Dead Reckoning

By: Lea O'Harra

Narrated by: Kathleen Christal

Indiana, January 2010.

It’s a hot summer’s day in 1984 when 12-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.

Lea O’Harra lived in Japan for 36 years, working as an English professor at a private university in western Japan. She is also the author of the Inspector Inoue series.

©2022 Lea O'Harra (P)2023 Lea O'Harra

Kept me coming back for more!

I enjoy a good mystery that keeps me hanging at the end of a chapter and Dead Reckoning does that. There were several times when I needed to quit listening and move on to another task. Instead I continued to the following chapter to see what happened next. I also enjoy books where I think I’ve figured out the ending only to learn my conclusion is incorrect. Dead Reckoning is a good mystery that will keep you tuning in for more.

enjoyed it

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

Great story

This story has lots of twists and turns but was good. Almost to many characters to keep track of. But I do like the way the author kept going back 20years and than back to the present. And Jillys husband was a jerk leaving her at before the funeral when the the main problem with their marriage was him not her.
And the back woods family at the root of all the town’s problems. I will admit a 12 year old should know right from wrong with a dead baby.
The author did an awesome job and the narrator couldn’t have done a better job. Thank you for this opportunity to review this book given to me free for an honest review.

Very engaging suspenseful story!

Dead Reckoning by Lea O’Harra is the story of a events in a small Indiana town told on 2 parallel tracks - 1984 and present. Gilly comes home from Japan with her husband Toshi to attend her mother’s funeral. Staying in her childhood home brings back a lot of memories, many unpleasant. The same neighbors give her strange looks and harass her. Then, just like decades ago, children go missing and die. Twists and turns from beginning to end. The best thing for Gilly is that her husband left for Japan! The narration by Kathleen Christal was wonderful! She brings the character and story to life.