The Reckoning by Jane Casey

Title: The Reckoning (Maeve Kerrigan #2)
Author: Jane Casey
Available from: Amazon

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. There is an understanding that a review will be written, but it is not required.

I really liked this book. It’s the second in a series and the first I’ve read by this author, but reading the prior book isn’t required. Maeve Kerrigan is a well-written and complex character and I especially like that most of the book is told by her, in first person point of view. She has a great voice and point of view that took me right into the story. If I went back and read the first book, I might have a deeper understanding and/or appreciation of Maeve and the setting in which she works, but that’s speculative hindsight. For a second book in a series, the story stands alone well.

And what a story! There are plenty of twists and turns. I thought the murder mystery was resolved and wondered what the author was going to say for the next half of the book, then it took off at another angle related to the initial murder mystery (which actually is resolved midway through the book). What’s better than a murder mystery? TWO murder mysteries – in one book!

The cast of characters that populate Maeve’s world are also well drawn. I especially liked Derwent, her new partner, mostly because I’ve known a few men who are much like him. I think it’s going to be interesting to watch the author develop the character and how he and Maeve interact as partners. I liked the secondary stories that added interest and complexity to the story: Maeve’s relationship with Rob, and the question of the mole inside the department. The “bad guys” are not caricatures of themselves; they are people who do bad things, and I found them refreshingly believable.

All in all, a really good read. I would’ve finished it much faster if I had more time; it was difficult to put down, even when I knew I had other things to do, or was yawning relentlessly while barely able to keep my eyes open.