Title: The Reckoning
Author: Kelli Stanley
Publisher: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Format Read: Kindle e-ARC via NetGalley
Genre: General Fiction (Adult); Historical Fiction; Mystery and Thrillers
A fugitive, a corrupt town, and a killer hiding in the redwood shadows, The Reckoning throws you into the eighties with a heroine who refuses to stay quiet or small.
Have you ever heard someone complaining about how cell phones ruined everything? We all have. Well, I am NOT that someone after reading The Reckoning by Kelli Stanley. This thriller, set in 1985 Northern California in the heart of the Emerald Triangle, had me wanting to hand the main character my cell phone more than once. I picked this up because I loved the premise of a protagonist who has killed someone and is now a fugitive. But the moment Renata steps off that bus, it’s clear she’s entered a new world, and that world has teeth. She almost immediately comes across a missing persons poster for a local teenager, and some crimes hit too close to home to ignore.
Renata reminds me of myself in the best ways, independent, quick-thinking, and determined to never rely on anyone, especially a man. Her grief over her sister is palpable, and so is her confusion about the night she killed her sister’s murderer. Small-town 1985 California feels like somewhere I could have actually visited. Stanley writes scenes like a director setting up a shot, with atmosphere, physical detail, and mood layered into every page. That mood is especially clear in the tension simmering through Garberville. Fear and anxiety sit everywhere, particularly for women. The entire story takes place over about a week, yet each day brings new discoveries and new concerns.
For me, the emotional core of this story is Renata’s trauma and the way it shapes every instinct she has. Her trauma shows up as fear, guardedness, and those moments where she has to talk herself off the ledge to keep from spiraling. It’s clear the violence she’s endured has left deep damage, but she still has the grit to push forward and see justice served. That same trauma makes it impossible for her to ignore what’s happening to the girls in Humboldt County, who vanish and are later found murdered. It also makes her the perfect person to question the teenagers who knew the latest victim, meeting them with gentleness and empathy, and offering a sense of safety through her mix of lived experience and legal knowledge.
The Reckoning, the first book in the new Renata Drake Thriller series, starts a bit like Renata herself stepping off that bus into Humboldt County, tentative and unsure at first. But the story quickly finds its footing and shows the same grit Renata carries, and I adored both the book and the character when all was said and done. I recommend this to thriller fans and to anyone looking for a strong, character-driven entry point into the genre.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
Let’s Discuss: Which matters more to you in a thriller, atmosphere or plot, and why?
To find out more about The Reckoning or Kelli Stanley, visit the author’s website or Severn House.
I read a digital copy made available by Severn House through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.