Dead Reckoning

Title: DEAD RECKONING
Author: Ronie Kendig
Publisher: Abingdon Press
March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4267-0058-3
Genre: Inspirational/suspense

Shiloh Blake is an underwater archeologist graduate student on a dive in the waters outside of Mumbai, India. She unearthed a lamp in a site and is hopeful that she might have uncovered an under water city. But when she goes back down, her partners in the program are shot. One fatally, the other saved only by Shiloh’s quick actions.

Reece Jaxon is a former Navy SEAL and now serves his country as a spy. He is trailing Shiloh in an attempt to keep her alive. But it is a struggle to keep up with the beguiling Shiloh as she knows all the usual spy tricks and then some.

Suddenly Shiloh finds herself mixed up in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash. She’s trying to flee for her life, but it seems those trailing her are always one step ahead. There is only one way to end the nightmare and prevent a nuclear meltdown. But what will it take for Shiloh to trust Reece enough to do it?

DEAD RECKONING is Ronie Kendig’s debut novel, and it is extremely well written. I don’t know a whole lot about spy work so some of the actions and reactions described in this book seem a bit over the top to me, but it would be beautiful to watch in a movie.

I didn’t get much feel for the characters. Both Shiloh and Reece are tougher than nails, trust no body, and hard, and that doesn’t leave much room for the personal that allows the reader to get to know the character. However, the action and the description of the setting are top notch.

If you like suspense, then you will definitely want to check out DEAD RECKONING by Ronie Kendig. The ending is absolutely beautiful. $13.99. 397 pages.