Official Review: Retribution by Mike peck

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unamilagra
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Official Review: Retribution by Mike peck

Post by unamilagra »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Retribution" by Mike peck.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Max is a military veteran and former CIA asset. These days, he’s retired from his life of service and is enjoying his middle age while pursuing his passion: high-risk cat burglary for only the wealthiest clients. While hitting the safe of a high-profile target, he stumbles upon a secret room, in which he finds a naked, chained up teenager. His job, with its explicit instructions to only take one specific item to “send a message,” goes off the rails when he decides to take matters into his own hands.

A little while later, Dean Roberts and Johnny Jones, local Alexandria, Virginia police officers, are sent to check out a crime scene at the home of a U.S. Senator, who has been murdered in what appears to be a burglary gone wrong. When they arrive at the scene, however, they determine that the death is way too gruesome to indicate a surprised burglar. Then they notice a secret chamber off the study with some disturbing furniture and paraphernalia. And what’s up with the child-sized lingerie?

Retribution by Michael Peck is an exciting and fast-paced novel revolving around Max’s efforts to take down a child sex-trafficking ring. The novel switches between several different perspectives: Max, as he leaves a trail of destruction across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., the police officers and FBI agents who are desperately trying to keep up, various members of the trafficking ring, and the corrupt government officials who are involved. At the beginning of the novel, the large number of characters was difficult to follow, but as I got to know them better, I grew to appreciate the way their stories were all brilliantly weaved into one cohesive plot. The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way through the book, and the characters’ motivations weren’t always what they seemed at the outset. The novel did a great job of portraying the good and bad sides of many of the main characters in a way that made them relatable. The plot was complicated, but the ending was satisfying, and all the loose ends were tied up nicely.

In addition to the exciting plot, I loved the writing style. The topics covered were heavy and unsettling at times, but I adored Max’s outlook on life. His irreverent tone lightened the mood, and he always managed to find the humor in the situation. I also enjoyed the glimpses of human kindness and goodness that the author incorporated just when they were most needed.

I would have loved to give this book full marks. Unfortunately, it was extremely poorly edited, and it seemed to get worse as the novel progressed. By the second half of the book, there were multiple typos per page. There were spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors, mid-sentence tense changes, and characters with inconsistently spelled names. The errors were so distracting that I considered taking off two stars, but that would not have been fair to such a brilliantly crafted plotline. Therefore, my rating for Retribution is 3 out of 4 stars.

I would recommend this book to lovers of James Bond and Mission: Impossible storylines, with nonstop action, the use of cool, techy gadgets, and lots of death. In fact, I could picture this story on the big screen someday. That said, there is heavy use of profanity and “locker room talk,” and the book contains graphic violence and explicit consensual sex scenes, as well as allusions to child sexual abuse. I would not recommend the book to those sensitive to this sort of content.

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Retribution
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Post by kandscreeley »

It's too bad about the errors. I'm intrigued about a CIA asset that's turned into a car burglar. That's unusual. Thanks for your thoughts on this one.
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Post by Bianka Walter »

This plot had me sold. Love everything about it (except the errors, of course).
Hope the author irons that out.
Wonderful review!
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Post by Bambiears »

wow! well written reveiw. Thank you. The book sounds terrifing to me, so probably wont be checking it out. but sounds like there are plenty of others that will enjoy it once it gets a good editing.
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Post by Prisallen »

I like that the author portrays the good and bad in everyone, and they are not just considered "bad" or "good". The main character definitely seems interesting. It's too bad about the errors. As always, I love reading your reviews!
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Post by unamilagra »

kandscreeley wrote: 22 Oct 2019, 20:34 It's too bad about the errors. I'm intrigued about a CIA asset that's turned into a car burglar. That's unusual. Thanks for your thoughts on this one.
Thanks for stopping by to comment!


Bianka Walter wrote: 24 Oct 2019, 09:16 This plot had me sold. Love everything about it (except the errors, of course).
Hope the author irons that out.
Wonderful review!
Yes, the plot was fantastic and it's such a shame the errors dragged it down. Thanks for commenting!


Bambiears wrote: 24 Oct 2019, 10:49 wow! well written reveiw. Thank you. The book sounds terrifing to me, so probably wont be checking it out. but sounds like there are plenty of others that will enjoy it once it gets a good editing.
Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by!


Prisallen wrote: 25 Oct 2019, 10:56 I like that the author portrays the good and bad in everyone, and they are not just considered "bad" or "good". The main character definitely seems interesting. It's too bad about the errors. As always, I love reading your reviews!
Thank you so much for your comment!
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Post by Dentarthurdent »

The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way through the book, and the characters’ motivations weren’t always what they seemed at the outset.
As someone who really values depth in characters, I appreciate this. This sounds like an intricate narrative, well executed, were it not for the numerous errors. I've always found there to be a thin line between irreverent and flippant, and I hope this author manages to remain on the right side of it.
Thanks for such a thorough, well-written and interesting review!
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Post by Nerea »

Sounds like a story that would put the reader at the edge of the seat. Of course I love James Bond. The Mission Impossible movie storyline is epic. Unfortunately, the graphic content in the book puts me off. I'll skip the book. Your review is well-thought and drafted.
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Post by gen_g »

The premise sounds really exciting, and I do love a good thriller. However, the poor editing is a deal breaker for me, so I guess I'll have to give this a pass for now. Thanks for the great review, as always!
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Post by Charlyt »

I like the thrilling plot, and it seems like a book I would enjoy reading. The child sexual abuse part is is putting me off though. Thanks for a great review!
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Post by inaramid »

Definitely sounds "heavy and unsettling", but I do hope the errors get addressed! Thanks for this review!
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Post by kdstrack »

The pacing and the change of perspectives, when they are well done, really keep you on the edge of your seat. It seems like the author does a good job of keeping the story moving. The errors can be overlooked when the story line and pacing are that good.
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Post by Ekta Swarnkar »

This is not for me but its plot story sounds interesting. I hope the error issue may be cleared. Thanks for the review!
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Post by unamilagra »

Dentarthurdent wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 02:21 The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way through the book, and the characters’ motivations weren’t always what they seemed at the outset.
As someone who really values depth in characters, I appreciate this. This sounds like an intricate narrative, well executed, were it not for the numerous errors. I've always found there to be a thin line between irreverent and flippant, and I hope this author manages to remain on the right side of it.
Thanks for such a thorough, well-written and interesting review!
Thank you for your thoughts and comments!


Nerea wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 06:29 Sounds like a story that would put the reader at the edge of the seat. Of course I love James Bond. The Mission Impossible movie storyline is epic. Unfortunately, the graphic content in the book puts me off. I'll skip the book. Your review is well-thought and drafted.
I get it, it was a bit much at times. Thank you for stopping by!


gen_g wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 07:34 The premise sounds really exciting, and I do love a good thriller. However, the poor editing is a deal breaker for me, so I guess I'll have to give this a pass for now. Thanks for the great review, as always!
I totally understand. Thanks for commenting!


Charlyt wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 08:07 I like the thrilling plot, and it seems like a book I would enjoy reading. The child sexual abuse part is is putting me off though. Thanks for a great review!
Thanks for your comment!


inaramid wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 18:10 Definitely sounds "heavy and unsettling", but I do hope the errors get addressed! Thanks for this review!
I hope so too. Thanks for your comment!


kdstrack wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 21:36 The pacing and the change of perspectives, when they are well done, really keep you on the edge of your seat. It seems like the author does a good job of keeping the story moving. The errors can be overlooked when the story line and pacing are that good.
I really liked the perspective changes in this book. Thanks for stopping by!


Ekta Swarnkar wrote: 27 Oct 2019, 21:58 This is not for me but its plot story sounds interesting. I hope the error issue may be cleared. Thanks for the review!
I hope so too. Thanks for commenting!
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Post by Gabriel Merêncio »

The frequency and severity of errors would probably put me off, so hopefully the author can fix them eventually. Other than that, it does seem like a must-read for action fans. Thanks for the review!
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