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.
