thrilling roller coaster of a tale. It had some twists and turns that I could not have predicted. I was intrigued with it from start to finish. I thought it was a great read.

Dead Reckoning is getting five stars from me. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading suspense filled thrillers. It is most definitely worth a read and not to be missed. I do not want to miss out on reading more books by Lea O'Harra. They have earned themselves a new fan and can not wait for more releases by them.

I receive a copy of Dead Reckoning from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

[E.L. McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping and suspenseful crime fiction novel with unexpected twists and a satisfying ending. The story follows Gillian Kataoka as she returns to her hometown in the American Midwest to attend her mother's funeral and faces the secrets of her past that have shadowed her since childhood. The author does an excellent job of interweaving the past and present timelines to build tension and keep the reader guessing until the explosive climax. The small town vibe and the well-written characters make this novel even more thrilling. Lea O'Harra's writing is excellent, and the book is a definite must-read for anyone who loves a good crime fiction novel with a strong female protagonist.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to read and review Dead Reckoning by Lea O’Harra. I did enjoy the book, the author developed her characters quite well. The story goes back and forth from their childhood (when they found & buried a newborn) to present day when Susan returns to her hometown for her mother’s funeral. Long ago secrets and murders still haunt them, but the truth from the past is about to finally about to be revealed. Good storyline and well written.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does keep your interest throughout, though it is a bit of a slow burn (and some sections I felt like sometimes the information was repeated too often) but the information reveal is done at a good pace and builds tension well. Overall a good mystery cold case style.

[Sandra (bookjunkee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

after returning home Gillians past comes back to haunt her when another child goes missing she is out to solve who would do such a thing great thrilling listen enjoyed the story

[Susan Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written by an author who grew up in my current area. It definitely made me wonder if this story truly happened around here.

[Donna Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extremely well-done mystery that kept you riveted from start to finish. Told in a very unique manner and voice, I really enjoyed the dual timeline, which is something I often don't. But in this case, it was executed quite brilliantly, with the inclusion of diary entries found when the protagonist goes back to her childhood home.

The claustrophobic atmosphere and long memories of the "townies" makes you realize just how much you can't really get away from the people and the town you grew up in, nor can you shake off the perceptions those people have of you. Even back in a simpler time, things are not what they seem and events careen out of control to a very satisfying, but harrowing, conclusion.

I've not had the pleasure of reading anything else by this author, but based on the excellent job she did with this story, I'll definitely be checking out her other titles.

***I received a copy of this book from the author. My review is strictly voluntary.***

[marjorie birney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get this thriller mystery

I enjoyed this book. If you like a true thriller with suspense this is for you.
I couldn't put it down. It explains everything and answers all questions. I'm sure I will be getting more of this authors books..
Good reading and don't skip any pages. I wanted more!😊

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gilly returns to her small town to bury her mom. She has not been back since she left after graduation. Buried secrets still haunt her, and with her marriage on the rocks, she is determined to face her demons. You are taken on a journey through the past to unearth long held memories and to expose the truth.