Book Review: Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

In this updated version of Dead Reckoning, award-winning author Caitlin Rother invites the reader in to a story of a former child star struggling with gender dysphoria and his accomplices as they plot and kill a retired couple and steal their yacht. No less disturbing the second go around, Dead Reckoning remains a must read for true crime fans. You can read my 2015 review by clicking here.

Two newer issues get a fair amount of attention in the updated version: gender dysphoria and the ongoing argument over the eligibility of transgender inmates to receive surgery to alter their biological sex, and the impact of Governor Gavin Newsom's moratorium on executions in California.

Skylar Deleon's desire for gender reassignment surgery is what led him (at the time) to murder three people. Sentenced to death row, Skylar transitioned to a woman and legally changed her gender to female, potentially to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery and transfer to a women’s prison. For the victims' families, such an act coupled with delayed justice for their loved ones seems unconscionable.

Just as Rother did with the original story, she presents both sides without bias. This is a thoroughly researched story of unspeakable acts that changed the lives of many. If you are fascinated by true crime stories, you'll want to grab the latest version of Dead Reckoning. 


Paperback: 470 pages
Publisher: WildBlue Press; 2nd ed. edition (August 26, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1948239388
ISBN-13: 978-1948239387

Purchase here

I received a digital copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

A frightening, yet fascinating story of greed, deceit, and murder can be found in Dead Reckoning.

This is a true crime investigative account by Pulitzer Prize nominee Caitlin Rother. She lays out the story of Skylar Deleon, a former child star, who along with his wife and others plots to kill a retired couple and steal their yacht.

Dead Reckoning is a chilling story. It reveals the horrible evil this world can contain. It leaves the reader wondering: are killers born or are they made? A life of abuse was all that Skylar Deleon knew. Did that turn him into the greedy, immoral person who could hatch a plot to steal the Hawkses' yacht and throw them overboard while they were still alive?

Or was it the influence of his wife, Jennifer? Was Skylar willing to do anything to please her--even murder?

I've been fascinated by true crime stories for decades, and this is one of the best told books I've ever read. Rother covers all sides to this story. The reader learns about the Hawks family; Skylar and Jennifer and their families; the detectives on the case; the attorneys on both sides of the case; the family of Jon Jarvi--another of Skylar's victims, and Skylar's co-conspirators. The end of the book includes an interview Rother had with Skylar in prison.

If you enjoy true crime, Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother is one book you shouldn't miss.

Series: Pinnacle True Crime
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786022175
ISBN-13: 978-0786022175

I received a free copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

This book has been read for the following challenges:

Musing Mondays - April 27

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme sponsored by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you prefer Hardcover, Trade Paperback, or Mass Market Paperback? Why?

I'm finally at a point where I am working toward catching up. Though my blogging hasn't been consistent and my time is limited, I am reading Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother. This was the second book from 2011 that an author had requested I review, but it never happened. Thankfully, my pile of overdue book reviews is not overwhelming, but there are still more books on it than I am comfortable with.

How many books are in your TBR pile? Are you behind on reviews?

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist reveals shocking details in a compelling and authoritative account of the 2004 murders of Tom and Jackie Hawkes by former child star Skylar Deleon and accomplices. Original.

What's In Your TBR Pile?

My TBR Pile currently consists of 200 printed books and more than 400 free e-books. Thankfully, maybe only 30 of those are for book reviews I owe to authors. I'm definitely making headway on plowing through my pile. I want to be able to open The Book Connection to new requests next year.

Here are a few books I'll be tackling soon.

The John and Julia Evans Mystery Series by Linda Weaver Clarke

The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

What's at the top of your TBR pile?

First Chapter Review: Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

The author got me a copy of this book last year because I had heard so many wonderful things about it. True crime has always fascinated me. Perhaps because I am interested in what motivates people to act as they do. I had planned to read it right away, but then my life got more chaotic than a cat dropped into the middle of a dog show.

BLURB:  Happy and retired, Tom and Jackie Hawks lived a charmed life in sunny Southern California. They were delighted when former child star Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer offered cash to purchase their 55-ft yacht The Well Deserved. But a trial voyage turned into a nightmare. Out at sea, the Hawkses begged for their lives as they were forced to sign everything over to Skylar. In return, they were tied to the ship's anchor and thrown overboard - alive...Skylar and Jennifer's twisted story became even more shocking when Skylar's unusual sexual motivations were revealed in court. After killing a man while out of jail on work furlough, he hired hits from prison on four witnesses, including his father...For this former child actor, the answer to "where are they now?" is Death Row.

COVER:  Spot on. A ripped from the headlines story, this cover gives the appearance of a ripped newspaper. The suspects' faces behind blood red splashed across the front and the entire back cover is just what I would expect.

FIRST CHAPTER: Dead Reckoning opens with family and friends of the Hawkses believing something must be wrong. The happy retired couple who were selling their boat so they could spend more time with their family, had not been in touch. Phone calls went right to voice mail. Emails remained unanswered. By November 23rd, family and friends began investigating.

Elsewhere, Betty Jarvi ponders her son's murder. She had not heard about the disappearance of Tom and Jackie Hawks, but her family's lives were on a collision course with the Hawkses' that she could never have imagined.

KEEP READING:  Definitely. As I said in the beginning, I am fascinated by true crimes. Rother opens with a prologue that introduces some of the people the reader will learn about in the rest of the book. It breaks my one-page prologue rule, but I have to admit I couldn't stop reading it. By the time I got to Chapter One, I had a glimpse into what would unfold later.

Rother made a wise choice in starting the book out with the family and friends who are impacted by the deaths of the Hawkses and JP Jarvi. This makes the story very personal and encourages sympathy from the reader. You get a basic amount of information on other members of the Hawkses' family and friends. The reader is also privy to how JP Jarvi was killed--not all the details, but enough to get you invested in the story.

I hope I can make room for this one in my schedule soon. I have 20 printed books I have agreed to review, so I am going in order as to how they came in. In between those are 31 books on my Kindle that need to be read. I'm not taking on any more titles until I am under 10 books total. Wish me luck!


Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation; 1 edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786022175
ISBN-13: 978-0786022175
SRP: $6.99
Also available for Kindle

The publisher sent me a free paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. A full review will follow. I have received no monetary compensation for this review.