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Really really bad guys dominate this debut novel. They are more interesting than the bystanders or the innocent civilians, with the exception of one old woman. This is a slam bang gung ho thriller in which the sole question is will the bad guys get away with their terroristic acts? Former Viet Nam veteran, Jimmy Taggert, now sheriff of Darien County, about to go off into well-earned retirement, hears two calls of deer-car accidents on opposite ends of town. He's immediately suspicious of the coincidence and then watches from the barbershop as gunmen arrive to rob the local bank, the bank where his wife Anne, is employed. What's even worse is that it turns out this particular gang has no qualms about laying waste to anyone who even appears to be interested in their activities, much less pose any kind of threat. The result of this initial bloody mayhem leaves Taggert with personal reasons for wanting to catch the criminals and the hunt is on. Pace is strong, most of the writing, likewise. The book is nicely packaged with an evocative cover, and entirely too much revelatory copy on the back. The book has some problems. When the characters are engaged in any of the frequent and violent confrontations, the pace picks up and the dialogue is mostly believable. But the number and the frequency of pat phrases and cliches will annoy some readers. Author Furlani has a tendency to let his point of view drift sometimes and to telegraph the next set piece of action. He needs to refine his obviously strong story-telling skills and to avoid telling the reader what's going to happen next. Dead Reckoning as it stands could be the basis for a rousing TV special. The reviewer is the author of: INNER PASSAGES A SUPERIOR MYSTERY http://www.Minnesotacrimewave.org
Reviewed by Carl Brookins, November 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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