Reviews

A huge let-down after being blown away by the writing in Fever of the Bone, and considering the significance to the series and the characters of Jacko Vance. I'm torn between 1 and 2 stars but will go with 2 because I'd rate it 2 if it was a standalone.

It took about 100 pages to really get going and yet after 400 pages still feels like half a book. The Vance plot is deeply underwhelming, being built up to be something momentous when it really isn't. That plot and the other crime subplot are both totally anticlimactic and feel like they end arbitrarily with almost a deus ex machina quality. The only plot of any interest is the Hill/Jordan relationship and that feels like a single beat in a longer story (which it is, in a sense, but there's not much here apart from one big change).

I'd taken a long break from this series before Fever of the Bone and I couldn't really remember why, perhaps this is why. I want to keep reading because I am attached to the characters (mainly from the TV version, but still) but I can only hope the next effort is better.

mandym's review against another edition

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4.0

Firstly, I would like to state that I received this book via the Goodreads first read program.

I have seen Val McDermid work play out on the TV screen when "Wire in the Blood" was serialised, which was my introduction to Carol Jordan and Tony Hill but I had never read any work by this author until now.

During the whole time reading this book I had Robson Green in my head, and felt that he certainly seemed a good fit for the role.

I was impressed that the chapters moved quickly from scene to scene,and anyone who likes fast paced books will probably like this. Credible characters, gritty northerners, which may seem like stereotyping, but stereotypes exist for a reason.

Two murderers on the loose at the same time, each escalating in their own way, so time is of the essence. As I read through the book, I realised I was getting nearer and nearer to the last page, without any sign of a conclusion, and when it eventually came it was almost over before you could digest it!

I enjoyed the book and would read more of Val McDermid, just to see if the same modus operandi is used for her other work - steady build up and then just a "bang" at the end to conclude.

Despite the quick finish I still enjoyed this enormously, so for me it is a 4 star review.

han_cat's review against another edition

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4.0

First Val McDermid I've read - given it which is why I'm entering a series so late. Far exceeded my expectations. Tense, gripping, bold. Would definitely read another.

ellie_2's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

canada_matt's review against another edition

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4.0

Just when the reader's seen all the twists that McDermid could posit in her novels, a new take on an oft-told storyline makes for another must-read novel. Through a series of cost-saving measures, the MIT is about to be dismantled and its team assigned to other forces. Until then, DCI Jordan embarks on a case to discover who is behind a number of prostitute slayings in and around Bradfield. Each woman is slain in a unique way, leaving the team to wonder if there is a connection. With a similar 'MINE' tattoo left on each woman, the connection appears strong, but motive and suspects come up dry. While Jordan and the team seek to use this swan song case to show their worth, news comes that convicted killer, Jacko Vance, has escaped. Having been behind bars for over a decade, Vance is set to settle scores (seeking his own form of 'retribution', as the book's title suggests) with those responsible for his time in jail, namely DCI Jordan and Dr. Hill. While Vance keeps a low profile, plotting his revenge, Hill and Jordan are on high alert, trying to guess his next move. Vance's plot begin to play out, striking at the core of those who played a great role in his incarceration. While the horrors heighten, Jordan and Hill commence a strain on their relationship (however it might be defined), with reconciliation far from certain. With the MIT on shaky ground, two serial killers on the loose, and the Hill-Jordan bond in shambles, McDermid recounts a powerful story where racing against the clock may not fix all issues at hand. A thrilling resurrection of McDermid's most cunning killer in this page-turner, in which series fans get a much needed thrill and dose of horror all at once.

McDermid's seventh novel does not lessen its thriller impact, even with the revisited characters and somewhat predicted storyline, as insinuated in the title. An avid series reader might have hoped for something along these lines, as it forces both Hill and Jordan to revisit their early time together and what began the effective 'specialist team' angle that has worked so well for the novels, as well as for both its main characters. With a blatant discussion of Jordan's stress coping mechanism, the infallibility scorecard is finally evened. While numerous authors have brought back old nemeses to to battle with their protagonists, few have the ability to tackle so nefarious a villain in as graphic a way as McDermid has done. All while balancing an alternative story line that keeps the reader guessing from the outset.

Kudos, Madam McDermid for your ongoing novels that educate, entertain, and scare the bejesus out of readers.

frickative's review against another edition

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3.0

According to the dust jacket, The Retribution is "the ideal introduction or reintroduction to the world of Tony Hill and Carol Jordan." Well bloody hell, if this had been my first outing with Tony and Carol, I don't think I'd be coming back for more. McDermid's books have always been shocking - borderline grotesque in places - but for me, the stakes were just too high here.

Carol's brother murdered, Tony's beloved house razed to the ground, Chris blinded and horrifically scarred for life... Often I can't put McDermid's book down. This one I had to put aside in favour of watching a few hours of How I Met Your Mother, because it was just too flipping grim. Not to mention the Tony/Carol element. After a few books of total stagnation in their relationship, the last instalment gave me some hope for forward momentum. And instead, here we take a step back so enormous, it's hard to see how the lost ground can ever be recovered.

On the whole, it's hard to say I enjoyed this book, because it was just so distressing. The pacing in the second half was tense, edge of seat stuff, but the first few hundred pages were dismayingly slow - particularly when we spent a chapter with Vance escaping, a chapter with Tony learning Vance had escaped, then a chapter with Tony telling Carol Vance had escaped... Eesh. The secondary plot started out with promise, but fizzled out by the end.

I know for a fact I'll be back for the next Tony and Carol book, but after this, I'm really not looking forward to it.

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