Official Review: Retribution by Mike peck
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Official Review: Retribution by Mike peck

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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Hope the author irons that out.
Wonderful review!
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Thanks for stopping by to comment!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.
Yes, the plot was fantastic and it's such a shame the errors dragged it down. Thanks for commenting!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!
Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by!
Thank you so much for your comment!
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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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Thank you for your thoughts and comments!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!
I get it, it was a bit much at times. Thank you for stopping by!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 totally understand. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for your comment!
I hope so too. Thanks for your comment!
I really liked the perspective changes in this book. Thanks for stopping by!
I hope so too. Thanks for commenting!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!
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