Author pic : Vicky Petraitis
There’s plenty going on, both crime-wise and in Antigone Pollard’s life, which includes a domestic violence victim whose husband has died of a heart attack, Antigone’s ex-partner, a fellow police officer coming in to manage the siege, coercive control in the community and in the media.
THE RECKONING is the third book in VIkki Petraitis’s rural Australian series that began with The Unbelived. Set in a coastal community called Deception Bay, not far from Melbourne, it centers around a policewoman named Antigone Pollard. Following her other books that focuses on sexually abused women, drink spiking and a missing baby, the follow-up The Stolen carried the themes of misogyny and victim blaming by societal media tropes which follows through in THE RECKONING. The author inserts a lot of statistics backing up these issues but also pokes fun at some ridiculous stereotype compared to caricatured police psychiatrist, Dr. Bailey
There is also a lot of right-wing radio chatter extolling the virtues of some very questionable characters which shuts down reasonable debate while slurring and belittling our heroine, Antigone who carries a bit of baggage from her time in Melbourne but is more firmly in place in Deception Bay. She is a straight-shooter who seems not to have fear particularly around those she cares about, especially when partnered by her ex-police canine companion, Waffles. The number of ongoing plots are settled by the book’s conclusion, including some of her personal life.
Petraitis is not the first Australian crime author to explore this growing phenomenon of sovereign citizens and its link to the Covid response. When two convicted rapists walk free on appeal, the decision splits Deception Bay down the middle. The men swagger onto a packed cricket ground on Australia Day to a hero’s welcome. Before lunch is over, dozens of people fall ill, among them the newly released men. As panic grips the town and emergency services collapse, Detective Antigone and her partner Wozza, scramble to figure out what has happened. Was it accidental poisoning or was it deliberate? When Antigone’s mom, a doctor vanishes while responding to a call for help, Antigone enters a desperate race to find her. But time is running out. Facing a choice, she does what she does best- relying on herself.
THE RECKONING is an unflinching, morally uncompromising crime novel about thwarted justice, institutional failure, exacted revenge and the price paid when the system looks away. It’s a packed story of mushroom poisoning and a thrilling police siege which will keep the reader glued to their seat. The author departs from the traditional form by plonking the setting in a sleepy coastal town and where during Covid that the sovereign citizen issues play out, bringing us face-to-face with an aggrieved perpetrator, Hamish Clemence, two dead policemen and a neighbour. We discover his motives, his reluctance to hurt his captives and his fatherly concern for his little daughter. It’s hard to pin the title of ‘ruthless killer’ on him. So apart from the serious issues raised by THE RECKONING, it certainly has charm with the introduction of Waffles, the failed police canine who is core to the story, not only being a good companion.
The author floats a lot of balls in play, especially Nan, the feisty granny who is key in calming the situation with Wozza, Antigone’s partner, who is devoted to his role in the police force but is partial to any food around especially if its sweet. There is an insertion of recognisable vernacular that gives it an Aussie flavour. Vicky feels strongly about current issues pivoting from mass poisoning to the confrontation with authorities by the aggrieved citizen holding prisoners. The description of the effects of poisoning is a primer in science and pharmacology, added to Antigone’s antics of accessing the house via a tunnel which adds substance but also a dramatic dynamic between her, Wozza and their superiors.
Along with darker themes, there’s moments of humour and warmth. The anchor that makes Vikki Petraitis a great writer is her willingness to sit in the grey areas without offering simple answers. She explores what happens when institutions fail, communities divide, when people believe justice has not been served. This is a crime novel with a moral compass, tightly plotted story, peopled by believable characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing.
VIkki Petraitis’ book THE RECKONING has been published by Simon and Schuster.
