Wednesday 4 February 2009

Review of Vengeance by Donna Dawson

An FBI agent on a well-deserved holiday cruise. Lucky him? Not really. Suspicious deaths recur on the great ship, and Agent Benedict is right in the middle of it all. Benedict is a deep character, carrying issues of his past and present with him, searching for the peace that eludes him. As pressures mount, his phone calls to his shoreside girlfriend and FBI bosses fill with tension, and in between, he must focus on staying alive while he hunts for the killer.

Parts of the story are told from the point of view of the mysterious villain and his accomplices. While unusual, this does add a very sinister tone to the thriller. It's not for the faint of heart - aspects such as the involvement of a young child may be disturbing to some readers. I have to say that the twist in the end totally took me by surprise. See if you can figure out who the villain might be! I couldn't, not until he revealed himself. This is one puzzle that was too tricky to crack. There are plenty of other twists along the way, so us amateur whodunits are certainly well occupied deciphering the clues.

The pace of the action might well leave you gasping by the time you get through. So if you like gritty, realistic fiction and a plot that forces you from one scene to another, you should take a look at this one.

This is a hard-edged murder mystery with themes of war and betrayal that go very, very deep. Want something to make you think? This is it.

Donna's website is here...and you can buy the book here.

Check out these other member blogs this
week for more info.


2 comments:

authordonna said...

Wow Grace! I am deeply humbled by your review. Thank you for the kind assessment. Many blessings as you continue to follow God's leading.

David said...

I liked the "sinister" tone that is added, and it does make for a better thriller than if that element had been left out. I'd have to say that while the plot twist did work very well, I had my suspicions, but hey, I'm a mystery writer too ;-)