Into the Fire

(Dead reckoning: 1.Navigation. A method of estimating the position of an aircraft or ship without astronomical observations, as by applying to a previously determined position the course and distance traveled since.)

[Before I review Ronie Kendig’s first novel Dead Reckoning for the CFBA Tour, I just want to mention how much I admire, respect, and hold in high regard those members of the military, Special Forces, FBI, and CIA operatives. Why? Because not everyone can do the things which are asked of these people. It’s a choice individuals make to dedicate themselves to either partial or full time service to protect the citizens of this country, and each performs a noble task.]

Shiloh Blake is the daughter of two high-level operatives in the CIA. Because of their occupation, her mother is killed and Shiloh’s life is almost taken in the process of eliminating her mother. The perspective of a child’s trauma lodged firmly in her memory, Shiloh separates herself from her father for 15 years, forging her education and perfecting her archeological diving skills while she holds fast to blaming God and her father for her mother’s death and her own affliction.

Her Pakistani friend from childhood Khalid Khan joins her in a University of California-San Diego historical team “dig” in the waters of Mumbai Harbor in India. Upon discovering a small stone artifact, she takes another few allotted minutes to dive down and finds a strange canister. Before she can surface with the object, chaos erupts in the water with blood streaks and a dead student floating near her. Khalid arrives in the water with more blood streaming from a wound and Shiloh drops the canister to save her friend and flee the waters.

And so begins the story Dead Reckoning which introduces us to an incredibly headstrong, naïve, and highly strung young woman known as Shiloh Blake who uses her strengths to disguise her vulnerability. It isn’t long before we’re introduced to CIA operative Reece Jaxon who has the unenviable job of keeping Shiloh Blake in hand and safe while trying to thwart a major act of terrorism which is yet to be fully disclosed.

The chasing, hiding, running, and cunning which take place through the pages of Dead Reckoning require a reader to keep up with a storyline which branches off into some confusing alleys and adventures along with meeting all kinds of characters who invoke distrust and procure outright contempt. 

Unable to fully shake the props from her spy upbringing, Shiloh watches carefully and attempts to protect herself when nothing and no one prove to be what or who they seem. Her instincts serve her right most of the time, but she reveals her inability to correctly judge character when it comes down to the one person she should trust.

Ronie Kendig tells the story from rotating POVs between her heroine and protagonist. It’s an ambitious plot, even for a thriller, which makes it a tad hard to follow during certain parts. I think the portrayal of Reece Jaxon serves the story well—right off the bat we’re in his corner with a boatload of respect for how he handles the flighty Shiloh with his cool, unflinching demeanor and his stalwart faith.

Shiloh is written as a capable and beautiful, self-righteous, highly hormonal female, and at times I’d like to slap her—but that’s just me. I think her character is often over-dramatic and her conduct around Reece is so high-schoolish that it makes her heroic moments less believable except for her background as the daughter of spies. The God-and-father-hatred-thing contributes to her immaturity and self-absorbed persona, and although we respect her efforts to do “right” things, we question her judgments along the way. And if it wasn’t for our established trust in Reece, we might wonder why he falls for her as hard as he does, but then there’s this “You can’t help who you fall in love with” thing goin’ on.

Dead Reckoning is an entertaining, romantic, and suspenseful first effort by Ronie Kendig, published by Abingdon Press. We can expect and look forward to more from this combo in the near future.

http://http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/142670058X

Father, you know Ronie’s heart’s desires and that includes her desire to serve you through her writing. Continue to provide her inspiration and direction and lead her in your ways. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.