By Bradley J. Haar
I’m so glad I’m not Mark Richter.
That’s the thought you’ll have over and over as you read J. Lee’s fourth book, “The Reluctant Reckoner” (Moonshine Cove Publishing, Oct ’24). The thriller begins with everyday accountant Mark getting a bizarre e-mail on a sunny Friday afternoon:
Mark, don’t be alarmed. The discrepancy will be cleared up soon.
Ten minutes later, his boss informs him that there was a six-figure irregularity with one of his clients’ tax returns, and the consequences could include prison time for him. After a panic-filled hour with Mark scrambling to review the file looking for anything that could explain it, the problem vanishes just as abruptly as it emerged. The IRS confirmed it made a mistake. Everything is fine.
But it was just the beginning of Mark’s nightmare.
The people responsible for creating the discrepancy did so to get Mark’s attention, and to let him know who he was dealing with. Turns out, they want him to steal account information from some clients his firm serves. He’s given a deadline, a promise of $3M, and a not-so-gentle-reminder that saying no would not be in his best interests.
Within a week, the only person who might’ve been able to ascertain who these people are – or why they chose Mark – is murdered. Then, his daughter’s life is threatened, he’s forced off the grid, and things can’t get any worse…until they do. The FBI confronts him with a not-so-appealing deal of its own: help us bring them down, or go to jail. Faced with a lose-lose situation, Mark is forced into a world he knows nothing about and knows he can’t survive. Readers will gasp as Mark seeks to protect his family and figure out what to do. The multiple close calls and captivating riddles that have become J. Lee’s trademark will not disappoint. Without a doubt, this is the tightest, most action-packed, tension-filled novel he’s written.
And yet, its most impressive aspect is just how relatable J. Lee makes Mark feel on the one hand, and makes you oh-so-thankful you’re not him on the other. Mark’s not a Special Forces guy who’s been trained for this type of thing – he’s like you and me. Goes to work every day, hits the gym occasionally, loves his daughter, lives in a modest house and has no idea why these people have chosen him. But as the novel progresses, and Mark starts to peel the dangerous onion of why, readers will be startled by its elegant simplicity and dangerous realistic premise. They’ll think about their own lives, families, and jobs and picture themselves being a potential target as well. And thank their lucky stars they’re not Mark Richter.
As we’ve come to expect from J. Lee, be looking for clever harbingers, red herrings, multiple points-of-view and very unexpected plot twists. The books keep getting better with this guy and despite having thoroughly enjoyed J. Lee’s first three, this one is at the top.
For more information about J. Lee, “The Reluctant Reckoner,” or his other award-winning novels “The Deadly Deal,” “The Hubley Case” and “The Silent Cardinal,” visit jleethrillers.com.
The article originally appeared in the Oceanport 3 – 9, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
