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A review by drskspawn
Orca by Mariëtte Whitcomb
3.0
“Orca” is the first book in Mariëtte Whitcomb’s Finley series, which follows former soldier Finley Duncan Williams and her uncanny ability to get into the headspace of violent killers, rapists, and sadists in order to figure out how they think, they’re patterns, and where they might strike next. Crucially, Finley is also the survivor of torture who returned home to her sister, Elizabeth (affectionately known as Lizzie), only to find her parents had died and her home life had changed forever thanks to a slew of perverse criminals targeting random innocents but, especially, women. The author certainly isn’t pulling any punches here; she describes, in graphic and repeated detail, Finley’s anger and disgust at these individuals, who she refers to impassively as “id”. Before long, the cops are openly discussing cases with her and allowing her access to the case files so she can continue her unique line of inquiry and no repercussions are ever brought against her because she conveniently always ends up either being framed as a victim or acting in self-defence. And boy, you better believe that Finley knows how to defend herself! Not only does she rediscover her passion for Krav Maga (igniting a different kind of passion along the way), but she also always has a gun on her and isn’t shy about whipping it out at the slightest provocation.
Thanks to a generous inheritance, Finley has all the money she needs to buy properties, turn them into safehouses for victims of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, and to kit out her home into a veritable torture chamber for her victims. With an understated ease, Finley trawls the “dark web” and lures a number of perverted sadists to their doom. Finley is horrifyingly adept at conjuring horrendous tortures for her victims, leaving them for days to suffer for days until they confess their sins and choose a quick, but no less painful, death. Finley spends many a paragraph justifying that she’s not technically a killer and fearing her dark side, but sees herself as an alpha predator, an “Orca” swimming among sharks, and delights in teasing them, seducing them, and dragging out their suffering.
Finley’s surrounded by some interesting characters, such as her bubblier and naiver sister, her uncle (a cop who comes to rely on Finley’s incredible intuitive abilities), and her fair share of lovers. Those Finley falls for are always ex-army, fit and field trained to be her equal, and almost too good to be true, which took me out of the story a bit. Finley is clearly a survivor; she’s written to be the most capable female protagonist ever but it’s obvious that her experiences have changed her. She’s ridiculously successful at working out her damage on numerous sickos and it was clear to me that I am not the intended audience for “Orca”. There’s an agenda here that some may find uncomfortable, but there’s also a stark truth about the times we live in and the trauma some people face, Consequently, survivors of abuse, will find a stronger connection to Finley and her vendetta; Finley offers a fantastical catharsis through having the uncanny means to track down, brutalise, and dispatch the men who would harm others. While it didn’t really click with me and I had some issues with the narrative, I hope that those who read “Orca” focus on the message that they’re not alone, there is help and support and life after abuse, and they’re fully capable of finding ways to come back stronger from even the darkest times.
Thanks to a generous inheritance, Finley has all the money she needs to buy properties, turn them into safehouses for victims of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, and to kit out her home into a veritable torture chamber for her victims. With an understated ease, Finley trawls the “dark web” and lures a number of perverted sadists to their doom. Finley is horrifyingly adept at conjuring horrendous tortures for her victims, leaving them for days to suffer for days until they confess their sins and choose a quick, but no less painful, death. Finley spends many a paragraph justifying that she’s not technically a killer and fearing her dark side, but sees herself as an alpha predator, an “Orca” swimming among sharks, and delights in teasing them, seducing them, and dragging out their suffering.
Finley’s surrounded by some interesting characters, such as her bubblier and naiver sister, her uncle (a cop who comes to rely on Finley’s incredible intuitive abilities), and her fair share of lovers. Those Finley falls for are always ex-army, fit and field trained to be her equal, and almost too good to be true, which took me out of the story a bit. Finley is clearly a survivor; she’s written to be the most capable female protagonist ever but it’s obvious that her experiences have changed her. She’s ridiculously successful at working out her damage on numerous sickos and it was clear to me that I am not the intended audience for “Orca”. There’s an agenda here that some may find uncomfortable, but there’s also a stark truth about the times we live in and the trauma some people face, Consequently, survivors of abuse, will find a stronger connection to Finley and her vendetta; Finley offers a fantastical catharsis through having the uncanny means to track down, brutalise, and dispatch the men who would harm others. While it didn’t really click with me and I had some issues with the narrative, I hope that those who read “Orca” focus on the message that they’re not alone, there is help and support and life after abuse, and they’re fully capable of finding ways to come back stronger from even the darkest times.