Dead Wreckoning

Sylvia Dickey Smith
L & L Dreamspell (2009)
ISBN 9781603181389
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/09)


Sidra Smart is at it again in the third book of her series.  Divorced after thirty years as a preacher’s wife, Sidra is running The Third Eye Detective Agency which she inherited from her brother.  Sidra is engaged, but taking it slowly.  Sidra and Slider, her dog, live with Aunt Annie, in a haunted house.  Sidra is currently operating her business out of the house because her private-eye office has been firebombed and needs to be rebuilt.

In “Dead Wreckoning,” Sidra takes on the case of an older woman who has been accused of murdering her neighbor’s husband.  Sidra is determined to prove her innocence.  While investigating the case, she also finds herself searching for a pirate ship, which seems to make an occasional appearance.  Sidra discovers a connection between the murder, the pirate ship and strange happenings in the town. 

Sidra begins to suspect that there are people close to her that she cannot trust.  Enlisting the aid of a hooker, she is able to get some inside information.  When she sees the ship, she discovers that it is not all there and that there is a redheaded ghost aboard.  Knowing the history of the ghost and the ship, Sidra becomes more intrigued.  She also learns that there are a lot of people in town who are related to each other, that also might be involved with some shady dealings.  Things really heat up when Sidra herself becomes endangered.

“Dead Wreckoning” is a blast to read.  Adding ghostly touches to a great mystery makes the book quite an adventure.  Sidra is also a delightful soul who is regaining her sense of self after thirty years of a controlling marriage.  I think that most women will be able to relate to her character.  The other characters in the book are just as entertaining.  I also loved that there are two dogs in the story that have important roles, especially Sidra’s. 

“Dead Wreckoning” by Sylvia Dickey Smith is a must read for mystery fans, especially if you enjoy a touch of the paranormal and lots of humor. 

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