Do you have any favorite authors that write in more than one genre? I have enjoyed Catherine Coulter’s romance novels in the past and this was my first time reading one of her thrillers. This book was the September 2022 read for the Brenda Novak Book Group. I’m running just a tad behind on that book challenge!!

Reckoning is basically two different parallel stories. Kirra Mandarian's parents were brutally murdered when she was just twelve years old. She moved with her Uncle to Australia and changed her name. Now fourteen years later, she’s back as a lawyer in Virginia, and she won’t rest until she can solve the murder of her parents. But will the murderers find her first?

The second story is about Emma Hunt. She is a twelve-year-old piano prodigy that was kidnapped as a child because her grandpa is criminal mastermind. After someone tries to kidnap her again, she manages to save herself. Who is after her this time?

This book started off with a bang and the action kept going the entire book. This is book #26 in the FBI thriller series and I have not read the rest of the series. The book was a good standalone book, but I did keep wondering when the two stories would connect. They never did. Savich and Sherlock were a married couple of FBI agents in the Emma Hunt storyline and I think their story is probably pretty interesting if you read the entire series.

Overall, Reckoning was an enjoyable thriller.

Review Copy from Netgalley. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another installment of Catherine Coulter's FBI series. A young girl hears noises in her home, and escapes as her parents are shot and killed. Her uncle takes her to Australia where he raises her. She never forgets her terror, and desire to get to the bottom the the brutal, senseless killings. As an adult, she moves back to the D.C. area with a law degree and an ax to grind. Savich and Sherlock are drawn into the web when anonymous messages are delivered to a police station attached to a trussed up organized crime leader.
Concurrently, Savich and Sherlock are involved in a possible abduction plot of the daughter of their west coast friends. The family has arrived in Washington, and Sherlock and Savich get drawn into this situation as well.
This book is fast-paced with fully-drawn characters. If you like a thriller that will keep you guessing, but not cause extreme anxiety, this is the book for you. I look forward to Coulter continuing this series.

I have been reading this series from the beginning. I love spending time with Savich and Sherlock and their crew. This is #26 in the FBI thriller series. I have loved the whole series and read them right when they come out. Each installment has good mysteries and fantastic characters. I can count on smiling at the dialogue and liking the characters and this one was no exception.

There were two storylines with two simultaneous investigations. There are clear good guys and bad guys, clever dialogue, and characters to root for. In each mystery the character had something bad happen to them as children (one is still a child) and their resilience and drive is impressive. There is also a bit of a romance in one of the stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to the next one.

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Reckoning is the 26th book in Catherine Coulter’s FBI thriller series, and as usual, she does a masterful job of delivering another intriguing and suspenseful action-packed thrilling read.

There are two storyline here nicely interwoven as they assigned FBI Agents Savich and Sherlock to protect a child prodigy who escaped a kidnapping attempt discovering the past of two women which draws in deeper into a suspenseful, hard to put down thriller full of twists and turns. Stories take place in San Francisco, — which is fun, since it’s where I live, — and Australia. Great characters, including bringing back characters from other books like Emma and Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith. But even if you haven’t read the other books in the series, you’ll be able to pick up the story and enjoy it.

I’m a big fan of Catherine Coulter and her FBI mystery/thrillers. “Reckoning” features Savich and Sherlock along with Agent Griffin. These books are so well crafted, and the plots are so creative, I just sit back and enjoy the ride. The characters are relatable and you emphasize with them throughout the book.
If you haven’t read her books, I recommend reading them in order but it’s not necessary to enjoy this book.
This book is one of her best, 5 stars.

QOTD:

Synopsis:

Agents Savich and Sherlock are back in the latest installment in Catherine Coulter's #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series, and this time both are enlisted to help women with traumatic pasts who are in mortal danger.

When she was twelve years old, Kirra Mandarian's parents were murdered and she barely escaped with her life. Fourteen years later Kirra is a commonwealth attorney back home in Porte Franklin, Virginia, and her goal is to find out who killed her parents and why. She assumes the identity of E.N.--Eliot Ness--and gathers proof to bring down the man she believes was behind her parents' deaths. She quickly learns that big-time criminals are very dangerous indeed and realizes she needs Dillon Savich's help. Savich brings in Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith to work with Lieutenant Jeter Thorpe, the young detective who'd saved Kirra years before.

Emma Hunt, a piano prodigy and the granddaughter of powerful crime boss Mason Lord, was only six years old when she was abducted. Then, she was saved by her adoptive father, San Francisco federal judge Ramsey Hunt. Now a 12-year-old with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, she narrowly saves herself from a would-be kidnapper at Davies Hall in San Francisco. Worried for her safety, Emma's entire family joins her for her next performance, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. Sherlock and officers from METRO are assigned to protect her, but things don't turn out as planned.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/<id type="integer">4912786479</id>

One night, Allison wakes up to hear whispering. It is not coming from her parent’s room but from down the hall toward the stairs. After the two figures pass her doorway, she gets out of bed and moves to her door. She hears a pop, pop and she is afraid. She runs for her window and as she crawls through she sees the two figures enter her room. She shimmies down the tree as quick as she can, but she gets hit. A bullet grazes her forehead and a second one enters her shoulder. She is near enough to the ground to jump. Someone behind her shouts, “Let me get the little bitch!” Allison finds a place to hide and is soon rescued by the police. While she is in the hospital, someone tries to kill her again. With her parent’s dead, her mother’s brother, Leo, flies in from Australia and takes her home with him. She will be safe in the outback for a while.
Emma is waiting for her mother who is late to pick her up. Everybody else has left the rehearsal and she is sitting by herself. She hears footsteps and sees a man walking toward her. He doesn’t seem in any hurry but he is looking right at her. Emma is terrified and rises to run but the man is quick. He grabs her. As a young girl he believes she should be passive, too afraid to move. He is surprised to find that she has moves and takes him down, then she runs out the doors. He gets up in time to see a car pull up and she gets in. He doesn’t want to get caught so he runs back in the direction he came from and is soon lost in the night. Emma is safe for now but her abductor is relentless.
FBI special agents, Savich and Sherlock must figure out why Allison and Emma are being targeted and put a stop it.

Catherine Coulter is a wonderful writer. I especially like her FBI series. This is a smart, twisty thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Throw in a little romance to captivate the audience and Coulter comes through with a home run. Readers who like Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series will love this book.

If you want a book that will hold your attention so much that the world disappears for a while then get your hands on RECKONING!

Reviewed for Fresh Fiction by Annetta Sweetko

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=79018

Kirra Mandarian's parents were murdered when she was twelve years old and she barely escaped being murdered also. Now fourteen years later, Kirra has become an attorney and is determined to solved her parent's murder. She assumed the identity of Eliot Ness and gathers the evidence she needs and sends proof to Dillon Savich. Dillon brings in Griffin Hammersmith to work with Detective Jeter Thorpe, who rescued Kirra when she was twelve years old.

Meanwhile, 12 year old Emma Hunt, who was saved by her now adoptive father, federal Judge Ramsey Hunt when she was six years has another attempt at being kidnapped. Sherlock and officers from METRO are assigned to protect her and are on the case.

There and some heart-stopping moments in both these cases!!

Reckoning by Catherine Coulter is the 26th book in her FBI Thriller series. Agents Savich and Sherlock, who I always enjoy, are the leads in Reckoning; which has two mysteries, with each involved in, though as we get later into the story, Savich will play a big part in Sherlock’s story.

Kirra Mandarian saw her mother and father murdered 14 years ago, managing to escape to safety. Kirra lived in Australia with her uncle, who brought her up, and now in present time, she returns to the scene of the crime in Porte Franklin, Virginia. Kirra is smart, savvy and trained in self-defense; she is now an assistant prosecutor, and is determined to find out who killed her parents; taking on a secret identity (Eliot Ness), she sends information to the police and prosecuting lawyers with information that would convict the villain; she also sends the paperwork to Agent Dillon Savich, whom she knows will be able to help.

Emma Hunt, a piano prodigy, was only 6 years old when she was kidnapped, but her father and mother saved her. Now at 12 years old, Emma manages to save herself from another attempt to kidnap her. Agent Sherlock, who has been friends with Emma’s mother, decides to spend time watching and protecting Emma, especially, with a performance being scheduled at Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C.

What follows is a non-stop exciting and intense adventure with two different cases. Both cases escalated, with many twists and surprises, which is another reason not to reveal these spoilers, so not to ruin the book. I love Savich and Sherlock, even when they worked separately; they are a fabulous couple and super agents. I really thought Kirra was a fantastic character, as she was fearless to find the truth about her parent’s death, as well as working closely with Savich, Agent Griffin Hammersmith and the local detective Jeter. With Emma on close watch, the criminals decide to change the game, and manage to kidnap the mother and Sherlock; this will bring Savich into this mystery.

Reckoning was an exciting thriller from start to finish, and even if it was tense at times, as I was unable to put the book down from start to finish. Catherine Coulter once again gives us a fabulous story, with wonderful characters, including evil villains. Reckoning was a fast-paced, exciting, intriguing, suspenseful mystery. If you like suspense, mysteries, espionage, especially in the world of FBI, I wholly suggest you read Catherine Coulter.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of the Savich/Sherlock books by Catherine Coulter, but this one missed the mark for me. The plot felt messy and there were so many characters to keep track of. This story references events that took place in a much earlier book (that I did not read) so I always felt like I was missing a little something. I rolled my eyes at the dialogue several times - it was beyond light banter - nearly just plain ridiculous.

I did enjoy the Kirra plot line and character and would be happy to see more of her in the future.

Reckoning by Catherine Coulter is one of the more enjoyable dual-plot books in her FBI series. Characters in danger, one seeking danger and answers, both experienced trauma as children. A young Kirra Mandarin escaped her home after hearing her parents being murdered. A wonderful develpment of her story growing up in Australia sets the story for a now a strong and bright attorney seeking justice for her parents. Suspecting the murderer she adopts the persona Eliot Ness and investigates on her own and 'in secret' those she wants to bring down. Emma Hunt, the granddaughter of a mobster, was kidnapped at the age of 6 and rescued by her adoptive father Judge Hunt. She is a 12 year old child piano prodigy and adored by our ever favorite FBI agents Savich and Sherlock's young son Sean. In town for a concert. In town after almost being kidnapped once again Sherlock takes charge of her protection finding herself working hard to prevent another kidnapping attempt. The concert experience of a young prodigy with a most delightful personality, is wondrerfully described while at the same time the kidnapping storyline and family is well entwined. Over on the other storyline Savich and Agent Hammerschmidt take clues from the anonymous notes provided by Ness and begin to seek answers. Kirra is persistent and there is danger ahead while our FBI heroes work hard to protect her. Suspense, danger, romance and good development of characters makes the book shine. Those who enjoy the FBi series will not be disappointed.

Reckoning is a book club read for September and I received an ARC from Netgalley. I’ve never read Catherine Coulter before. This novel has dual storyline, both very interesting and riveting. An action thriller with a bit of romance. I’m intrigue with Savich and Sherlock and will have to go back and read others from the series. I also enjoyed the character Kirra. She was such a strong character and on a dangerous mission. Perhaps she’ll be in future books. Good Read!

Reckoning by Catherine Coulter is one of the best Savich and Sherlock books written. Liked the three epilogues that tied up the intertwined stories of Kirra and Griffin, Molly and Ramsey, and Sherlock and Savich.

Savich and Sherlock are one of my favourite dynamic duos. This action-packed suspense is a dual plot which I love. Ms. Coulter consistently writes concurrent plots for her FBI Thriller series. This adds an additional complexity to the story and it makes it so good. There are parallels to Kirra and Emma's situation which makes this pairing good to read.

Starting with Kirra, this is an interesting case. Her story and what she does contains all the elements I love to read about. What I also liked is how easily Savich uncovered her role and how his team handled it. This is a lesson in conflict resolution and crucial confrontations. I wish more people were as great with their people skills as it is demonstrated in this book. I love the characters in this book. They are an inspiration to do better, think harder, and work smarter.

When it comes to Emma's dilemma, it is quite alarming. What happened to her could have turned her into a cowering fraidy cat for the rest of her life. Instead, at the young age of 12, she is already taking back her life and finding ways to be a survivor. She learned how to defend herself and also what to look out for when a predator is trying to get her. Her situation is complicated and harks back to "sins of a father". Or in her case, "sins of a grandfather". Still, when this all comes out with why Emma's being targeted, it is ... wild. I love the twists and turns of this and how Savich and Sherlock solve the case each time.

This suspense kept me riveted and fully engaged. The romantic elements enhance the story but the plots are strong enough without them. This suspense is recommended to readers who like fast-paced action as well as justice delivered.

In Reckoning, Catherine Coutler divides her dynamic duo of Sherlock and Savich as they each try to protect those close to them. Savich and Griffin Hammersmith work to identify an informant, Eliot Ness, and help to right some wrongs. Whereas, Sherlock is protecting an old friend, Emma Hunt - the granddaughter of Mason Lord. She's playing in a highly public concert, and the stakes get even higher when Emma is nearly kidnapped. With their son Sean, heavily in the mix, Sherlock and Savich have their wits tested as they navigate these cases. Thank you to William Morrow for the advanced reader copy - this review is entirely my own.

This was a fun book. I enjoyed the dual stories. Ended up going 4 miles on my treadmill while reading it..I liked the characters. Nicely plotted. A so,I’d beach read. Would highly recommend for a lighthearted romp with a bit of suspense..

Let’s go 3.5 stars. A pretty good book, lots of names and lots of places, but I can’t remember which one is the main one. We have Kirra as a young girl, we have Emma and Molly. We have the two older guys. And more and more. The plot keeps going around and around and just when you feel it’s over it keeps ramping up. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this interesting book.

I've read nearly all of the Savich book series (and enjoyed most of them) but for some reason, this newest book seems like someone else wrote it - someone much less skilled. I can't say exactly why except that the writing seemed choppy, the scenes compressed and the dialogue forced. Maybe too much tension squeezed into too many scenes? Unrealistic plotting/dialogue? No matter the reason, I didn't enjoy this book and kept jumping ahead, hoping that the story got better. Sadly, I didn't ever reach that conclusion. If this had been an unknown author, I would have given this book one star instead of two.