"Death will have a reckoning, and for Cody and Remy it could mean the end of everything they’ve loved."
Winter Austin has written a stunning conclusion to her Degrees of Darkness Series, published by Crimson Romance, having begun with Relentless, followed by Retribution, Revenge, and now the final book Reckoning. Each novel presents another addition to the horrifying evil besetting Detective Remy LeBeau and "cowgirl" Cody Lewis. Thinking all had been resolved in Remy's past in Revenge, there's a whole new wickedness come to town and this time Cody's father Logan Lewis and Remy's partner Detective Heath Anderson share knowledge hidden from Remy and Cody.
I really don't want to create *spoilers* for this series if you haven't read each one in order, so this review will skim details and focus on the characters. This is a powerful, strongly-written romantic suspense series which deserves to be read from start to finish. Each story connects to the next one taking the readers deeper and deeper into the characters' psyches and motivations.
Cody is the only one who doesn't undergo much change. She's a feisty, hot-headed little spitfire redhead who acts and talks before thinking things through, and this habit inevitably causes problems between her and Remy. Between the two of them, they need a solid course on how to communicate. Instead they maintain secrets from each other in order to protect one another based on past pain. It never works.
This is where Heath usually intervenes. He's able to see through both of them, but he's only able to really communicate with Cody, understanding things from observing her behavior, words, and attitude when difficult subjects erupt under stressful situations which always seem to throw them together, causing Remy grief and jealousy.
Remy can't pick up on the subtleties of Cody's irritations because she disguises them rather than dealing with them outright. In Reckoning there are multiple issues which rage to the forefront of Cody's life, none of which she wants to discuss with anybody, especially Remy because of how she thinks he'll react.
Logan Lewis, Cody's beloved father and only remaining parent, finds himself in a more prominent role in this story, knee-deep in a hurtful past which goes all the way back to his military days in Vietnam, none of which Cody knows anything about. When an unexpected package arrives on the porch of Logan's ranch dwelling, he is sickened by the contents. Determined to find the sender and confront the dangerous possibilities, he leaves the ranch with no explanation about his sudden trip.
Opening with a grisly murder in progress performed by a sadistic killer, Reckoning continues on full tilt until the Epilogue. With unknown history about Cody's mom and dad pushing its way to the forefront of several different murders, Heath's secretive knowledge about the way a victim was murdered, and Cody's abusive ex-boyfriend out of jail, there is suddenly fear on more than one front.
Reckoning is a taut, complex, fast-moving thriller with a twist you won't see coming while it still manages to include a little hot romance, relational drama (and silliness), and characters who work very hard to protect each other yet somehow cause each other to end up in life or death situations. A bittersweet but satisfying conclusion to this well-done series, Winter Austin ends it with a bang.
Faith remains in the background of the story, and there is some profanity.
One insignificant complaint: I wish they would've used the face on the cover of Retribution for this one.
http://www.crimsonromance.com/upcoming-releases-romance-ebook/reckoning/
Highly recommend the Degrees of Darkness Series by Winter Austin for those who love romantic suspense. Coming soon at the end of March.
Father, please continue to provide those stories for Winter to write. Bless her efforts to honor you in all she does. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Related articles
Into the Fire 
Leave a comment