The Reckoning by Rachel Amphlett

Today I’m delighted to share my thoughts on the brand new short story from the Case Files series by Rachel Amphlett, The Reckoning. I love these quick ‘between the books’ offerings and devoured this almost as soon as it landed on my kindle. Here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

History never forgets…

The newest arrival at a care home for the elderly carries an air of mystery that even an ex-WW2 Resistance fighter can’t help trying to solve.

Then matters take a sinister turn…

The Reckoning forms part of the Case Files series of short crime stories from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett.

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of Rachel Amphlett’s novels. I started with the Dan Taylor series, devoured the Kay Hunter novels and short stories and have been delighting in getting to know Eva Delacourt and Mark Turpin. For me, these Case Files short stories make a welcome filler whilst waiting for the full length novels to land and The Reckoning was another fab little read that kept me entertained over my Sunday morning bucket of cappuccino.

Being a short story it’s hard to say too much about the story itself without giving important clues away. The tale is set in a convalescence home where we meet a variety of characters from the longer term residents, to the day patients and the staff. The story is a bit of a mystery but also not quite, and as quickly as we get to know the key characters in the story, our understanding will be undeniably challenged.

What I love about these shorts is that they highlight the author’s talent for scene setting and character portrayal. I immediately got a taste for each of the key protagonists, falling into step with them almost immediately. I was also transported into their world, the imagery quite vivid and detailed for a story which takes no more than an hour to read.

This is a great story which was both surprising and not, challenging the perceptions we, the readers, and the characters have about those around them. It left me very satisfied and with a smile upon my face. It’s not great whodunnit, far more subtle than that, but it was entertaining and I’m looking forward to reading more case files in the future.

About the Author

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant. She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, because that’s what she grew up reading. When she was 11 years old, her grandad gave her his copy of The Eagle Has Landed, and she’s been an avid fan of the genre ever since.

Her debut thriller, White Gold was released in July 2011 and features British secret agent Dan Taylor. The series established Rachel as an author to watch and spurned three more novels before Rachel turned her attention to a new character, Detective Kay Hunter.The Kay Hunter crime thrillers are based in Kent and feature a tight-knit team of detectives. Praised by experts for their attention to detail, the books are also much loved by readers for their page-turning plots and devious twists with comparisons to TV shows NCIS and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. More recently, Rachel created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Mark Turpin, an Oxfordshire-based detective. The first book, None the Wiser, received critical acclaim from Adrian McKinty (The Chain) and Jo Spain (With Our Blessing, The Confession), with the follow-up book, Her Final Hour being praised by the creator of the DCI Banks series, Peter Robinson.

In addition to her detective stories, Rachel also writes the English Assassins series featuring female assassin Eva Delacourt, and a number of standalone crime thrillers, psychological thrillers and conspiracy thrillers.A keen traveller, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.