The Reckoning

By: Mike Torreano

Narrated by: Tom Sleeker

Ike McAlister returns home to Kansas after the Civil War, his soul bruised and empty. Worse, his parents have been killed by Quantrill's raiders who are still on the loose. No stranger to death and destruction, he vows to run the killers down. A clue leads him to the high plains of Colorado, but when his sister, Sue, disappears from there, his world quickly spins out of control. In the midst of this turmoil, a feisty landlady sparks an attraction, the only good thing in Ike's life.

Racing against time, he must make a deadly choice. If he continues to pursue the killers, Sue will likely never be found. But if he veers off to find his sister, the killers' trail will go cold.

Which track to follow? Will the love of family triumph in his broken heart, or will it be the passionate hate of revenge?

©2016 Mike Torreano (P)2018 Mike Torreano

A plucky cast of characters in an action-filled adventure!

An exciting yarn of post-Civil War Colorado, full of accurate historical and geographic references. Enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to the next installment.

Great Plot and Characters

This is my first western, in a long time, and my first Audible experience ever. I read "The Reckoning" in paperback first and loved it. I felt like I really got to know the characters, and the story held my interest all the way through. Listening to it on audible was a completely different experience. Tom seeker did a great job making the book come alive for me. I'm reading The Renewal" now; it's great to see these characters, along with some interesting new ones, at different stages in their lives and with different problems. I'd recommend "The Reckoning" on Audible to anyone looking for a fun read.

Lots of surprises!

If you could sum up The Reckoning in three words, what would they be?

Lots of surprises!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Reckoning?

The way the chief bad guy meets his maker.

What does Tom Sleeker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Tom does an excellent job of giving voice to the various characters without resorting to silly techniques.

Who was the most memorable character of The Reckoning and why?

Definitely Ike. A real man who has real problems and uses real solutions.

Any additional comments?

I like this book a lot. No formula Old West plot here. Just when you think you have a pretty good idea what's going to happen, the author does an excellent job of heading off in a unexpected direction. The characters were real and people you could relate to.

Well written and narrated story!

This was the first western I've listened to in a long time. I found it well written, entertaining with well developed characters in a realistic setting. The narrator did an excellent job breathing life into the characters and their stories. If you like westerns, I highly recommend The Reckoning. Psst the second in the series is due out soon.

Excellent Western, appealing story, great reader

Where does The Reckoning rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Ranks near the top of my Audible experiences.This dramatic touching story carries you along through gunfights and romance, with cowboys and Indians that are far deeper than their stereotypes. Sure, the Bad Guys are bad, but all the characters are nuanced and memorable. In post-civil war Kansas and Colorado, that's not easy. Plus the narrator does a great job. His voices enhance the setting and enrich the characters.

What other book might you compare The Reckoning to and why?

I read widely across many genres. Cormac McCarthy's ALL THE PRETTY HORSES is one of my favorite books of all time. What I loved about THE RECKONING is that it, too, is an intimate story about interesting, realistic people struggling to survive and do right by their family and themselves.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked when he confronted the "evil ranch owner" and his ranch hands. I don't want to give the plot away so I'll leave it at that.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Can a wounded Civil War soldier revenge the murder of his parents without sacrificing his sister's and his own life?

Any additional comments?

This writer obviously knows his stuff about the time and places.I partly read the ebook and partly listened to the Audible recording. Both were excellent, entertaining experiences. Definitely enjoyable, highly recommended.

Right Up There with Louie Lamour!

Where does The Reckoning rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Reckoning has been my favorite audio book so far. The audio book grabs you from the very beginning and takes you on a fabulous journey through the wild west. I drive to work for about 2 hours and it seems like just a blink of an eye while listening to the Reckoning.

What did you like best about this story?

The plot of the book is the best part. Where a traditional plot would end, the Reckoning takes the listener on a couple nice corners that keep you guessing.

What does Tom Sleeker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The book was well spoken and Tom did a fabulous job with the different characters. He brought them to life in your mind. Great job!

If you could take any character from The Reckoning out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Of course, I would take Ike out to dinner. The author did a brilliant job with the character development on all the characters, especially Ike. Ike isn't some perfect hero that dances around bullets without getting hit, he is a little unlucky, gets beat up by the bad guys but is tough as heck.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to the next book! HURRY!

The Reckoning

This is an Excellent Western. This book grabs your attention early and keeps it. The epilogue explains about Ike Macalister and his brother and sister so I want write all that. I Don't know why this book doesn't have a thousand reviews. I've had it in my library a long time before listening to it. If I knew it was this good I would have listened to it when I first got it. I highly recommend listening to this western. If you like westerns I think you will love this. Tom Sleeker did an excellent job narrating this book. if my review was any help will you please click on the helpful link below. Thank you