MRC Recommends: Karma Never Sleeps by R. John Dingle

MRC RECOMMENDS: Karma Never Sleeps
by R. John Dingle

“…a delightfully complex FBI murder mystery…”
– The Mystery Review Crew

Karma Never Sleeps

By R. John Dingle
Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller

In a small town, the truth can’t always set you free…

When a second woman from a group of friends known as “the posse” is murdered in the woods near the New England enclave of Kendalton, FBI agent and profiler Gus Wheeler and his partner are called in to determine if this is a serial killing. He’s intrigued by a clue hidden on the body: a memorial picture of a teen who died 25 years ago.

Instead of helping with the investigation, the long-term friends stonewall the agents. But Gus can smell fear beneath their calm masks, fake smiles, and politely vague answers. Digging deeper, he discovers they are being terrorized by cyberstalking, spying, threats and mysterious break-ins. When a third member is hospitalized after a brutal attack, Gus suspects someone in the posse is the hunter instead of the hunted.

Is it the alpha leader Jules, her best friend Maria—married to the chief of police—outsider Mel, or weak link Lizzy? Or someone else bent on revenge? Time’s running out, and Gus’s life depends on his skill at determining who’s the best liar in town.

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Review of Karma Never Sleeps by R. John Dingle

Karma Never Sleeps is R. John Dingle’s first novel, and I want more!

Karma Never Sleeps is a delightfully complex FBI murder mystery but, it’s so much more. The town of Kendalton, Massachusetts, is a typical small town where everyone has a connection and secrets seem impossible to keep. A second murder has occurred amongst the town’s power clique of women, known collectively as “The Posse,” and the clues point to a barely remembered suicide from the shared past of their high school years. 

The murder of a second member of the posse triggers the FBI response, and the team of Gus Wheeler and Vanessa Lambert arrive. The FBI outsiders quickly discover that small town connections are both a blessing and a hindrance to understanding the community and the crime, especially when the police chief’s wife is a member of The Posse.

Karma Never Sleeps is a masterful intermingling of a stalking serial murderer, a historical suicide mystery, small town secrets, power cliques, and ultimately, revenge. The story is fortified by engaging police procedures and cybercrime technology. The well developed characters are people we all recognize. The character’s stories are compelling and varied. The romance sizzling between FBI Agent Wheeler and a posse member is pleasantly spicy. Finally, the ending has an interesting twist that, although unexpected, feels completely right. What truly caught me off guard was that closing the book didn’t stop the story. This book resonates as it addresses the issues of friendships, power cliques, bullying, and the consequences of secrets. 

Karma Never Sleeps is R. John Dingle’s first novel, and my thrill at finding a new author was quickly tempered by realizing that there are no previous works to read. Mr. Dingle, congratulations, and this reader hopes that you are busy writing your second novel!

About R. John Dingle

R. John Dingle was born and raised in New England. In fact, despite extensive travel, a move to Australia represents his only bragging right for actually residing outside the six-state area. John and his wife currently call a small island in Mid-Coast Maine ‘home’, both living, writing and boating from their restored 200-year old house (which they continually assure their three adult children is not haunted). The psychological thriller, Karma Never Sleeps, is John’s first novel and the first in the Gus Wheeler FBI Series. It will be published in April 2025.