The Retribution (Tony Hill / Carol Jordan Book 7)

Val McDermid is one of my favourite writers and I buy her books just because she wrote them. This one is no exeption. I full 'bodied' read as are all her books! Hope there is a new one soon as good as this.

This book is another Tony Hill/Carol Jordan thriller. Love this book and it turned out to be a very fast read. The ending definately leads you to believe there will be another book involving these two and their interesting cases. The book brings back several returning characters from the other books, most notably serial killer Jacko Vance. I am an avid fan of McDermid and have read most of her other books but none of them hold a candle to the Hill/Jordan series in my opinion. These books are my favorites.

Jacko Vance is ready to serve his dish of revenge in the best possible way; Cold. Edge of the seat stuff, brilliant suspense, believable characters and coherent plot. Mc Dermid's skill is amazing she paints a picture that will stay with you long after you close this book.

Val McDermid has again grabbed my undivided attention, holding it until the very last page. This book is no disappointment. Another gripping story that I'd recommend to anyone who loves a mystery with lots of action and gore. Tony and Carol teamed again. My only regret is that I can't put the book down and it's all over too quickly. V.McD is the best!!!

This book was a mess. McDermid needed the services of a proper editor, not to reorganize the book into shape, but to tell her that this wasn't good enough and to go back to her desk and try again.

The Vance A-plot was choppy and came to an arbitrary and therefore unsatisfying resolution. It would have been better if the protagonists' actions had somehow affected the plot arc, but for whatever reason, they did not.

The B-plot, involving another Bradfield serial killer, is also resolved ineptly. The key to understanding the murders lies in a piece of information to which the reader could not possibly have had access until the author revealed it, which violates a basic tenet of mystery writing. When a proper mystery is resolved, the reader should think: "Of course!" Not "Saw that coming", and certainly not, as in this case, "The hell?"

Worst of all, Carol Jordan is reduced to a loose cannon whose wild accusations and ridiculously disproportionate responses alienate all sympathy, and does so in a manner which strongly suggests that the author agrees with Carol's point of view. People do react badly to tragic reverses, but their reactions shouldn't be depicted as reasonable and agreed with by other, more detached characters.

McDermid has one more book to re-establish her bona fides, in my opinion, and this time I'll wait to check it out from the library before I buy it.

The diabolical serial killer Jacko Vance after twelve years locked up in prison easily walks out of HMP Oakworth prison and just disappears. The seventh series book from author Val McDermid, "The Retribution", once again partners up DCI Carol Jordan with profiler and highly brilliant Dr. Tony Hill. Unfortunately at this point in their relationship Jordan and Hill are basically not on speaking terms. Ironic since Carol rents out a flat in the basement Of Dr. Hill's house. Carol is in the process of winding down and disbanding her squad of specialists working out of the Bradfield Metropolitan Police. She's taking a position in the peaceful and quiet area of West Mercia. But before her team departs, Detective Superintendent Peter Reekie would like Carol's team to look at a crime scene that is really very peculiar to say the least. This homicide is very similar to two previous killings very recently. Although in the crime scenes the victim is staged differently at all three, Reekie is suspicious the work of maybe just one serial killer is put on display here. Carol and her team jump at the chance of solving one more serial killer case before going their separate ways. However before Carol can get too involved into this new case Dr. Tony Hill arrives at her office with terrible news. Jacko Vance a serial killer of possibly more than 17 young girls, and at one time was an Olympic athlete, and TV program host has easily walked away from prison. Vance had managed to be assigned to the "Therapeutic Community Wing" where some inmates get to do work release since they are supposed to be first time offenders or doctors have classified them as being "rehabilitated". Vance has no business in this section of the prison and switched identifications with another inmate to get placed into a taxi cab and sent out to "Work". Both Dr. Hill and Carol Jordan are incensed Vance has conned the prison and doctors that he'd would be a candidate for Therapeutic Community Wing. Once Vance is set free he has a long list of people he needs to get even with for twelve long years being locked away. As Carol tries to work the new serial killer case, Tony is honed in onto what Jacko's plans may be. Jacko seems to be able to get anywhere and anyplace as his collection of disguises is masterful. As Carol and Tony continually get to sniping at each other Jacko burns Tony's house to the ground. Vance also boobie traps a cabinet in Carol's flat that explodes onto Chris, a newer officer trying to save Carol time by picking up her cat Nelson. As Chris lies in a coma badly injured the Hill V Jordan fight is affecting both cases. It's when Tony discovers the vital primary clue to catching the serial killer allowing Carol's team jump into action without her. Tony has discovered the killer is playing an old HBO TV show from 20 years ago in picking his victims (All sex workers). Jacko meanwhile decides he's going to take out Tony's mother Vanessa. Vanessa has long seen through Jacko's plans an expects a visit soon enough. Dark and suspenseful, "The Retribution" is another classic mystery thriller yarn from master story teller and author Val McDermid. Coming in at right around 400 pages this one is extremely hard to put down. The interaction between Carol Jordan and Tony Hill are some of the best parts of the book. Author Val McDermid is also a master at developing unique and odd characters to give solid support for the plot. Snappy dialog throughout doesn't allow this one any slow or dull passages. Author McDermid's iconic Jordan/ Hill series never fails to deliver a solid classic page turning suspense thriller. I'm giving, "The Retribution" four stars out of a possible five stars. Although it's easily a 4.25 star book for sure. This entire series is a do not miss for readers who love the best of suspense thrillers. Check it out soon if you haven't already. Hopefully I can get to the eighth book in this series soon myself. (Even though it was written in 2011, at times it felt just a tad dated- but that might just be me reading like an American)

THE RETRIBUTION, by Val McDermid. This is the seventh thriller in the Scottish author’s massively popular, award-winning series of crime novels about investigative team psychologist/profiler Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. (The Wire in the Blood series, as it is known, has been filmed for television under the same name, starring Robson Green as Dr. Hill.) At any rate, in RETRIBUTION, the duo, as ever based in the fictional Midlands English city of Bradfield – read Manchester—are preparing to relocate to Worcester, both for their own reasons. Tony has inherited a beautiful house from his long unknown father: Carol has taken a promotion. As they each, separately, are preparing to pack and leave, a serial killer of Bradfield prostitutes begins to make his work known. (At this point in McDermid’s output, it’s a wonder there are any hookers left in Bradfield, she’s killed off so many). Anyway, Carol would like to solve this case and leave the city on a high note. But the situation soon gets chaotic.

Serial killer Jacko Vance, formerly a star athlete, then a beloved television personality, who has kidnaped, raped, tortured and killed many teenage girls all over Britain, has spent ten years in prison planning his escape, and finally pulls it off. And, of course, he has a kill list, headed by Carol and Tony, who worked together on their first case to put him away; then several more law enforcement officers. His ex-wife Micky Morgan, also formerly a popular TV personality: the disclosure of his crimes ruined her career as well. He also has made plans and provisions for the execution of his kill list during his long spell of imprisonment. His plans are twisted, cunning, elaborate, expensive. Law enforcement doesn’t know when, where, or how Jacko will strike.

Well, I have my standards. I dislike mysteries featuring supposedly famous personalities from the worlds of sports, politics, entertainment, public life: I feel that they upset the balance of the novel. And I surely dislike stories of a serial killer focused on one particular person, or persons. In my review of WIRE IN THE BLOOD, first in this series, which introduced Tony, Carol and Jacko, I said that I disliked mystery plots featuring famous personalities, and went on to praise the brilliance of the police procedural. Now, I add, in regard to THE RETRIBUTION, that I dislike thrillers centered on serial killers with particular kill lists. And, once again, I must eat my words, as this book is brilliantly done. The cruelties that Jacko dreamed up for his kill list kept me gasping, and turning pages. So much for my standards.

McDermid, who was raised in a Scottish mining town by her grandmother, went, in company with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a son of the manse as the Scots would say, to Oxford on scholarship. This is her 25th novel: for 16 years she earned her writer’s spurs in the competitive world of Manchester daily journalism, spent three as Northern Bureau Chief of a British national Sunday tabloid. She has long been acclaimed as the queen of tartan noir. And what’s tartan noir, you might ask? Written by a Scot, duh. More bloody and violent than most mysteries; McDermid’s work, in this particular series at least, has never been for the squeamish. But lightened somewhat by that dark Scottish sense of humor. The author’s books have been international #1 best sellers. She has won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; been nominated for an Edgar Award; her books have been named New York Times Notable Books. Her earlier book, THE MERMAIDS SINGING won the coveted Crime Writers of America Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year. This seventh police procedural in the Wire in the Blood series is tense, powerful, moves with exhilarating speed; the suspense never lets up. McDermid has long been a favorite of mine: I have read almost all the Hill/Jordan series, and a few of her standalones, and have reviewed, on their respective pages, A DARKER DOMAIN, THE DISTANT ECHO, THE GRAVE TATTOO, KILLING THE SHADOWS, THE LAST TEMPTATION, THE MERMAIDS SINGING, A PLACE OF EXECUTION, THE TORMENT OF OTHERS, THE VANISHING POINT, THE WIRE IN THE BLOOD, and BENEATH THE BLEEDING. Haven’t been crazy about all of them, and have said so. Nevertheless, when McDermid is good, she is very very good.

An enthralling instalment in the doyenne of Tartan Noir's popular Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series sees a malevolent old foe creating havoc for the fragile harmony between our heroes.

Val McDermid writes some outstanding standalone thrillers, but for many fans it is her series starring dysfunctional criminal psychologist Dr Tony Hill and ambitious and gutsy DCI Carol Jordan that is most eagerly anticipated. The pairing, further popularised by the Wire in the Blood television series adapted from McDermid's books (which starred Robson Green as Hill), have a pretty unique and unusual relationship in terms of crime fiction duos.

Dr Hill is a socially awkward man carrying the scars of emotional abuse received as a child, but he has a brilliant mind and keen insight into the darkness in serial killers' souls. His ability to understand the worst of the worst enables him to hunt them down. Although there is a professional and personal connection between himself and Jordan, he's long resisted any romantic entanglement. They've lived in the same house, but aren't partners. They're closer than friends, without crossing a physical line.

While RETRIBUTION is McDermid's 25th crime novel, it is only the seventh in her popular Hill and Jordan series, and it contains plenty of fodder to stir the passions of long-time fans, for good or bad. For not only do Hill and Jordan return, but so does notorious celebrity TV host turned serial killer Jacko Vance.

Vance was the arch-nemesis from WIRE IN THE BLOOD, the second book in the series. And now, just as Hill and Jordan have found some measure of harmony in their relationship and thoughts of taking themselves to another place, professionally and perhaps even personally, Vance escapes from prison. After years behind bars he's out for vengeance, and throws their lives, and those of their colleagues, into disarray.

Vance matches Hill in cleverness and wits, and has a charm that the profiler could never attain. Convicted of the murder of one teenage girl, Hill and Jordan know in their bones Vance has many more bodies on his resume, including a colleague, and that he'll stop at nothing to get whatever it is he wants. He simply doesn't see anything wrong in what he does. Given Hill and Jordan played a big part in putting him behind bars more than a decade ago, his escape casts a long and sinister shadow over their lives. Meanwhile, Jordan's team is investigating another serial killer who is on the loose in Bradfield, killing prostitutes.

The twin investigations in THE RETRIBUTION make for an intriguing read. Vance is such a fascinating antagonist that we can be left wanting more of his scenes, but at the same time by drip-feeding them to us while Jordan's team is allowed to shine chasing another killer, McDermid creates an interesting tension. I found the book quite propulsive overall, and McDermid has crafted another pulse-pounding storyline that generates a visceral not just cerebral reaction, but for me her writing shines brightest in the emotional turmoil of her characters' relationships. She takes Hill and Jordan to some places that may dismay some long-time fans, who perhaps feel an ownership over their favourites (as you often see with TV viewers being upset where the writers take 'their' characters in later series), but for me things worked pretty well overall.

A slick, pacy read that provides plenty of entertainment, featuring one of the better villains in British crime fiction, and leaving the future of many characters completely up in the air, professionally and personally.

This book was originally reviewed for Crime Watch: www.kiwicrime.blogspot.com

Retribution-1. Something justly deserved; recompense.
2. Something given or demanded in repayment, especially punishment.

Jacko Vance, a serial killer of seventeen teenage girls, and a police officer, has escaped from prison where he was sentenced to life. He was once a British Television Presenter and an almost Olympian athlete. He may be the most diabolical and ruthless killer that Val McDermid has introduced to her many readers. Jacko was introduced in the second book by DCI Carol Jordan, leader of the MIT, or 'minorities integration team'. She is stationed in northeast England in the city of Bradfield. She also introduced us to Tony Hill, a psychological profiler, who has appeared along with DCI Jordan in the past six books, Val McDermid is one of the more inventive and exciting mystery thriller writers from the UK. Her name excites visions of her readers sitting for long periods of time, red sleepless eyes, and extended periods of tachycardia.

We begin with Jacko Vance and his years in prison planning his escape. He has assistance from the outside, millions of dollars placed in off shore accounts, and people who believe he is innocent. He also has inside help from other prisoners who will do anything for money. His plans are so efficient, timely and well thought out that I found myself fascinated and entranced with his character. He tells his story from his personna, and we get to examine his thought process. He is a charmer and is able to convince almost any woman what he wants them to believe about him. Tony Hill knows him all too well, he and DCI Jordan were the essential law enforcement officers to put him in prison. Now he has escaped and they may be at the top of his list for Retribution.

At the same time, DCI Jordan, finds her department is about to be dismantled due to budgetary effects. She and her group have solved every serial murder case and other cases brought her way, and her boss feels she is too expensive. Well, she has shown him up in every case, that may be the real problem. DCI Jordan has found a new position in a city near-by. Tony Hill has also decided to move with her. They have a very complex relationship, loving friends, impotence by Tony is mentioned, and we wonder if the sexual failure has become the real problem for them. Whatever, they work well together, and seem to solve most of the cases that come their way. As one of DCI Jordan last cases comes a serial killer who is murdering prostitutes and leaving a tattoo on their wrists. Jordan and her team are on it. Simultaneously trying to hunt down Jacko before he kills again.

Val McDermid keeps the novel moving quite adeptly between both cases. She has the ability to convey such caring of her characters that we become very fond of them. We like the entire MIT team, and we dislike the villans and the upper echelons of police who try to hinder investigations so they won't show up as fools. It is the relationship between Carol and Tony that we most care about. They are both damaged souls from their past and their work. We think they belong together, but at the same time, wonder if they are too damaged to have a true relationship with anyone.

The ending left me feeling a little 'verklempt'. I am not sure where this series is going, but we do know that much is left unresolved, which opens the door for at least one more book with DCI Carol Jordan and Tony Hill.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 10-28-11

Fever of the Bone: A Novel

The Mermaids Singing (Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Mysteries)

In her twenty-fifth novel, Val McDermid brings back Jacko Vance, introduced to readers in "The Wire in the Blood," and to television viewers in its wonderful series adaptation. As the book opens, this truly malevolent serial killer, whose resume includes "killer of seventeen teenage girls, murderer of a serving police officer, and a man once voted the sexiest man on British TV" as well as an Olympic athlete and an outwardly charming and charismatic man, has served over 12 years in prison, owing mostly to the efforts of DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Tony Hill. Vance has spent most of that time meticulously planning his escape, as well as his future after its successful completion: the revenge suggested by the books title, directed toward those who had caused his imprisonment, first among them Jordan and Hill, as well as his ex-wife whose betrayal he sees as making her equally culpable. Of course, his plan for vengeance merely begins there.

Carol Jordan, as yet unaware of what is about to happen, is dealing with a shake-up at the Bradfield Metropolitan Police, where the powers that be are disbanding her Major Incident Team. In an attempt to go out in a `blaze of glory,' they are faced with finding a killer who has been killing street prostitutes in gruesome ways, and branding them with a distinctive tattoo on the wrist of each. Suddenly, Jordan's priorities change with Vance's escape, and its implications. Tony's priorities as well must be divided between these investigations.

The relationship between Jordan and Hill has always been difficult to define, becoming more so all the time. They are not quite lovers, although they share space, and different flats, in Tony's house. But their emotional entanglement has always been obvious to all, even if they themselves do not admit to one. That relationship, both professionally and personally, is about to be threatened now as never before.

The author goes into Tony's background, and the emotional and psychological paths that have shaped him, and caused him to work at "passing for human," as never before. He tells a colleague "I won't deny that the people who do this kind of thing fascinate me. The more disturbed they are, the more I want to figure out what makes them tick." It is his empathy and his oft-times brilliant insights that have made him so successful. But this is a challenge unlike any he has ever faced.

The pace steadily accelerates along with a sense of dread as Vance begins to carry out his plans, and the resultant page-turner is as good as anything this acclaimed author has written. Highly recommended.

One of the best serial killers in this series escapes from jail and starts a new killing spree. This time, however, it is aimed at everyone who helped put him away. This is Jocko Vance, former UK tv star, who was also killing teenage girls who were besotted by his tv persona. The way he manages to escape is fascinating because it is all based on a series of decisions made by the prisons and the courts about how to handle his "rehab" as a criminal (snort). Ordinarily I am not pro death penalty. However, I can certainly appreciate how Florida did not want to take any chances with serial murderers so executes them as soon as it gets the green light. It handled Ted Bundy like this and his reign of terror was over. I guess I would have to agree that for this kind of killer, someone who wants to endlessly kill people for his own perverse enjoyment, the death penalty should be in place.

The two chief people he wants to destroy are DCI Carol Jordan and psychologist and criminal profiler Tony Hill. He is inventive in hurting them though because he goes after the people and things closest to their hearts. He does not want to murder them. He wants to murder in a swathe around them. It is very ingenious.

Incredibly, McDermid also has a second set of serial murders going on in this book. That is her only serious misstep. She had enough of a strong antagonist with Jacko Vance in her story. Serial killings of prostitutes felt very ho hum by comparison.

Another very good Jordan and Hill police serial murderer book by a master of the genre.

Visit my blog with link given on my profile page here or use this phonetically given URL (livingasseniors dot blogspot dot com). Friday's entry will always be weekend entertainment recs from my 5 star the store reviews in film, tv, books and music. These are very heavy on buried treasures and hidden gems. My blogspot is published on Monday, Wednesday & Friday.

I've read more of Val McDermids Kate Brannigan series than this series featuring Tony Hill and Carol Jordan but I have also watched a dozen episodes of Wire in The Blood which is based on the pair and it is the book of the same name that first introduces the terrifying killer who is seeking revenge in The Retribution.
Jacko Vance, celebrity and hero was incarcerated for just a single murder of a teenage girl despite the police being convinced he was responsible for at least seventeen, as well as the brutal killing of a colleague who got too close. For the last ten years Jacko has focused his considerable resources of intelligence, patience and money, towards escaping jail and making everyone responsible pay before fleeing the country. His escape leaves clinical psychologist, Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, who have just managed to find some sort of equilibrium in their difficult lives, reeling, especially when it becomes obvious Vance isn't targeting them directly, but the ones they love.
The Retribution is a gritty crime novel that delves into the darkness of human nature. While the main plot involves the sadistic behaviour of Vance and the desperate desire to recapture him, DCI Jordan's team is also searching for a serial killer murdering young street prostitutes - a last case before the Major Incident Team is disbanded due to budget cuts. McDermid doesn't spare us the details of the depravity committed by these two very different killers but it is the psychological tension that is so engrossing.
The murdered prostitutes are slow to be linked, changes in the method used by the killer confusing the team until the manner of deaths are attributed to a cancelled television show.
Vance is playing a cat and mouse game with Carol, Tony and Vance's ex wife, wounding them in ways certain to inflict psychological suffering. That his brilliant plan is eventually thwarted can be no surprise, but exactly who takes down Vance and how is a twist you won't see coming.
McDermid's protagonists, Hill and Jordan, are almost as tortured and flawed as the criminals they hunt. Their relationship is complicated, both carry unimaginable burdens that they have struggled to share. Vance shatters their fragile connection and for fans of the series this might be a blow.
Though the seventh of the series, The Retribution can be read as a stand alone but readers would benefit from having gotten to know the characters in previous books. The Retribution is a page turning psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns by Scottish author, Val McDermid.

Tony Hill, eccentric profiler, has finally settled into a comfortable relationship with Chief Inspector, Carol Jordan when the unthinkable happens, the serial killer (Jacko Vance) has escaped from prison. Bent on vengeance and retribution, Vance has set out on a path of deviance and destruction, no matter the risk. So, while faced with the dissolving of her prized unit due to budgetary constraints, Jordan (a survivor of sorts), must not only participate in an active murder investigation but try to stop Vance before he strikes close to home. Fueled with alcohol to help her cope (both personally and professionally), Jordan realizes that Vance is out to make her suffer, even if it destroys the only relationship that matters (the one between her and Tony). Hill, who is somewhat introverted and antisocial, has always had problems fitting in realizes that he may have miscalculated Vance's next move, leaving those he does love vulnerable and at risk. As Vance follows his carefully laid plans, Tony and the CID team try to stop another serial killer who is working in the city preying on the vulnerable....prostitutes. This new killer is leaving bodies all over the city tattooed with the word "mine" and he doesn't appear to be slowing down at all, but escalating. As matters spiral out of control and Vance seeks retribution, Tony and Carol will face issues that will rock them to their core.

This was my first McDermid novel and I am sure it will not be my last. I loved the quick and easy chapters and the storyline was easy to follow and understand. What I found to be the most exciting about the story were the characters, who while complex were relatable and endearing. And while I understand that this book was part of a series (by a British novelist), I did not feel lost or confused. I was able to pick up on the nuances and underlying stories that made this novel a great read. I would highly recommend this novel to those that love suspense and thrillers.

The Retribution is the seventh book in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid. I was a little skeptical about reading a novel this far along in the series but my fears were unwarranted. McDermid provided enough background information, that I quickly felt I was in the loop. The novel is a British crime thriller that involves Police profiler Tony Hill and Detective Captain Inspector Carol Jordon and her team.

There are two plots working side by side in this novel. The prominent plot surrounds the escape of serial killer Jacko Vance. Vance was captured and sent to jail by DCI Jordon and her team 12 years ago. He is a methodical serial killer, who has spent years plotting his revenge on Hill, Jordon and the team. When he escapes prison, he begins executing his plans for retribution. The second is a series of new murders. The team quickly discovers a serial killer. He kills and mutilates ladies of the night. His signature is a tattooed word on his victims- Mine. With very little clues, the team races to profile and capture this killer, while dealing with Vance's plans for revenge.

It is evident that the key characters Tony Hill and DCI Jordan are flawed, damaged souls. While the author provides backdrop to these characters, I think if I had read the series, I'd better appreciate what had driven them to where they are today. Professionally they have a proven track record, and while not always liked in the department, they are respected. Their personal lives are a mess. There is a complicated relationship between Hill and Jordon that seems to ebb and flow. It is not yet a physical romance, but an emotional one.

Overall I enjoyed The Retribution. I was pleased that the book's language was not altered for American publication. The tale was interesting but I am still up in the air about the dueling storylines. The author moved back and forth between telling Jacko Vance's story and those of the crime unit. This left the second plot to be sprinkled throughout. While I appreciate that this makes it more realistic, as a reader I would have liked more details into each case.

I want to thank netGalley and Grove/Atlantic, Inc. for providing me with this ARC, in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is my first introduction to McDermid but I will definitely be back. The author keeps you hanging as the novel twists and turns through the unlikely prison escape of a psychopathic killer, Jacko Vance, to the final closing pages which tear at the reader's sense of justice. The lead character, Tony Hill, is an interesting story in himself with his perverted childhood which, had he not been befriended at just the right moment by a kind cafeteria aid, might have turned him into as twisted a person as Vance. Hill's relationship with Carol Jordan, an exceptional policewoman has been rather tortured over time and is still rather mysterious. The escape of Vance and the revenge he takes on those he blames for putting him in prison, tears at the very fiber of Hill and Jordan's relationship and the core of who they are as individuals.

The author has managed to run parallel two compelling and equally twisted murder plots which involve both Hill and Jordan and Jordan's team. While the book runs between the two it never confuses them nor does it veer from the compelling human drama each of these plots contains. The end makes you turn the page thinking there must be more, that it just can't end this way. There isn't and it does. The humanness of the characters draws in the reader and makes you want to "fix" all of the things which go wrong for the victims and for the two main characters. This is a murder mystery which has it all. Definitely a book worth reading. And an author worth looking into further.

Val McDermid is the mother of the British serial killer novel. These are not American serial killers with the typical plot, Mr. Big Handsome and Damaged Sherriff/Police Officer driving around in fast cars to save the heroine at the last minute with everyone scarred, but deeper for their experience. Not even close.

Val McDermid can write and has a bountiful imagination. She writes fully fleshed characters, including evildoers who do evil that you wouldn't imagine in your wildest nightmares. Her stand-alones are excellent, as are her series, my favorite of which are the Tony and Carol Jordan books. Beginning with The Mermaids Singing, there are seven in the series. My favorite is The Wire in the Blood (which is also a pretty good British TV series), but they're all excellent.

These books will shock you to your core, will keep you up reading late, and might give you nightmares.

The Retribution is the latest in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series and it is well worth the read. Everything between everyone in the series has gained a deep level of complexity and the return of one of McDermid's scariest villains - Jacko Vance - makes for a whopping good read. If you haven't read the series and you love this kind of fiction, I highly recommend you start at the beginning and work your way through - you won't regret it. If you're already a fan, this one won't disappoint.

As a sidenote for anyone interested in reading LGBT books, Ms. McDermid is an out lesbian and treats things like sexual preference as normal within the working environment. Shocking, no? It just makes me love her more.

In The Retribution , Jacko Vance, who had murdered 17 teenaged girls in an earlier book, has broken out of prison and is seeking retribution against the people who put him there. His main targets are psychologist and profiler Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, who led the police unit who captured Vance. Tony and Carol are two damaged souls who have a long-standing but troubled relationship.

At the same time that the team are trying to recapture Vance, they are investigating a string of prostitute murders. Each murder is different but the killer marks each victim with the word 'mine'.

Overall, although I am not a huge fan of thrillers, I enjoyed The Retribution. I have only two criticisms: I would have liked a little more story about the prostitute murders as it got somewhat shortchanged against the Vance narrative and, second, the end of both plots seemed a bit rushed and, in the case of Vance, it seemed to come, well, a little out of left field.

Still, I would highly recommend this book to fans of McDermid and to readers of mysteries and thrillers in general. Author McDermid is a real wordsmith and knows how to keep a plot moving while introducing new characters and storylines or reintroducing older ones. If you have never read any of the other books in the series (this is the seventh), don't worry, even though The Retribution revives an old villain, it can be read as a standalone.

Wow...Val McDermid's latest book, The Retribution, was literally a non-stop read for me. Picked it up in the morning and finished late that night.

Now, I don't know if you're familiar with this fantastic Scottish author, but if you love crime novels, she's an author you want to read. She has written three series, but my favourites are the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books. A television series - Wire in the Blood - is also based on these characters.

In The Retribution, Hill, a psychological profiler and Jordan, a Detective Inspector with the MIT - major incident team - are stunned to learn that Jacko Vance, a charismatic serial killer they imprisoned, has escaped. Jacko - "killer of seventeen teenage girls, murderer of a serving police officer and a man once voted the sexiest man on British TV", promised he would seek retribution against those who put him away. At the same time, the MIT is working to solve the gruesome murders of local prostitutes. All this while the higher ups have decided to dismantle the crack team Carol has put together, due to budget constraints.

These two characters have always fascinated me. Neither one of them completely 'fits' into society, especially Tony. "When he interviewed the psychopaths that became his patients, he heard so many echoes of his own empty childhood. It was, he thought, the reason he was so good at what he did. He understood them because he had come within a hair's breadth of being them." The tenuous building of the relationship between Carol and Tony has been building over the course of the series. We get to know more of what makes Tony tick in this offering. My opinion of Carol changes from book to book - still no final opinion. The MIT team is filled with interesting support characters with their own stories.

Vance is a diabolical character. We are privy to his plans and thoughts and they are truly disturbing. The second case involving the prostitutes was good but had a bit of a 'filler' feel to it. That being said, McDermid's plotlines are always ingenious, complex and gritty. I was caught a bit off guard by the ending of the book, but then again, I like it when an author can keep me on my toes.

Definitely recommended.

Criminal profiler Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan have been close friends for many years. However, for complex psychological reasons, their relationship has never blossomed into something more. In "The Retribution," romance is far from Hill and Jordan's minds when the vicious and sadistic serial killer, Jacko Vance, escapes from prison. He is not content to take his stash of money and relax on a beach in a remote Pacific isle. Instead, he has made careful plans to destroy those individuals who robbed him of his freedom.

Vance is one of the creepiest villains to slash his way through a police procedural and twelve years behind bars has done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for bloodshed. Unfortunately, he has the means and opportunity to carry out his evil plans, thanks to a helpful and gullible confederate. Jacko is smart, arrogant, charismatic, and a master of disguise. Although the police are on high alert and promise to protect Jacko's likely targets, are they clever enough to outwit this patient, organized, and unpredictable sociopath?

McDermid pulls out all the stops in this grisly novel. While Vance is on the loose, Carol Jordan and her team are on the trail of another murderous individual who targets prostitutes. All of this pressure, plus office politics and harassment from members of the press, drives Carol to drink a bit more than is good for her. "The Retribution" is not a feel-good book. McDermid peers into the heart of darkness, giving us an intimate and unsettling look into Jacko's warped mind.

It is to McDermid's credit that she does not sugarcoat unpleasant subjects. Hill and Jordan are flawed and deeply unhappy people; they are volatile and at times dysfunctional, thanks to the tragedies and losses they have endured. In addition, the author debunks the myth that the police always get their man; even skilled detectives make costly errors in judgment. The suspense is agonizing and builds to a crescendo during the final pages. If you pick up "The Retribution," be prepared for a macabre and perverse look at how bitter and cruel people wreak havoc on those unlucky enough to cross their paths.

The Retribution is the latest entry in the thriller series featuring Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. Dr. Hill is a clinical psychologist who also works as a police profiler, usually partnering with DCI Jordan. The doctor and the police officer have a challenging yet successful working relationship, and an awkward and tender personal one. Both are damaged by events in their respective pasts, and they have tentatively moved towards trust and reliance on each other.
At the start of the book, Dr. Hill and DCI Jordan are getting ready to move to a house he's inherited from a father he never knew. Dr. Hill has quit his job, and unhappy with a new supervisor, DCI Jordan has requested a transfer. Although unsure hat a joint future means for them, they are both looking forward to dropping some old baggage and making a fresh start in a quieter place.

The last case assigned to DCI Jordan is to find a serial killer of local prostitutes. Sad that her team is being split apart, and longing to leave on a high note, the Detective and her team eagerly take on the challenge. Almost simultaneously, a sly and cunning mass murderer named Jacko Vance escapes from prison; intent with getting revenge on everyone that had wronged him. As leaders of the team that caught Vance, Hill and Jordan are at the top of his list of those that must be made to suffer.

The two story lines proceed to unfold in a parallel, horrifying mix of finding the prostitute killer while Vance attacks DCI Jordan, Dr. Hill, and all that they hold dear in brutal and graphic ways. Grief and guilt tear at the couple, separating them from the rest of the team and each other. The story ends in a climax that is both surprising and disturbing, settling both cases but leaving the work and personal relationship of the doctor and police offer in disarray and ready for the next book.

As always, Val McDermid has written a suspenseful thriller that keeps the reader completely engaged from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book to fans of Val McDermid, the Tony Hill series, and mystery thrillers.

As usual, I loved this. The premise of this series is the tension between a cop, Carol Jordan, and her friend / unconsummated love interest, a criminal profiler, Tony Hill. Jordan battles extremely violent, psychopathic crime, the budget cutting tendencies of her own department, and her own demons and desires. The skill of McDermid lies in her capacity to write both an intriguing crime story and continue the tortured relationship of Hill and Jordan, and weave these both together. Hill also has a terrible childhood, and McDermid has been revealing his backstory piece by piece. In this new installment, Jordan is about to take a different job and move with Hill to a different police department, as her old department has cut the money for her crack crimesolving staff. As this happens, a serial murderer that Hill and Jordan have put behind bars escapes from prison and Hill and Jordan have to find him, solve a series of serial murderers going on in the old bailiwick, and deal with the continuing fallout from Hill's past. The story has McDermid's usual violence and what makes it great, her willingness to continue to leave Hill and Jordan in unresolved tension while still moving the reader toward the belief that Hill and Jordan can somehow make their crazy relationship work. Harrowing things happen to them in this installment in a way that ends the story with a very uncertain conclusion that makes me on edge to read the next installment already! McDermid continues her superb story telling and her realistic portrayal of two very damaged individuals who, as a result of this story, become even more damaged. Highly, highly recommended.

The show was much better than the book series. McDermid thinks she has to write about nonverbal communication endlessly, for one. Her earlier books in the series mention "throwing down the gauntlet" frequently. Even now, the characters often grin instead of talk.

Then this one ... my word. Does McDermid want to show off how brutal her plots can be? It seems that she wants to kill characters for no reason whatsoever, not to mention having other characters experience unendurable pain. The character of Carol Jordan has lost all my sympathy. She's an alcoholic who refuses to admit she has a problem; she blames her closest friend for the fact that her life has fallen apart; she's a sad, soppy, mess. I can't find anything to relate to in this Carol. Tony is absolutely devoted to her still, which begs the question: Why? Why on earth would he want to have this horrible, toxic woman in his life?

As for the Jacko plot, I agree wholeheartedly with another reviewer who pointed out that he could not possibly have wreaked all that havoc. He would have had to enlist the help of a small army to get so much revenge in such a short time - and he didn't. One man could not have caused so much destruction, especially with the entire country on the lookout for him.

McDermid writes a nice lesbian relationship, but I think she's incapable of writing a heterosexual relationship that doesn't involve immense pain, game-playing, and enormous personal issues. She needs to either (to be crude) take a dump or get off the pot, as far as Tony and Carol are concerned. This "Tee-hee, I'm going to bring them together, then break them apart" approach is tiresome.

The TV series, with Robson Green bringing Tony Hill to vivid life, is fascinating, and written much better than the books. I've read fanfics that are written better. Ms. McDermid, please try thinking outside this narrow box you've created.

Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan and profiler Tony Hill are preparing to move to the house Tony inherited from his biological father in West Mercia. A serial killer of prostitutes gives Carol and her team an opportunity to handle one last special one before her budget-conscious superior disbands the squad.

Tony offers to help for free, but Carol turns him down, insisting the "labourer is worthy of his hire." At the urging of another team member, he begins taking a clandestine peak at the case anyway.

Carol, Tony and all those close to them are suddenly vulnerable to an increasing spate of violence when Jacko Vance (remember him from The Wire in the Blood?), ex-celebrity and sociopath they've brought to justice, escapes jail, bent on vengeance. And a misreading of Jacko's plans causes a major rift in the tenuous relationship between Jordan and Hill.

Be prepared for nail-biting tension as Val McDermid once more demonstrates her skill at the psychological thriller.

I have read several Val McDermid books but this is my first Tony Hill/Carol Jordan one. I am telling you this so if this is your first one, you'll know it's OK. You won't get lost in the story as the author does an excellent job of catching you up and you have no trouble in getting involved in the story. And what a story it is. Escaped serial sadist murderer, Jacko Vance, decided he is going to even the score with those who put him into prison. Along with his ex-wife, Jordan and Hill are his major targets. They're trying to find him before he finds them.
Hill's department is being disbanded due to budgetary reasons so when a murderer who strikes prostitutes, the unit decides to solve it so they can go out with a bang. With two separate serial murderer cases going on at the same time, the detectives are stretched thin. As Jacko starts carrying out his revenge, things go badly for Hill and Jordan and breaks occur in their relationship. Without each other to lean on, they start making poor decisions. I literally couldn't put it down. There were so many twists and turns, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I can't imagine a better recommendation.

Webster Dictionary defines "retribution" as a recompense, a literal payback, the dispensing or receiving of reward or punishment. I had hoped that this seventh installment in Val McDermid's series about hardboiled DCI Carol Jordan and eccentric psychological profiler Tony Hill would be a reward but it was a punishment.

Here's what's going on: (1) One-armed serial killer Jacko Vance, once voted the sexist man on British TV, has been incarcerated for twelve years. He was convicted by Jordan's crack squad (with Tony's help) of murdering a teenage girl although he killed 17 girls and a police officer. He has escaped from a maximum security prison by charming the female prison psychologist. (2) Two sex sellers in a red-light district called Temple Fields are murdered, one suffocated, the other drowned in a bathtub and dumped into a canal. A third prostitute is found dead in an inverted crucifixion position. The fourth victim is dismembered and left in a cardboard box behind a freezer food store.

West Mercia station in northern England is assigned the Vance manhunt, and Jordan's squad at Bradfield, the prostitute murders. A lot to investigate: six murders, two arsons, a sulfuric acid bomb in a cat feeder, two dead horses, and a 1996 US television series called Maze Man that never made it to dvd. McDermid gives a lengthy, very lengthy, rehash of Jacko Vance's former life of crime although she had previously devoted an earlier novel to him...The Wire in the Blood. The rehash and some personal revelations cloud the scene and postpone the reveals until the last pages...very rushed endings for both cases but a nice twist and ironic one for the manhunt.

Hill and Jordan have always been more successful in solving crime than examining the nature of their great friendship, but McDermid muddies the water here with stark revelations. Carol Jordan is exposed as a closet alcoholic, downing mini-bar bottles of vodka from her squad-room filing cabinet. Tony Hills admits to being impotent and taking Viagra but manages to text a message to Carol using the "L" word.

Although McDermid's faithful readers from The Mermaids Singing on will be distressed, maybe it's time to say goodbye. After all, Robson Green who stars as Hill and produces Wire in the Blood, a British television series based on McDermid's characters, disposed of Jordan after the second season.

I always like Val McDermid's crime thrillers - they are well plotted, good characters, great atmosphere and in her Hill /Jordan series a solid back story builds up empathy for the police detective team faced with unravelling the twisted meanderings of a murderer's mind. With two serial killers on the loose things get hectic in Bradfield nick - especially when they work out that one of the killers is gunning for the team that originally put him in jail.

In this book I felt the key baddy was a trifle over-painted - Jacko Vance (who appeared first in `Wire in the Blood') is an unlikely criminal cross between Hannibal Lecter, Richard Madeley, Jeffrey Archer, and Oscar Pistorius - but once you take that on board the story romps along very well. VM's positions on same sex relationships are once again made very clear (and why not?) but she sometimes seems to stereotype most straight men are either bastards or emotionally damaged. If they're decent blokes they are usually victims and dead!

Anyway, those caveats aside, it's a good read, all power to her pen, and I look forward to her next instalment.

A friend recommended Val McDermid's books to me several years ago, and I've enjoyed some of her stand-alone thrillers as well as the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series. "The Retribution" is the seventh installment in this series, featuring the mismatched pair of Hill and Jordan. Tony Hill is the bumbling, asperger-esque yet extremely intelligent psychology professor befriended by capable, no-nonsense police inspector Carol Jordan. Jordan uses Hill's understanding of criminal psychology and the human psyche to profile criminals and help direct her investigations. Hill and Jordan have solved many bizarre and gory cases in the past, and "The Retribution" refers back to Jacko Vance, the psychopath that Hill and Jordan captured in "The Wire in the Blood." As the book begins, Vance is in prison and after years of careful planning and preparation, he manages to break out of his prison by switching places with another prisoner who is about to begin a work-release program. Vance plans to leave Britain but in best sociopath fashion first wants to exact revenge on the people who put him away.

The suspense and tension in "The Retribution" thus comes from the certainty that Vance is out there and at some point, in some unknown way, will come after Carol Jordan and Tony Hill. A second plot line concerns the multiple murders of prostitutes, probably at the hands of another serial killer. Jordan is asked to investigate, the last case her task force will handle before the team is broken up and scattered to different offices due to budget cuts.

It would be a shame to give away any of the twisting plot developments, but suffice it to say that the book was gripping, combining the suspense of both the search for Vance and the investigation of the serial killings. McDermid does a great job with dialogue and pacing, and she continues to flesh out the characters of Jordan and Hill (and their co-workers) so that we feel we are right there in the thick of things with them. The ending is excellent and most unexpected. It will be fascinating to see what McDermid does next with Hill and Jordan, as the events of "The Retribution" will inevitably and profoundly change their relationship. Don't start this one unless you have the time to let everything else go and devour it in one or two sittings.

After a couple of disappointing stand-alone novels (A Darker Domain and Trick of the Dark) I am pleased to say Val McDermid is back in fine form with her latest Tony Hill/Carol Jordon story, which I would rate at 4½ stars. Although this book could be enjoyed without reading the earlier ones, I would definitely recommend starting at the beginning of the series to better understand the development of the characters and incidents which are briefly referenced in The Retribution. And for me, after watching Wire in the Blood, Robson Greene will always be Dr. Tony Hill!

This book reintroduces Jacko Vance, an escaped multi-murderer, who seeks revenge on Jordan and Hill who were responsible for his incarceration. The side-running story is about the team looking for a murderer of prostitutes. McDermid weaves the 2 investigations together well, so the novel is not solely focussed on Vance's revenge.

At times tense, gruesome, surprising, and disturbing, this is a page-turner. The ending leaves the promise of at least one more story in this series. If McDermid keeps up this standard, it should be a good one.

This novel has British police chasing two psychotic criminals. One is an escaped serial killer and the other is a serial killer who has not yet been caught. Both story lines are well written and have a high level of gory details.

I have enjoyed many of the author's 25 books, but this was not my favorite. Although the plot was great, the overall tone was depressing. The main characters in this and several other of Ms. McDermid's books, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, seem to be getting more depressed with each volume. This is a good book and I certainly recommend it, but if you have not read any other books by the author I recommend you start with an earlier novel and that you read the Hill-Jordan books in order to better understand the characters.

Val McDermid can creep me out like crazy, and with The Retribution she returns to her scariest creation ever -- Jacko Vance, the serial killer/torturer/rapist of teenaged girls, who also killed a police officer in The Last Temptation, McDermid's second book in the series. She also returns here to the things she does best, really exploring the relationship between Dr. Hill and Carol Jordan, especially the former, whose childhood we get a good long look at. The format is the same as the first books -- a major case the cops are working, interspersed with a "minor" one, although here the minor case is the type that would have been the big one in the earlier books. Someone is killing prostitutes in varying horrible manners and the police need Tony Hill to profile the killer and get into his head. But even more they need him to point to where Jacko Vance, who has escaped from prison, will go and what he will do next.

My quibble with the book has to do with a few logic flaws, but saying what they are would involve spoilers. Let's just say that each of the killers here in the end doesn't behave consistently, and it's frustrating because McDermid normally takes you right into the twisted world of the people who commit horrid crimes. Nevertheless, the book is still a page-turner, and McDermid's writing has improved since earlier books.

If you are new to the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series I would recommend starting at the beginning with The Mermaids Singing, although The Retribution can stand all by itself.

McDermid is a master at making you look to check whether your alarm is set, and Dr. Hill and Carol Jordan are two of the best characters ever to grace a mystery novel's pages. If it's not McDermid's absolute best, it's still McDermid. Love her and am glad she's back with another in the series.

THE RETRIBUTION is the first Tony Hill/Carol Jordan book I have read although I watched all the episodes of the series "Wire In The Blood". THE RETRIBUTION is a sequel of sorts to the second book in the series in which Tony,psychologist, and Carol, homicide detective , combined to put Jacko Vance in prison for the murder of teenage girls.

Over the course of his ten years in prison, Vance has used his celebrity, his money, his understanding of human weakness, and his intelligence to form a perfect plan to escape. Vance's wealth was hidden in a manner that made it impossible for the authorities to gain control of it. He could disappear into any corner of the world. But Vance wants revenge on Tony and Carol and, since neither are married or have children, he will go after people who are important to them but are not involved in their professional lives.

Tony and Carol find Jacko's threats a distraction from the work they are paid to do. Prostitutes are being murdered. The first victims were women who worked the streets but the killer is now tracking victims into their homes. He leaves his mark on their bodies, signing them as his property.

Added to these problems is the decision to relocate Carol and her unit out of Bradfield. The police have found Tony an expensive independent contractor despite his success in increasing their solve rate.

The story is ultimately about family, those that are supportive and strong and those that are dysfunctional and harmful. Val McDermid writes very good books.

In the most recent of the Tony Hill novels, McDermid again takes us into the dark recesses of the psychotic mind of not one but two criminals. One is a throwback to earlier work that Dr. Hill, a
law enforcement profiler, assisted Detective Inspector Carol Jordan with, the imprisoning of Jacko Vance. On the eve of D.I. Jordan's transfer, the investigative team having broken up and reassigned, news comes that Vance has escaped from jail. Not only was there a murderer on the loose but he was looking for retribution on all and sundry who helped put him away.
While aiding in his capture and ducking his advances against them, family and their friends, Jordan's team is asked to assist in solving what appears to be a serial killer that is attacking hookers, the regular street girls. Three have died so far and Hill has to try to get inside of the murderer's head before the fourth one is found, bearing the tattoo, MINE, on one of their wrists. The deaths have all been so dissimilar in patterns: a drowning, crucifixion,and dismemberment, that without the tattoo they may never have been linked. When Hill finds the common link, the murder team heads in to arrest the suspect, but will they be too late.
Meanwhile Vance is playing havoc at his ex-wife's home and is off on his own killing spree as Jordan and Hill stay close on his heels. When the deaths hit home, Jordan snaps, blaming Hill, and the eggshell membrane of their potential relationship is ripped, possibly beyond repair. Never before have I found two such unlikable protagonists as the uptight Jordan and the needy, clinging mess that Hill has become, actually mesh so finely that throughout all the flaws of their stuttering lives, the story still flows well.
Hats off to McDermid. Her storytelling ability is outstanding and "Retribution" is a top-drawer tale.

I read the reviews before i purchased Retribution and thought perhaps I'll be disappointed. I mean how long can writers continue writing good novels after doing it for a long time. Take for example Anne Rice. But I don't think this is the case for Val Mcdermid.
Would I consider this book to be one of her best? Not necessarily. It is a bad story? Not necessarily again.
I read this one in two sittings. Like her previous book Fever of the Bone, I just couldn't put it down.
I'll admit that towards the end of the story, it does get anticlimactic. It really was a letdown how this dangerous and astute killer eventually came to his end. I'm not going to say how since I'll be definitely spoiling it for some who haven't read the book.
The ending wasn't too abrupt for me. I actually found it to be a good cliffhanger.

If you're a fan of mystery horror stories then this is the book for you. It is worthwhile to uhhh "kill" your curiosity at least.

Val Mcdermid is a good writer and I feel there's still more to the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan saga.

Psychologist Tony Hill and Detective Carol Jordan have had a long, dysfunctional relationship but join together again when Jacko Vance, a psychopath and serial killer, escapes from prison. He was a celebrity and hero prior to his incarceration. He is highly intelligent and has spent his time in prison planning his retribution against those he feels are responsible for his imprisonment. Tony and Carol head his list. At the same time, there have been a series of murders of prostitutes occurring. Each one is murdered in a different way but the murderer leaves the word "mine" on each of them.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this book. It was interesting to see when and where Jacko was going to strike next. He was always one step ahead of those hunting him. The prostitution murders could have been developed more, and in fact could have been developed into a great book on its own. I almost enjoyed that part more than the story of Jacko, although it seemed rushed and held too small a part in this book. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

I have read and enjoyed many of McDermid's novels, and came to her Carol Jordan and Tony Hill novels after watching the British crime drama, The Wire in the Blood series. The latest title in the novel is The Retribution, which I am sad to say I found rather underwhelming and also frustrating.

Firstly, I think the author has tested readers' patience enough with the romantic aspect of the story, i.e. the relationship between Carol and Tony. There's always an element of sexual tension, but readers are frequently left dangling without a satisfactory conclusion to this romance. Well, here, I felt that both Tony and Carol seemed off kilter and out of character. I almost shouted out loud, "Enough already!"

As for the plot, the devious serial killer Jacko Vance from an earlier McDermid novel has escaped from prison and is determined to get revenge on those who helped incarcerate him, including of course, our erstwhile pair. To make matters worse, Carol has her hands full in tracking down another serial killer in Bradfield, who targets prostitutes.

I think McDermid overstretched herself in terms of the two different story arcs, resulting in a lack of in-depth exploration of these stories and their characters. I think the novel would have fared better if the central focus had been on Vance alone, and certainly the revenge element kept me wondering what would happen to Carol and Tony.

This novel seems choppy and left me wanting, and yearning for the high quality of writing found in earlier McDermid novels.

A world-class thriller written by a world-class thriller writer. I love the Wire in the Blood t.v. series and jumped at the opportunity to pick up this e-book when it was offered for free. It is one of the best stories I have read in years. I found it impossible to put down once I began reading. Totally captivating. What a pleasure to find that the book is even better than the t.v. series. I look forward to reading more books by Val McDermid. Oh, and as an added treat, there was not one typo in the entire book. Amazing!

This another exciting Tony Hill and Carol Jordan mystery. IT Was masterful and exciting as usual. Tony and Carol are still not lovers this is somewhat disappointing. But we hope that changes soon. The ending has them at odds. Hope the next one will bring them back together.

In her twenty-fifth novel, Val McDermid brings back Jacko Vance, introduced to readers in "The Wire in the Blood," and to television viewers in its wonderful series adaptation. As the book opens, this truly malevolent serial killer, whose resume includes "killer of seventeen teenage girls, murderer of a serving police officer, and a man once voted the sexiest man on British TV" as well as an Olympic athlete and an outwardly charming and charismatic man, has served over 12 years in prison, owing mostly to the efforts of DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Tony Hill. Vance has spent most of that time meticulously planning his escape, as well as his future after its successful completion: the revenge suggested by the books title, directed toward those who had caused his imprisonment, first among them Jordan and Hill, as well as his ex-wife whose betrayal he sees as making her equally culpable. Of course, his plan for vengeance merely begins there.

Carol Jordan, as yet unaware of what is about to happen, is dealing with a shake-up at the Bradfield Metropolitan Police, where the powers that be are disbanding her Major Incident Team. In an attempt to go out in a `blaze of glory,' they are faced with finding a killer who has been killing street prostitutes in gruesome ways, and branding them with a distinctive tattoo on the wrist of each. Suddenly, Jordan's priorities change with Vance's escape, and its implications. Tony's priorities as well must be divided between these investigations.

The relationship between Jordan and Hill has always been difficult to define, becoming more so all the time. They are not quite lovers, although they share space, and different flats, in Tony's house. But their emotional entanglement has always been obvious to all, even if they themselves do not admit to one. That relationship, both professionally and personally, is about to be threatened now as never before.

The author goes into Tony's background, and the emotional and psychological paths that have shaped him, and caused him to work at "passing for human," as never before. He tells a colleague "I won't deny that the people who do this kind of thing fascinate me. The more disturbed they are, the more I want to figure out what makes them tick." It is his empathy and his oft-times brilliant insights that have made him so successful. But this is a challenge unlike any he has ever faced.

The pace steadily accelerates along with a sense of dread as Vance begins to carry out his plans, and the resultant page-turner is as good as anything this acclaimed author has written. Highly recommended.

A world-class thriller written by a world-class thriller writer. I love the Wire in the Blood t.v. series and jumped at the opportunity to pick up this e-book when it was offered for free. It is one of the best stories I have read in years. I found it impossible to put down once I began reading. Totally captivating. What a pleasure to find that the book is even better than the t.v. series. I look forward to reading more books by Val McDermid. Oh, and as an added treat, there was not one typo in the entire book. Amazing!

This another exciting Tony Hill and Carol Jordan mystery. IT Was masterful and exciting as usual. Tony and Carol are still not lovers this is somewhat disappointing. But we hope that changes soon. The ending has them at odds. Hope the next one will bring them back together.

Jacko Vance is a brutal psychopath who murdered seventeen girls and a police officer years earlier, and forensic profiler Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan helped put him away. Facing a lifetime behind bars with no chance of parole, Vance promised himself he would escape. Now he has made good on his word and is looking to take his revenge on Hill and Jordan. Factor in the inevitable screw-ups, a crime reporter determined to get a scoop, and senior officers more interested in departmental budgets and public image than in keeping the streets safe, and you have a lethal mix.

The Retribution is a taut, superbly textured novel, as good or better than any crime thriller since Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs. McDermid has produced an exquisite blend of pure thriller and an evocative tale of the nuanced relationship between Hill and Jordan, who cannot put to rest the differences - and attractions - between them, even when their lives are on the line. The characterizations are spot on, the dialogue is frighteningly believable, and the suspense will satisfy even the most jaded thriller fan. A riveting tale by a master of the genre.

--Jim Napier, Professional crime fiction reviewer and creator of the award-winning website [...]

The Retribution
By Val McDermid

A copy of this book was received from the the store Vine Program.

This is the seventh installment of the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series written by Val McDermid. The combination of the psychology professor and police inspection is a strange pairing but together they have formed an unusual friendship as well as a successful crime solving relationship that is exciting to read.

The serial killer Jacko Vance, a psychopath, who they had sent away to prison ten years ago (in a previous book), through careful and meticulous planning has made his escape from prison by swapping places with another prisoner who is about to begin a work-release program.

Now he wants his "retribution"...and begins immediately to wreak havoc on everyone who had a hand in putting him behind bars. Vance's way of seeking revenge has also a sarcastic twist.

Another interesting part of the book is that we also follow the crime solving of an additional serial killer who is murdering prostitutes. Just like in life, the team is working on more than one case at a time.

McDermid is a superb writer who uses suspense and tension to keep the reader fully engrossed throughout the fast paced action of this book but at the same time continues to show the continued development of her characters in this series.

I recommend The Retribution to fellow readers who like a fast paced ride with lots of action. Keep an eye out for the next in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series...I believe you will not be disappointed.

I've read The Retribution around three times now and gained something each time. That, I think, demonstrates how rich and engaging the plot is. As always, McDermid has done her psychological research thoroughly and that, coupled with a careering ride makes it well worth reading.

There is a completely unexpected ending, both in terms of the resolution of the serial crimes sprees and in terms of the dynamics between the main protagonists, just as there is, for example, in The Eighth Circle of Hell

I thoroughly enjoy this murder mystery. It was a page turner for me, just couldn't put it down after I really got started on it. Wasn't too crazy about the ending but it is book 7 of a series and they might all end similarly. I highly recommend it.

Having watched the "Wire in the Blood" series with Robson Green, I began reading the Tony Hill/Carol Jordon novels upon which it was based. I don't know that I would have bothered with these novels had I not seen Robson Green and Hermione Norris flesh them out. While Val McDermid is a clunky, cliche-ridden, talentless writer, she usually has interesting plot lines and the dribs and drabs of the progression of the relationship between Tony and Carol is what I slog through these books for. The novels in this series are generally pretty gruesome, and it is often a nauseating read. But this one, "Redemption," was really phoned in. The plot is a rehash of an earlier novel, while a second sub-plot of a serial killer is not complex at all. Finding the perpetrator in the sub-plot was all done by searching the internet! I was not horrified by the violence nor disgusted by the psychotic turnings of the killer whose mind we are allowed access to. The pacing was terrible and I was completely bored even 120 pages into this 400 page novel. I kept hoping, and waiting, for something to happen.

Well, nothing really unexpected occurred until the very end, and then it is telegraphed in advance, so even that's not a surprise. And as Tony says at the end of the book, the resolution is completely ridiculous.

I was really hoping for more from this book. The previous novel in this series actually had a plot that didn't make me cringe all the way through, and it was good to see Tony Hill finally finding some peace of mind and Carol not breaking his balls for once. But McDermid doesn't know how to advance the relationship of these characters. It's a definite pattern. Tony and Carol drop their defenses, then something terrible happens. Carol blames it on Tony or doesn't feel she can come to Tony for comfort, Tony feels terrible about it, and Carol leaves him cold. So to make up for the fact that the previous novel was actually rather fun to read, despite the awful prose, we get this monstrosity where by the end, the pattern is repeated once again. And the reason Carol tells Tony she's had it with him is so completely ludicrous, it's hard for anyone to credit.

Having read enough of these things, I can firmly say that Tony Hill is a much more sympathetic and human character than any of the other characters who are supposedly "normal." It is extremely tiresome to keep retreading the same tropes about them. How about a little growth? How long is Val McDermid going to continue writing the same novel over and over again? It is possible to allow characters who have danced around romance to come together without killing the series. For heaven's sake, Tony and Carol's interactions in these books often are no more than a few pages, usually of her slagging him off!

I'm afraid McDermid's lack of courage staggers me. Silly me for being optimistic enough to think that eventually she will do right by them. But I guess it's easier to keep the status quo.

Val McDermid outdid herself this time. She pushed the limits in an excellent way. It seems as if she took the highly intelligent, psychopathic killer and imagined just what he would do, how far he would go, to wreak his revenge/retribution on the people who had imprisoned him. I won't go into details because I don't want to give anything away, so this is a short review. Suffice it to say, if you like McDermid and/or the serial killer genre, this book is a real treat.

Jacko Vance first introduced in the 2nd Tony Hill & Carol Jordan mystery escapes from prison bent on wreaking revenge on Tony, Carol, and others he holds responsible for his years in prison. Jacko is as evil a villain as you're likely to encounter in mystery literature.

Val McDermid is in top form in this 7th book in the Tony Hill series. She delves deeply into the portrayal of her characters and this book brings them to a pivotal turning point which will leave all who read it waiting anxiously for the next.

Val McDermid's "The Retribution" is the seventh in her series featuring psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. Change is in the air for the two. Both of them are preparing to move to the house Tony inherited from his father -- Carol will have her own apartment, of course -- and Carol is preparing to take the DCI's position in West Mercia, largely because the unit she currently heads in Bradfield is being disbanded. Hill has cautious hopes that the move to his new house will also lead to a positive move in his relationship with Jordan.

Carol's unit is assigned one last case prior to its dissolution, that of a serial killer who is murdering prostitutes. She could use profiler Tony Hill's expertise on the case, but refuses to allow him to work for free and is certain departmental budgetary problems will not allow her to hire him as a consultant. In the mean time, both are highly distracted when Jacko Vance, a serial killer they were largely responsible for catching and imprisoning, escapes and sets about unique revenge on those responsible for his incarceration. The new serial killer takes second place to Jacko.

On the positive side, McDermid's Jacko Vance is a scary character, whose wealth, determination and difficult-to-predict behavior add interest and tension to the plot. His actions in this book have unexpected impacts that reach beyond Hill and Jordon. The serial killer who is plaguing prostitutes is provided with a motivation and a methodology that are somewhat different from those attributed to serial killers in most novels. The resolution of the Vance plot is clever and unexpected, as well as ironic. The lives of characters change, but not in the ways anticipated at the beginning of the book. They have complex psyches that create problems that they seem unable to overcome.

This novel will have more meaning for and impact on readers who are familiar with the other entries in the series and the relationship that has been formed between Jordon and Hill, but, I wonder, if some long time fans of the books will not become even more frustrated at how the lives of the main characters progress -- or do not progress -- than readers new to the series. Personally, I'm a little tired of the characters fighting themselves, each other, and their significant problems, although McDermid is probably reflecting reality. This is not a book for those who require optimism and happy endings in their novels.

Having enjoyed the previous Tony Hill/Carol Jordan novels, I rushed to read this one. Sadly, I did not find it nearly as well written as her previous books. I am tired of books about superhuman serial killers and this villian--one-armed ex-Olympic level athlete plus former TV superstar a la Simon Cowell--has no credibility at all. Others have summarized the plot well. The characters do not come to life, the writing is not engrossing and the ending lacks credibility and satisfaction.

Spend your money instead on a different British writer--John Harvey; Kate Atkinson or perhaps Peter James.

After reading her years ago and then reading a book every now and then, now I read this where apparently the two main characters have gotten closer, and it all falls apart because -- well, because Carol can't live with the fact that Tony is not omniscient or psychic. Apparently, she's more pitiful and hopeless than Tony. The story was implausible, the plot twists silly, and the ending, as other reviewers have said, sudden and disappointing.