Counting Coup

G.D. Gearino

Counting coup is an old Indian term that means "you have touched your enemy." The braver the warrior, the more enemy he has touched.

This enthralling book involves Tad Beckman, a journalist that writes commentary columns. His father died before he was born. He was raised by his grandfather and his insane mother in a small town in Georgia. Tad writes a Pulitzer Prize winning column one day, then disappears. When he finally returns home, his mother is rambling on about her lost baby. He is never able to convince her he has returned home. Finally, he and his grandfather have her institutionalized permanently.

Tad spares no one from his biting pen, including himself at times. His prize winning column is about a woman who called him for help because her ex-husband was stalking her. He does not help, only give her advice to get away from the situation. His column then sites what ultimately happens and his reaction.

Partway through the book Tad meets Jocelyn. She reluctantly tells him she was an abused wife who ran away from her real-estate dealing husband. She provides Tad with paperwork that incriminates her husband in some shady deals. Tad is a journalist, so he looks into the matter, ready to write another column as needed.

The twists and turns in this novel keep the reader on edge. Seemingly unrelated incidents come together in unexpected fashion. The characters from the rural South are depicted well.