Retribution - Jilliane Hoffman
This murder-mystery thriller opens with the main character getting murdered. But she survives.
I haven’t read a lot in this genre of fiction so I’m not sure what the norms are.
There was a big time jump and we are watching the investigation of another serial killer – we assume the same guy as the first because otherwise why have they started?
But the prosecutor is the lady from the start. We don’t recognize her at first as she has changed her name and is very different from when we originally met her.
We also aren’t sure we are looking at the same guy until he is arrested and she recognizes his voice and scar in court.
Then the twists and turns began and I found them great. They fitted the writing style which was punchy, short, and easy.
It looks like they may have the wrong guy as the murderer of the body that is found in his car. CJ proceeds with the prosecution anyways out of revenge.
The characters are all well-drawn and interesting. We jump back and forth between characters’ point-of-view as required.
Apart from the central characters many of the secondaries appear almost caricatures.
But they aren’t. They are slightly two-dimensional but that is fine for the sort of story this is.
This is a plot-driven narrative, not a character-driven narrative. We need CJ’s secretary to be a secretary and as a possible love interest for one of the detectives, nothing more.
The whole last third of the book is an attempt to find evidence that proves Bantling is the killer. And this arrives in the same way he was originally arrested – random tipoff.
The story is a balancing act between justice and revenge. As the reader we are upset for CJ and what has happened to her but does this give her the right to break the law herself for revenge?
CJ ends up being captured and killing the real killer & Bantling is still found guilty of the crimes.
We are pretty sure that the evidence against him has been falsified.
Great storytelling and you will either love or just like it based on how happy you are for the law to be bent.
It also has very graphic violence. So be aware if you are unable to read this sort of thing.
