WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW
C.J. Townsend is a brilliant prosecutor known for keeping her cool even when trying the most horrific cases. The latest: an accused serial killer who savors cruelty and considers murder an art. But this case is different. C.J. recognizes the suspect. She knows what he’s capable of. After all these years, she still has the nightmares to prove it. Now she’s walking the fine line between justice and revenge. Even C.J. isn’t prepared for where it will take her.
I finally got around to another Jilliane Hoffman novel, admittedly only because it was on Goodreads Deals and I'm cheap. But boy, am I glad I did. I have decided that Jilliane Hoffman is one of my newest favorite mystery writers.
I will be the first to admit, this book isn't perfect. But it's unbelievably easy to read and get into, and it reminds me of watching an episode of Law and Order: SVU. I'm no SVU fangirl- though I do have a weakness for Elliot Stabler (when he was on the show) and Rafael Barba- but I'll put it on when there's nothing else to watch. And I even found this book in a similar way- I had nothing else I wanted to read, the book was cheap, and I remembered that I really liked the other Jilliane Hoffman book I read (Pretty Little Things, for those curious). And I was not disappointed.
I liked basically all the characters involved, with a special emphasis on Manny and Marisol, because I have a tendency to like characters who are kind of assholes, but in a fun way. One of the most common complaints I see about the book mostly have to do with the character of CJ Townsend and, more specifically, her relationship with Dominick, the sexy lead investigator in her case. Normally, I'd be annoyed by CJ's apparent inability to play by the rules (I'm a rebel only in my head) and her instant-y, angst-filled relationship with Dominick but for some reason, I wasn't too bothered by either of those things. CJ I kind of begrudgingly liked. She was a bit on the Mary Sue side, but I enjoyed following her around, and even if I didn't, the POVs switch around a ton anyway.
The writing was okay. Again, it was easy to read and follow, and I was rarely lost. Even the legalese and copspeak was pretty easy to understand, and in that respect it, again, reminded me of a Law and Order episode. I had no difficulty following any of it despite being a layman, albeit one with some knowledge into police procedures gained from the ID Channel (thanks, Lt Joe Kenda!).
But the plot is where this book shines. Hoffman knows how to write an entertaining, action-packed novel and damn if she doesn't suck me in. It's on the over-dramatic side, at times unrealistic, but it's fun. I enjoyed following along with the mystery; I even inadvertently guessed whodunnit (completely by accident, though. My thought process was more like "it'd be fun if this person did it." and then a bit later on "holy shit I was right."). The voices of the criminals weren't as believable as they were in Pretty Little Things, but then again this was her debut. Also, when CJ Townsend went off the books at various points, I couldn't help but think that famous cop movie cliche "she's a loose cannon, but she's the best we've got.". Which never failed to make me laugh.
So, Jilliane Hoffman and Retribution both get a thumbs up from me. I mean, it's not fine literature, and I can definitely see the complaints that people have about it, but I liked it. It fits my definition of a fun read perfectly- a dark, violent, on the over-dramatic side police procedural. And that's all I need to say about that.
8-8.5 out of 10
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