What do you think?
Rate this book
Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #7
The Retribution
Buy Val McDermid's masterful new thriller, 1989, now!___________________'Brilliant . . . sensational . . . unforgettable' Guardian'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' IndependentThere is one serial killer who has shaped and defined police profiler Tony Hill's life. One serial killer whose evil surpasses all others. One serial killer who has the power to chill him to the Jacko Vance.And now Jacko is back in Tony's life. Even more twisted and cunning than ever before, he is focused on wreaking revenge on Tony - and DCI Carol Jordan - for the years he has spent in prison.Tony doesn't know when Jacko will strike, or where. All he knows is that Jacko will cause him to feel fear like he has never known before - and devastate his life in ways he cannot imagine...A gripping new thriller in the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, from the number one bestseller.___________________Praise for Val 'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail 'So gripping it puts your life on hold' The Times 'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express 'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review 'McDermid remains unrivalled' ObserverThis is the seventh book in the bestselling Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2011
686 people are currently reading
3452 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
342 books5,317 followersVal McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 694 reviews
April 29, 2025
Jacko Vance was first introduced in The Wire in the Blood, and quite a despicable human he is. Twelve years he’s been in prison thanks to Carol Jordan and Tony Hill. Twelve years he’s plotted and planned his revenge. I believe his prison escape plan is highly implausible, but I gave Val McDermid the benefit of the doubt.
With a new supervisor, Carol and her very successful team are being split up. One last case comes in and they would like to go out with a bang. This case isn’t completely dropped, but it does get overshadowed by Vance's escape.
McDermid created a sense of doom with Vance's plans for retribution, which kept me alert. The results varied from gruesome to mildly upsetting. I admit Carol has always seemed a bit cold in my opinion, and I think she overreacted toward Tony in this book. She also accepted none of the responsibility. I’m really not happy with her now. Tony seemed to fold under her harshness. I'm wondering why he bothers with her.
There were quite a few references to past events in previous books, and I think it would pay to read them first to get all the details. I’ll be reading the next book soon.
With a new supervisor, Carol and her very successful team are being split up. One last case comes in and they would like to go out with a bang. This case isn’t completely dropped, but it does get overshadowed by Vance's escape.
McDermid created a sense of doom with Vance's plans for retribution, which kept me alert. The results varied from gruesome to mildly upsetting. I admit Carol has always seemed a bit cold in my opinion, and I think she overreacted toward Tony in this book. She also accepted none of the responsibility. I’m really not happy with her now. Tony seemed to fold under her harshness. I'm wondering why he bothers with her.
There were quite a few references to past events in previous books, and I think it would pay to read them first to get all the details. I’ll be reading the next book soon.
March 9, 2022
Book 7 in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series published 2011
This was an audio book read by Saul Reichlin who’s northern English accent lent much to the story.
An other 4 star chapter in this addictive series.
Tony Hill and Carol Jordan might be the best at what they do, and it’s just as well, as the rest of their lives leave a lot to be desired.
This is a very strange relationship, the one that Carol and Tony have. They live together, in separate room, there is an attraction between them but neither is prepared to make it more than a social convenience.
But this relationship, as tenuous as it is, is about to become something very different.
A violent serial killer, Jacko Vance, that Carol and Tony were instrumental in putting behind bars has escaped from prison and he has only one thing on his mind, RETRIBUTION.
Anybody and everybody who had anything to do with his incarceration is about to pay and pay dearly.
No one can accuse Val McDermid of being a shrinking violet when it come to spilling some blood and there’s a fair bit of it being spilled here.
As the body count rises relationships will be stretched to breaking point. Innocents will suffer as Jacko Vance unleashes his vengeance on an ill prepared world.
The book is full of characters that are believable, so much so, that you cant help worrying for their safety and feel their pain when things go very wrong.
A great read with all the suspense and tension you would expect from the pen of Val McDermid.
But be prepared for some in your face violence.
This was an audio book read by Saul Reichlin who’s northern English accent lent much to the story.
An other 4 star chapter in this addictive series.
Tony Hill and Carol Jordan might be the best at what they do, and it’s just as well, as the rest of their lives leave a lot to be desired.
This is a very strange relationship, the one that Carol and Tony have. They live together, in separate room, there is an attraction between them but neither is prepared to make it more than a social convenience.
But this relationship, as tenuous as it is, is about to become something very different.
A violent serial killer, Jacko Vance, that Carol and Tony were instrumental in putting behind bars has escaped from prison and he has only one thing on his mind, RETRIBUTION.
Anybody and everybody who had anything to do with his incarceration is about to pay and pay dearly.
No one can accuse Val McDermid of being a shrinking violet when it come to spilling some blood and there’s a fair bit of it being spilled here.
As the body count rises relationships will be stretched to breaking point. Innocents will suffer as Jacko Vance unleashes his vengeance on an ill prepared world.
The book is full of characters that are believable, so much so, that you cant help worrying for their safety and feel their pain when things go very wrong.
A great read with all the suspense and tension you would expect from the pen of Val McDermid.
But be prepared for some in your face violence.
June 4, 2023
Time to continue my trek through Val McDermid’s Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, which I started in August 2021. Almost two years later, I have finished Book #7—THE RETRIBUTION.
The reason it is taking me so long to journey through this series is that these books are emotionally draining—McDermid has deliberately set out to arouse intense emotions in the reader, and because she is such a good writer, she succeeds brilliantly.
THE RETRIBUTION brings back a villain, Jacko Vance, from the second book in the series, “The Wire in the Blood”. When I read Wire in the Blood, I felt that Jacko Vance had been modelled on Jimmy Savile, but that novel was written in 1997, and Savile wasn’t unmasked for the villain he was until 2012. In a 2012 interview, McDermid stated that indeed she had based the Vance character on Savile. Possibly this is why she revived Vance for the Hill & Jordan series; THE RETRIBUTION was published in 2011—a time when rumours were already circulating about Savile’s unsavoury actions.
As evil as Vance was in The Wire in the Blood, in THE RETRIBUTION, he was much more chilling, his actions more shocking. Both Tony Hill and Carol Jordan suffered even more intensely than they did in previous books in the series. There is a slow sense of doom as Vance continues his plans for revenge. That’s all I can say without adding a “spoiler”.
THE RETRIBUTION also contains a second investigation and another villain, although this plot line was less important than the Jacko Vance one. It did give Carol’s team something to work on while Hill and Jordan were tackling the devastation left by Vance’s plans for retribution. This secondary plot involved a hunt for the serial killer of “working girls” in the Temple Fields section of Bradfield. The motive for the crimes was unusual, not the typical driving force underlying such murders. Also, I liked that McDermid showed each girl being influenced by different needs and that all had unique lifestyles while plying their trade.
Both plot lines ended in unanticipated ways, at least for me, a regular reader of crime/thriller novels. I didn’t see either outcomes coming. Definitely a plus. Although, I thought there were a couple of missteps—for example, Carol Jordan’s overreaction in blaming Tony for not foreseeing what no one would have been able to predict—the story ended on a high note. After building up tension, this finale was a temporary release, but still left me bruised, after reading about the horrible things that occurred prior to the surprise denouement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other books in this series:
The Mermaids Singing (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan, #1)
The Wire in the Blood (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #2)
The Last Temptation (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #3)
The Torment of Others (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #4)
Beneath the Bleeding (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #5)
Fever of the Bone (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #6)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reason it is taking me so long to journey through this series is that these books are emotionally draining—McDermid has deliberately set out to arouse intense emotions in the reader, and because she is such a good writer, she succeeds brilliantly.
THE RETRIBUTION brings back a villain, Jacko Vance, from the second book in the series, “The Wire in the Blood”. When I read Wire in the Blood, I felt that Jacko Vance had been modelled on Jimmy Savile, but that novel was written in 1997, and Savile wasn’t unmasked for the villain he was until 2012. In a 2012 interview, McDermid stated that indeed she had based the Vance character on Savile. Possibly this is why she revived Vance for the Hill & Jordan series; THE RETRIBUTION was published in 2011—a time when rumours were already circulating about Savile’s unsavoury actions.
As evil as Vance was in The Wire in the Blood, in THE RETRIBUTION, he was much more chilling, his actions more shocking. Both Tony Hill and Carol Jordan suffered even more intensely than they did in previous books in the series. There is a slow sense of doom as Vance continues his plans for revenge. That’s all I can say without adding a “spoiler”.
THE RETRIBUTION also contains a second investigation and another villain, although this plot line was less important than the Jacko Vance one. It did give Carol’s team something to work on while Hill and Jordan were tackling the devastation left by Vance’s plans for retribution. This secondary plot involved a hunt for the serial killer of “working girls” in the Temple Fields section of Bradfield. The motive for the crimes was unusual, not the typical driving force underlying such murders. Also, I liked that McDermid showed each girl being influenced by different needs and that all had unique lifestyles while plying their trade.
Both plot lines ended in unanticipated ways, at least for me, a regular reader of crime/thriller novels. I didn’t see either outcomes coming. Definitely a plus. Although, I thought there were a couple of missteps—for example, Carol Jordan’s overreaction in blaming Tony for not foreseeing what no one would have been able to predict—the story ended on a high note. After building up tension, this finale was a temporary release, but still left me bruised, after reading about the horrible things that occurred prior to the surprise denouement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other books in this series:
The Mermaids Singing (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan, #1)
The Wire in the Blood (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #2)
The Last Temptation (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #3)
The Torment of Others (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #4)
Beneath the Bleeding (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #5)
Fever of the Bone (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #6)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 25, 2012
I was really disappointed with this book. Definitely my least favorite McDermid novel (and I've read the entire Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series and all of her standalone thrillers). As another reviewer noted, it almost seems like she wrote this book merely to punish all the readers who had become invested in Tony and Carol's relationship, which had always had an air of uncertainty about it but which, by Fever of the Bone, felt like it was finally starting to move in a positive direction. She quickly undoes that progress with this book. The events that take place not only make it seem impossible that Tony and Carol will be able to find their way back to each other, they also make it seem highly unlikely that either one will know peace or happiness ever again. And all this just to revisit an old villain, who in this book came across as rather one-dimensional and not especially interesting.
Much of the book seemed to drag until about two-thirds of the way through, when suddenly it started barreling forward like a freight train, wrapping up plot lines so quickly and with so little detail that it was quite a letdown. The secondary serial killer case in particular felt rushed and under-developed.
I've been a big fan of the Hill/Jordan series, but I almost wish she had just ended it with Fever of the Bone. I'm not sure I'll read any more if she continues the series. I don't think I want to spend any more time with the irreparably damaged people these two have become.
Much of the book seemed to drag until about two-thirds of the way through, when suddenly it started barreling forward like a freight train, wrapping up plot lines so quickly and with so little detail that it was quite a letdown. The secondary serial killer case in particular felt rushed and under-developed.
I've been a big fan of the Hill/Jordan series, but I almost wish she had just ended it with Fever of the Bone. I'm not sure I'll read any more if she continues the series. I don't think I want to spend any more time with the irreparably damaged people these two have become.
December 27, 2011
The Retribution by Val McDermid is the seventh in a series featuring detective Carol Jordan and profiler Tony Hill. In the interest of full disclosure, I won this in a first-reads GR giveaway. However, my review reflects my experience of the book and is not (I don't believe) influenced by this in any way).
I have not read the rest of the series which may in some ways be a disadvantage but which I found believe increased my reading pleasure-I found the references to other stories and back stories increased my interest in the current story, adding to the general ambiance and mystery. The book is extremely well-written and generally well-paced (although it dragged a little during the last quarter or so) and the characters interesting, especially since it was my first encounter with them. Much of the story and characterizations are familiar with fans of serial killer/profile television shows (such as Criminal Minds) and so my unfamiliarity with the setting and people involved brought a freshness which I don't know whether followers of the series feel.
I enjoyed the book greatly and found it sufficiently interesting to want to read others in the series. Tony Hill was of particular interest to me. He seems somewhat autistic or Aspergery and I wanted to know more about his relationship with his mother. This is a major reason I want to read more of the series.
I would recommend this book to fans of solid, well-crafted, police procedurals and sociopathic killers and their pursuers.
I have not read the rest of the series which may in some ways be a disadvantage but which I found believe increased my reading pleasure-I found the references to other stories and back stories increased my interest in the current story, adding to the general ambiance and mystery. The book is extremely well-written and generally well-paced (although it dragged a little during the last quarter or so) and the characters interesting, especially since it was my first encounter with them. Much of the story and characterizations are familiar with fans of serial killer/profile television shows (such as Criminal Minds) and so my unfamiliarity with the setting and people involved brought a freshness which I don't know whether followers of the series feel.
I enjoyed the book greatly and found it sufficiently interesting to want to read others in the series. Tony Hill was of particular interest to me. He seems somewhat autistic or Aspergery and I wanted to know more about his relationship with his mother. This is a major reason I want to read more of the series.
I would recommend this book to fans of solid, well-crafted, police procedurals and sociopathic killers and their pursuers.
September 25, 2012
The Retribution is another murder mystery that was free on the Nook recently. It is very definitely not a cozy, however. It's the most recent in a series of books starring police detective Carol Jordan and expert profiler Tony Hill; in this book, a serial killer that Jordan and Hill put away years ago escapes prison and comes back to get his revenge.
If you are a fan of the Jordan/Hill series, then I would say you can't possibly miss this book; a lot of important stuff happens, and I think if you're invested in the characters, much of the book will be a series of gut-punches, but gut-punches you would be sorry to miss (kind of like Changes was for Dresden Files fans). For me, though, this is (and shall remain) the only book I've read in the series. There are two main reasons for that: (1) the gore. THE GORE and (2) the ending.
The gore was pretty awful, but it actually didn't bother me that much because I don't read gory stuff very often (kind of like how I find Criminal Minds fascinating for one episode, but a marathon would give me nightmares). Up until the last few chapters, I was invested enough in Carol and Tony's relationship and their lives and friendships and history that I was considering reading the first six books in the series.
But then, the ending. The ending was aggressively anticlimactic. Not the kind of anticlimactic where the author isn't skilled - the kind where the author actively hates the characters she's created and hates the readers for demanding more about them. "Oh, you wanted more?" the ending seems to say, "WELL, HERE'S YOUR MORE. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!?" No, Ms. McDermid. No, I am not happy.
So if you're not already a fan of Carol Jordan and Tony Hill, I don't recommend this book at all. And with how their story ends, I also don't recommend becoming a fan.
Edit: I must add, though, that I owe a debt to the book for teaching me the excellent British mnemonics "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" and "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain".
If you are a fan of the Jordan/Hill series, then I would say you can't possibly miss this book; a lot of important stuff happens, and I think if you're invested in the characters, much of the book will be a series of gut-punches, but gut-punches you would be sorry to miss (kind of like Changes was for Dresden Files fans). For me, though, this is (and shall remain) the only book I've read in the series. There are two main reasons for that: (1) the gore. THE GORE and (2) the ending.
The gore was pretty awful, but it actually didn't bother me that much because I don't read gory stuff very often (kind of like how I find Criminal Minds fascinating for one episode, but a marathon would give me nightmares). Up until the last few chapters, I was invested enough in Carol and Tony's relationship and their lives and friendships and history that I was considering reading the first six books in the series.
But then, the ending. The ending was aggressively anticlimactic. Not the kind of anticlimactic where the author isn't skilled - the kind where the author actively hates the characters she's created and hates the readers for demanding more about them. "Oh, you wanted more?" the ending seems to say, "WELL, HERE'S YOUR MORE. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!?" No, Ms. McDermid. No, I am not happy.
So if you're not already a fan of Carol Jordan and Tony Hill, I don't recommend this book at all. And with how their story ends, I also don't recommend becoming a fan.
Edit: I must add, though, that I owe a debt to the book for teaching me the excellent British mnemonics "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" and "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain".
May 31, 2012
I'm always keen to read McDermid's Tony and Carol in torment tales, and with the added hook of the reappearance of the dastardly Jacko Vance I was anticipating a good read. However, like some of the previous reviewers I felt the story reached a point of twisted brilliance in Jacko's search for revenge but petered off from there with the ending feeling completely implausible and I mean implausible. Val was probably thinking "A-ha, they'll never see that coming" whilst rubbing her hands together in pure silent movie villain fashion and no I didn't, because it was totally improbable! However, just to balance the bad with the good, the parallel storyline of the budding serial killer allowed a nice amount of freedom for Carol's sidekicks to shine and this plotline played out quite well whilst Tony and Carol thrashed about in the throes of their further deteriorating relationship and we all lost interest.Disappointing but enough to while away a couple of hours..
April 28, 2025
4⭐️ = Good.
Hardback.
This had a really good storyline, which was thoroughly believable.
A little gruesome in parts - but then this is a murder investigation so you kind of expect it.
If anyone remembers Wire In The Blood , the British tv series, with Tony Hill the police psychologist, this is who this series is based on.
I read this out of order but it didn’t take anything away from the fluidity, and I quickly picked up the social threads.
Hardback.
This had a really good storyline, which was thoroughly believable.
A little gruesome in parts - but then this is a murder investigation so you kind of expect it.
If anyone remembers Wire In The Blood , the British tv series, with Tony Hill the police psychologist, this is who this series is based on.
I read this out of order but it didn’t take anything away from the fluidity, and I quickly picked up the social threads.
June 21, 2022
‘The Retribution’, number seven in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series written by Val McDermid, is another serial murder case which again devastates our two heroes. But in this book, since the killer attacks their loved ones, Tony and Carol have good reasons to fall apart! But, never fear, they continue on, all the while becoming increasingly more and more incompetent though. In fact, it is only their personal demons that force them to move forward despite that readers can see the wheels are coming off.
Frankly, the two hunters of obscenely creative monsters of murder are surprisingly emotionally fragile for the jobs they have. Tony Hill is a crack profiler psychologist and Carol Jordan heads a police detective unit specializing in investigating serial murders. Although they are considered the best at what they do in the United Kingdom, each of them suffers crippling emotional problems which are getting worse. Many of their peers are jealous of their previous successes, and profiling is not much respected. At this point, I am wondering how long it will be before either of them can’t get out of bed, much less stay in their chosen professions! So, in the spirit of investigating a mystery, I looked ahead. The series is up to book eleven, published 2019, and then it has apparently gone into hiatus.
The killer, Jacko Vance, who causes so much fear and wreckage in the plot, is one we readers have met before in book two, The Wire in the Blood. He has escaped from prison! He is a brilliant man, so Tony and Carol need to be at their best. Oh oh. Good thing they have a supportive team of expert detectives! However, these police officers are also in disarray because Carol’s unit has been declared redundant in the previous book. They will be working together only for another month, at which point they will be disbursed to different stations. And, adding wood to the fire, someone new is killing prostitutes in Bradfield. The killer is definitely not Vance. But how can anyone catch this new serial killer when the entire team can see neither Carol or Tony are concentrating on the job? Perhaps they can do it without any leadership guidance! The team is definitely experiencing low morale as well as confusion, but all of them do not want to find any more bodies.
Can it get any worse? Yes, gentle reader. Yes. It does.
I recommend starting the series with book one, The Mermaids Singing, if you are interested in this murder mystery series. The books are not standalone.
Frankly, the two hunters of obscenely creative monsters of murder are surprisingly emotionally fragile for the jobs they have. Tony Hill is a crack profiler psychologist and Carol Jordan heads a police detective unit specializing in investigating serial murders. Although they are considered the best at what they do in the United Kingdom, each of them suffers crippling emotional problems which are getting worse. Many of their peers are jealous of their previous successes, and profiling is not much respected. At this point, I am wondering how long it will be before either of them can’t get out of bed, much less stay in their chosen professions! So, in the spirit of investigating a mystery, I looked ahead. The series is up to book eleven, published 2019, and then it has apparently gone into hiatus.
The killer, Jacko Vance, who causes so much fear and wreckage in the plot, is one we readers have met before in book two, The Wire in the Blood. He has escaped from prison! He is a brilliant man, so Tony and Carol need to be at their best. Oh oh. Good thing they have a supportive team of expert detectives! However, these police officers are also in disarray because Carol’s unit has been declared redundant in the previous book. They will be working together only for another month, at which point they will be disbursed to different stations. And, adding wood to the fire, someone new is killing prostitutes in Bradfield. The killer is definitely not Vance. But how can anyone catch this new serial killer when the entire team can see neither Carol or Tony are concentrating on the job? Perhaps they can do it without any leadership guidance! The team is definitely experiencing low morale as well as confusion, but all of them do not want to find any more bodies.
Can it get any worse? Yes, gentle reader. Yes. It does.
I recommend starting the series with book one, The Mermaids Singing, if you are interested in this murder mystery series. The books are not standalone.
August 23, 2020
The Retribution is the seventh book in Val McDermid’s long-running, excellent police procedural, mystery-thriller series featuring DCI Carol Jordan and Dr. Tony Hill primarily set in the fictional city of Bradfield in Northern England. Hill is a criminal psychological profiler who uses his expertise to assist the police in tracking down lawbreakers (usually serial killers) by extrapolating information about the psychology and motivations of the perpetrators from the nature of their crimes and crime scenes. DCI Jordan leads the Major Incident Team (MIT), a handpicked collection of police officers with special skills (like lucrative computer hacking skills used for crime-fighting instead of profit) who get results on cases that resist resolution by typical police methods.
The Retribution is centered around two problematic crime sprees. The first is a now-familiar series of horrific murders of “working girls” in the Temple Fields (red light/gay ghetto) section of downtown Bradfield. Each of the three killings is quite different from each other but they all have the word “mine” tattooed somewhere on the corpse. It takes awhile for the police to recognize there’s only one killer involved because the bodies are in such different states. However, eventually the police do hand the case over to MIT even though it will likely be the unit’s last case. Carol’s new boss has decided that having a cadre of specialized officers who work on the hardest cases and get good results is “too expensive” so she’s taken a job at West Mercia and her team’s officers will join the regular detective rotation.
The second crime spree is significantly more serious. It involves one of the key villains from one of the earlier, excellent entries in the Hill-Jordan series, Jacko Vance. Jacko was a television celebrity, one of the most recognizable faces in England when a member of Tony’s ‘baby profilers’ (a group of police officers whom Tony was training to use his psychological techniques to suss out criminal motives) realized that Vance was a likely suspect in the disappearance of multiple teenage girls. Jacko killed her horribly just because he could, not because he was in serious danger of being revealed, but this event was the break that Tony and Carol needed to realize that Jacko was a serial killer. Now it’s many years later and Jacko manages to escape prison and he has a plan to seek retribution on the people that forced him to lose years of his life in prison. Jacko was assisted by a guy who never believed in his guilt to set Jacko up with a safe house, surveillance on his potential targets and ways and means to conduct his revenge. Of course, the first thing Jacko does when he’s in the safe house is stick a knife in his benefactor. And then he begins to successfully get his retribution on those who he thinks wronged him, which includes Carol and Tony. But, because he doesn’t attack them directly, but instead targets people and things near and dear to them, it takes awhile for Tony to figure out where Jacko will strike next and by then irreparable harm has occurred.
McDermid is rightly called the Queen of Crime for a reason. She is a Master at ratcheting up the level of suspense. One of her strengths is the clever way she doles out information to the reader about her characters. For example, we get a lot of first-person perspective from Jacko in The Retribution, so the reader can only watch with horror as we see him successfully commit his crimes while simultaneously seeing his pursuers struggle to even begin figuring out what’s going on. Additionally, McDermid does an incredible job at creating characters whose motivations are clearly described, leading to significant relationships. Access to the inner monologue of Tony and Carol as well as several of the secondary characters is a clear strength of the series.
Of course the most significant relationship in these books is the one between Carol and Tony. Although it is not romantic, it is both more and less significant than a romantic relationship. For Tony, it is the most important relationship in his life. For Carol, Tony is her most important professional relationship, but she has more family support. The events of The Retribution are devastating to their connection, and one of the reasons to read the next book is to find out if it survives and what happens next.
Overall, The Retribution is one of the most significant entries in the series, although I would not say it is one of the best. It definitely possesses McDermid’s typical heart-pounding suspense, but both mysteries are not really that complicated. The most memorable element is the development in the Hill-Jordan relationship, but this change is surprisingly not well motivated and could be argued that it comes out of nowhere. Regardless, things will be different in the future for both of them, and I look forward to reading the subsequent books to find out what happens!
The Retribution is centered around two problematic crime sprees. The first is a now-familiar series of horrific murders of “working girls” in the Temple Fields (red light/gay ghetto) section of downtown Bradfield. Each of the three killings is quite different from each other but they all have the word “mine” tattooed somewhere on the corpse. It takes awhile for the police to recognize there’s only one killer involved because the bodies are in such different states. However, eventually the police do hand the case over to MIT even though it will likely be the unit’s last case. Carol’s new boss has decided that having a cadre of specialized officers who work on the hardest cases and get good results is “too expensive” so she’s taken a job at West Mercia and her team’s officers will join the regular detective rotation.
The second crime spree is significantly more serious. It involves one of the key villains from one of the earlier, excellent entries in the Hill-Jordan series, Jacko Vance. Jacko was a television celebrity, one of the most recognizable faces in England when a member of Tony’s ‘baby profilers’ (a group of police officers whom Tony was training to use his psychological techniques to suss out criminal motives) realized that Vance was a likely suspect in the disappearance of multiple teenage girls. Jacko killed her horribly just because he could, not because he was in serious danger of being revealed, but this event was the break that Tony and Carol needed to realize that Jacko was a serial killer. Now it’s many years later and Jacko manages to escape prison and he has a plan to seek retribution on the people that forced him to lose years of his life in prison. Jacko was assisted by a guy who never believed in his guilt to set Jacko up with a safe house, surveillance on his potential targets and ways and means to conduct his revenge. Of course, the first thing Jacko does when he’s in the safe house is stick a knife in his benefactor. And then he begins to successfully get his retribution on those who he thinks wronged him, which includes Carol and Tony. But, because he doesn’t attack them directly, but instead targets people and things near and dear to them, it takes awhile for Tony to figure out where Jacko will strike next and by then irreparable harm has occurred.
McDermid is rightly called the Queen of Crime for a reason. She is a Master at ratcheting up the level of suspense. One of her strengths is the clever way she doles out information to the reader about her characters. For example, we get a lot of first-person perspective from Jacko in The Retribution, so the reader can only watch with horror as we see him successfully commit his crimes while simultaneously seeing his pursuers struggle to even begin figuring out what’s going on. Additionally, McDermid does an incredible job at creating characters whose motivations are clearly described, leading to significant relationships. Access to the inner monologue of Tony and Carol as well as several of the secondary characters is a clear strength of the series.
Of course the most significant relationship in these books is the one between Carol and Tony. Although it is not romantic, it is both more and less significant than a romantic relationship. For Tony, it is the most important relationship in his life. For Carol, Tony is her most important professional relationship, but she has more family support. The events of The Retribution are devastating to their connection, and one of the reasons to read the next book is to find out if it survives and what happens next.
Overall, The Retribution is one of the most significant entries in the series, although I would not say it is one of the best. It definitely possesses McDermid’s typical heart-pounding suspense, but both mysteries are not really that complicated. The most memorable element is the development in the Hill-Jordan relationship, but this change is surprisingly not well motivated and could be argued that it comes out of nowhere. Regardless, things will be different in the future for both of them, and I look forward to reading the subsequent books to find out what happens!
November 5, 2011
I discovered Val McDermid back in the early 1990s when the first of her Kate Branigan series, Dead Beat was published. I've been a fan of her work ever since and have always looked forward to reading her next book. This is the seventh book in the Tony Hill / Carol Jordan series, the first of which, The Mermaids Singing, was published in 1995.
The fact that this is only the seventh book in the series demonstrates that McDermid doesn't churn them out, factory-fashion. In recent years she has interspersed the books in the series with stand-alone thrillers that have generally been high quality reads. Most of the novels in the series have also been well-written and gripping thrillers. So it was disappointing to read the latest installment and feel distinctly underwhelmed, all the more so because I expected to enjoy it very much.
In essence, this is the story of the escape from prison of serial killer, Jacko Vance, in whose capture and imprisonment forensic psychologist and profiler Tony Hill and police officer Carol Jordan were instrumental in the second novel in the series, The Wire In The Blood. Vance plans to leave England, but not before he takes vengeance on those responsible for his incarceration. Added to the main narrative is that of another serial killer, who is killing prostitutes in particularly gruesome ways.
The novel starts with Vance’s escape from prison, an incident of breath-taking implausibility. There’s nothing startling about implausibility in crime fiction. Indeed, if readers can’t cope with implausible, then they probably should be reading a different type of fiction. But for me, this particular prison escape strained credulity so much that I had difficulty accepting the details of Vance’s subsequent revenge spree with anything approaching suspension of disbelief. In addition, the secondary serial killer story felt tacked on and irrelevant and the resolution of both strands of the narrative seemed rushed and unsatisfying. Overall, I felt let down by the plot. It promised much and delivered little.
What kept me reading was the characters. McDermid is very good at creating characters readers can care about. Her central protagonists, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, are flawed but compelling. The secondary characters are also very well drawn. McDermid has allowed her characters to grow and change throughout the series, which adds interest to the novels. As a reader I genuinely want to know where she will take them.
I’m worried about my reaction to this particular instalment in the series. I have often stopped reading a series because I’ve become bored and stopped caring what happens next. With this series, I still care about the characters. However, my tolerance for far-fetched serial killer stories has decreased over time. That doesn’t bode well for my future enjoyment of Val McDermid’s novels. But I’ve spent almost twenty years reading and (mostly) enjoying her work and I want to keep on liking her books. So I’ll keep reading them for a while yet, in the hope - in the fervent hope - that my disappointment with this novel is just a glitch.
This is a 3 star read because McDermid writes good prose and creates great characters. Otherwise it would be closer to 2-1/2 stars. If I were a teacher and this were a school report, I’d be writing “Could do better”.
The fact that this is only the seventh book in the series demonstrates that McDermid doesn't churn them out, factory-fashion. In recent years she has interspersed the books in the series with stand-alone thrillers that have generally been high quality reads. Most of the novels in the series have also been well-written and gripping thrillers. So it was disappointing to read the latest installment and feel distinctly underwhelmed, all the more so because I expected to enjoy it very much.
In essence, this is the story of the escape from prison of serial killer, Jacko Vance, in whose capture and imprisonment forensic psychologist and profiler Tony Hill and police officer Carol Jordan were instrumental in the second novel in the series, The Wire In The Blood. Vance plans to leave England, but not before he takes vengeance on those responsible for his incarceration. Added to the main narrative is that of another serial killer, who is killing prostitutes in particularly gruesome ways.
The novel starts with Vance’s escape from prison, an incident of breath-taking implausibility. There’s nothing startling about implausibility in crime fiction. Indeed, if readers can’t cope with implausible, then they probably should be reading a different type of fiction. But for me, this particular prison escape strained credulity so much that I had difficulty accepting the details of Vance’s subsequent revenge spree with anything approaching suspension of disbelief. In addition, the secondary serial killer story felt tacked on and irrelevant and the resolution of both strands of the narrative seemed rushed and unsatisfying. Overall, I felt let down by the plot. It promised much and delivered little.
What kept me reading was the characters. McDermid is very good at creating characters readers can care about. Her central protagonists, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, are flawed but compelling. The secondary characters are also very well drawn. McDermid has allowed her characters to grow and change throughout the series, which adds interest to the novels. As a reader I genuinely want to know where she will take them.
I’m worried about my reaction to this particular instalment in the series. I have often stopped reading a series because I’ve become bored and stopped caring what happens next. With this series, I still care about the characters. However, my tolerance for far-fetched serial killer stories has decreased over time. That doesn’t bode well for my future enjoyment of Val McDermid’s novels. But I’ve spent almost twenty years reading and (mostly) enjoying her work and I want to keep on liking her books. So I’ll keep reading them for a while yet, in the hope - in the fervent hope - that my disappointment with this novel is just a glitch.
This is a 3 star read because McDermid writes good prose and creates great characters. Otherwise it would be closer to 2-1/2 stars. If I were a teacher and this were a school report, I’d be writing “Could do better”.
March 9, 2022
This is another page turner with another annoying heroine. It is an engaging thriller, though it meant suspension of disbelief in a lot of places. Vance's daring prison break was unbelievable and convenient. It was also unbelievable that he was so resourceful, plotting and executing his revenge without any help, immediately after escaping from the prison. The 2nd plot of the serial killer did not get sufficient attention and seems rushed towards the end.
Now coming back to the annoying heroine.
What's with these 'Strong' female leads? They behave so irrationally and unleash their anger on those who really care for them! Carol Jordan's anger was completely misplaced !
She didn't deserve any of the adulation from Tony or any of the team members. It was funny how she was kept out of loop on the serial murder case (which she was supposedly leading), she didn't even know what the case leads were, nor was she informed of the last murder that was committed. She had zero contribution in capturing the killer. In fact, i found her to be a very incompetent cop, who easily blames everyone else if anything goes wrong.
I have another book in this series. I won't be reading any more.
Now coming back to the annoying heroine.
What's with these 'Strong' female leads? They behave so irrationally and unleash their anger on those who really care for them! Carol Jordan's anger was completely misplaced !
She didn't deserve any of the adulation from Tony or any of the team members. It was funny how she was kept out of loop on the serial murder case (which she was supposedly leading), she didn't even know what the case leads were, nor was she informed of the last murder that was committed. She had zero contribution in capturing the killer. In fact, i found her to be a very incompetent cop, who easily blames everyone else if anything goes wrong.
I have another book in this series. I won't be reading any more.
March 30, 2025
Jacko Vance who resembles so many of the current morning breakfast presenters has escaped from prison. Surprisingly, how a one armed man can escape from a prison is quite believable. Coupled with this a serial killer is murdering prostitutes in Bradford. Tony and Carol have their hands full.
As you can see from the title of the book Jacko is bent on revenge against those who imprisoned him for 14 years. He has a plan and embarks on it immediately. This story has Carol and Tony pulled apart in their relationship thanks to Jacko and his evil plan.
I enjoyed the ending where Vanessa, Tony’s diabolical mum makes an appearance.
As you can see from the title of the book Jacko is bent on revenge against those who imprisoned him for 14 years. He has a plan and embarks on it immediately. This story has Carol and Tony pulled apart in their relationship thanks to Jacko and his evil plan.
I enjoyed the ending where Vanessa, Tony’s diabolical mum makes an appearance.
October 28, 2020
Utter drivel.
I have no idea why or how I finished. I almost gave up about 10 pages from the end.
I have no idea why or how I finished. I almost gave up about 10 pages from the end.
December 6, 2011
Dark, disturbing, psychologically damaged and graphic can be used in various degrees to describe this novel and most of its charaacters. The return of the killer, Jacko Vance, who once had it all but holds many responsible for his imprisonment and downfall vows to get even. Carol Jordan and Tony Hill, the policewoman and the profiler, who will do anything to stop him and put him away again. The characters of Jordan and Hill are unique, they are both damaged for different reasons themselves, but are finally working toward having a relationship together which is put in jeopardy because of Vance's escape and need for revenge. The reader learns quite a bit about the inside workings of the profiler and McDermid does a wonderful job making the point that there was only one person and one beginning act of kindness that kept Tony Hill from being just like Vance. There is even a present day prostitute murder that gives Jordan's team the chance to work together one last time. I did feel that the present case was not very prominent and was only in the book for the aforementioned reason. Finally in what I feel is a ironic turn of fate, Vance is stopped and Hill and Jordan are left to pick up the pieces, trying to have something left from the damage left by Vance. Look forward to the next book to see if they are able to do this.
October 22, 2011
After reading this and thinking about it for a while, I'm still not entirely sure what I think of it. There was much to enjoy but at times I still felt like throwing the book across the room, a feeling I think would have been much worse had I not been spoiled for the end of the book.
As a long time reader, I was pleased to see movement in the Carol/Tony relationship, even if it did backslide in a major way in the latter half of the book. I was also pleased to see Jacko Vance back again though I'm not entirely sure the book did that storyline justice, competing for space as it was with the B plot. I didn't quite get the sense of fear that I was expecting for the characters and I think the book would have been much better if it had strictly focused on the Vance storyline. The B plot itself wasn't bad but I felt it didn't get quite enough space.
Overall, I think I mainly came away disappointed and I'm glad for McDermid's reassurances that there is more to come. Despite that, I will more than likely end up rereading this, even if it is just to get my head around what I feel about it, and I will be reading the next in the series when it comes out because I'm still in love with the characters.
As a long time reader, I was pleased to see movement in the Carol/Tony relationship, even if it did backslide in a major way in the latter half of the book. I was also pleased to see Jacko Vance back again though I'm not entirely sure the book did that storyline justice, competing for space as it was with the B plot. I didn't quite get the sense of fear that I was expecting for the characters and I think the book would have been much better if it had strictly focused on the Vance storyline. The B plot itself wasn't bad but I felt it didn't get quite enough space.
Overall, I think I mainly came away disappointed and I'm glad for McDermid's reassurances that there is more to come. Despite that, I will more than likely end up rereading this, even if it is just to get my head around what I feel about it, and I will be reading the next in the series when it comes out because I'm still in love with the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2011
I first discovered Val McDermid’s Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series about 7 or 8 years ago and I have been a dedicated fan ever since. The Retribution is not only the latest in the series of seven books but it also reintroduces one of the serial killers from a much earlier book The Wire in the Blood – the evil and twisted Jacko Vance. To be honest, I could barely remember a thing about that book so it wouldn’t make any difference to reading this book out of sequence if you haven’t read McDermid’s earlier ones yet.
Jacko Vance is clever – brillianlty clever and charming to boot. He has spent the last 16 year behind bars for the murder of a teenage girl (although he murdered many, many more but the prosecution couldn’t prove it). In The Retribution, Vance escapes from jail (no spoiler – it’s in the blurb) and is hell bent on payback to those who landed him in prison in the first place, including both Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. At the same time, another serial killer is on the lose in Bradfield killing prostitutes and Detective Carol Jordan’s team set out to track him down.
The fact that both these stories are running in tandem with each other means that not enough time was devoted to either. The prostitute killer felt almost like an afterthought and his ultimate capture was bordering on eye-rolling. The sotry of Jacko Vance’s escape and revenge would have been more than enough to keep us on the edge of our seats and, at times, I was. Waiting to see who would feed Carol Jordan’s cat (it will make sense when you have read it, I promise) had my pulse racing overtime and trying to figure out who was next on his hit-list was great stuff. Jacko Vance is such a brilliantly evil character that despite his psychopathic nature, I wanted to spend more and more time in his company in the book; I had to know what he was thinking and planning on doing next and loved seeing how he doesn’t see anything wrong with himself, just everyone else. However – and it’s with a heavy heart that I write this, being such a fan - I felt that this book wasn’t on a par with others in the series. In fact, Beneeth the Bleeding (two books earlier) was also somewhat lacking and I wonder if Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are finally running out of steam….. or maybe McDermid is?
Despite my overall enjoyment of the book, I was left with a feeling that the ending was rushed and that the prostitute killer had almost been forgotten and that Hill and Jordan were not acting completely in character. As for the end….it felt so implausable that I almost saw the character involved as a charicature of themselves, complete with moustache-twirling “mwahahahahaaa”. The book also ends very abruptly, almost like the end of a chapter than the end of a book and it left me with a feeling of “now what?” rather than satisfaction.
Verdict: A really good read, just not a great one. I felt a little short-changed which is disappointing as I always look forward to the latest book in the series so much. Will I read the next? Absolutely!
Jacko Vance is clever – brillianlty clever and charming to boot. He has spent the last 16 year behind bars for the murder of a teenage girl (although he murdered many, many more but the prosecution couldn’t prove it). In The Retribution, Vance escapes from jail (no spoiler – it’s in the blurb) and is hell bent on payback to those who landed him in prison in the first place, including both Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. At the same time, another serial killer is on the lose in Bradfield killing prostitutes and Detective Carol Jordan’s team set out to track him down.
The fact that both these stories are running in tandem with each other means that not enough time was devoted to either. The prostitute killer felt almost like an afterthought and his ultimate capture was bordering on eye-rolling. The sotry of Jacko Vance’s escape and revenge would have been more than enough to keep us on the edge of our seats and, at times, I was. Waiting to see who would feed Carol Jordan’s cat (it will make sense when you have read it, I promise) had my pulse racing overtime and trying to figure out who was next on his hit-list was great stuff. Jacko Vance is such a brilliantly evil character that despite his psychopathic nature, I wanted to spend more and more time in his company in the book; I had to know what he was thinking and planning on doing next and loved seeing how he doesn’t see anything wrong with himself, just everyone else. However – and it’s with a heavy heart that I write this, being such a fan - I felt that this book wasn’t on a par with others in the series. In fact, Beneeth the Bleeding (two books earlier) was also somewhat lacking and I wonder if Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are finally running out of steam….. or maybe McDermid is?
Despite my overall enjoyment of the book, I was left with a feeling that the ending was rushed and that the prostitute killer had almost been forgotten and that Hill and Jordan were not acting completely in character. As for the end….it felt so implausable that I almost saw the character involved as a charicature of themselves, complete with moustache-twirling “mwahahahahaaa”. The book also ends very abruptly, almost like the end of a chapter than the end of a book and it left me with a feeling of “now what?” rather than satisfaction.
Verdict: A really good read, just not a great one. I felt a little short-changed which is disappointing as I always look forward to the latest book in the series so much. Will I read the next? Absolutely!
January 3, 2012
I couldn't wait to read "The Retribution", but almost as soon as I began, I had this horrible feeling that something really bad was going to happen. I was convinced either Tony or Carol would end up dead by the last chapter, but I couldn't stop reading. Val McDermid has never made any secret that she hates the idea of Tony and Carol in a relationship, but she gave us all hope with the ending of "Fever of the Bone". Was her choice of title for her latest novel a dig at us poor Tony/Carol fans?
While I was relieved that Tony and Carol made it to the end of the book still breathing, Ms. McDermid certainly made sure she killed their relationship. It seems like she took a macabre joy in its torture, with each page telling the fans, “I'll show you!”
Maybe I'm overreacting, but I believe that when you're a writer, the characters aren't solely yours. Once you put them on paper and share them with the world, your claim on them loosens. Now, I've got no problem with Ms. McDermid's propensity for torturing her characters, but I like to see some kind of payoff for them at the end. If this truly is the last chapter for Tony and Carol, after all that they have been through together, then I'm afraid, Ms. McDermid, that you've lost a fan.
On the whole, the novel was good, but I doubt I'll be re-reading it anytime soon.
While I was relieved that Tony and Carol made it to the end of the book still breathing, Ms. McDermid certainly made sure she killed their relationship. It seems like she took a macabre joy in its torture, with each page telling the fans, “I'll show you!”
Maybe I'm overreacting, but I believe that when you're a writer, the characters aren't solely yours. Once you put them on paper and share them with the world, your claim on them loosens. Now, I've got no problem with Ms. McDermid's propensity for torturing her characters, but I like to see some kind of payoff for them at the end. If this truly is the last chapter for Tony and Carol, after all that they have been through together, then I'm afraid, Ms. McDermid, that you've lost a fan.
On the whole, the novel was good, but I doubt I'll be re-reading it anytime soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2018
Although I prefer reading from the beginning of any series, even if each book can adequately be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone, I began in the middle here. In the future, I will read the first in the series to determine if my misgivings about The Retribution might be allayed by reading the titles in order.
I did understand the back story of Tony Hill's extraordinarily emotionally brutal childhood, but even that didn't answer the questions that came to my mind as to his lack of professionalism in the case at hand. In fact, since Hill's professional life provides him his comfort zone, I was disappointed in his inability to concentrate on the life-threatening cases before him.
Val McDermid's writing is haled by many readers and award-giving societies as top notch, so I'm self-conscious about pronouncing anything negative about a series that has endured and is read worldwide. I'm hoping reading a few more of her books will change my way of thinking.
I did understand the back story of Tony Hill's extraordinarily emotionally brutal childhood, but even that didn't answer the questions that came to my mind as to his lack of professionalism in the case at hand. In fact, since Hill's professional life provides him his comfort zone, I was disappointed in his inability to concentrate on the life-threatening cases before him.
Val McDermid's writing is haled by many readers and award-giving societies as top notch, so I'm self-conscious about pronouncing anything negative about a series that has endured and is read worldwide. I'm hoping reading a few more of her books will change my way of thinking.
November 7, 2011
Tony Hill and Carol Jordan return for what I hope is their last outing; McDermid has pushed them to extremes over the last sixteen years and there is very little that she can do with them from here. The suspense and tension in this novel are predicated on both characters being terrible at their jobs, and so it doesn't quite work.
The conclusion is thematically impressive but possibly dramatically unsatisfying for the lay reader. By this time, we're entirely too familiar with the characters' quirks and eccentricities, to the point of being irritated by them. I cringe each time Carol picks up a bottle, and Tony has said he's "passing for human" so many times that it frankly has lost all of its meaning.
Combine the steamless conclusion to the A plot with the traditionally bloody but matter of fact conclusion to the B plot and you've got something eminently readable, but nothing near as memorable as earlier entries in the Tony Hill canon. That said, this is not the worst entry in the series; McDermid would have to try very hard to sink below the watermark she set with Beneath The Bleeding.
The conclusion is thematically impressive but possibly dramatically unsatisfying for the lay reader. By this time, we're entirely too familiar with the characters' quirks and eccentricities, to the point of being irritated by them. I cringe each time Carol picks up a bottle, and Tony has said he's "passing for human" so many times that it frankly has lost all of its meaning.
Combine the steamless conclusion to the A plot with the traditionally bloody but matter of fact conclusion to the B plot and you've got something eminently readable, but nothing near as memorable as earlier entries in the Tony Hill canon. That said, this is not the worst entry in the series; McDermid would have to try very hard to sink below the watermark she set with Beneath The Bleeding.
September 5, 2012
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 more of Tony’s background, and the emotional and psychological paths that have shaped him, and caused him to work at “passing for human,” than I remembered having been done in the past. 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.
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 more of Tony’s background, and the emotional and psychological paths that have shaped him, and caused him to work at “passing for human,” than I remembered having been done in the past. 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.
January 6, 2012
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.
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.
November 14, 2011
I am a huge fan of the Val McDermid, Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books. I could not wait for The Retribution, it seems so long since Fever of the Bone and was anxious to see what would happen when they moved to West Mercia, into Tony's new home he inherited from his father. This relationship between Tony and Carol is 12 years in the making and I was delighted to see McDermid progress this aspect of the characters story, as it is central to the books. I know this book was going to revisit Jacko Valance, if you have read the series, you will be familiar with this character. So, Jacko breaks out of jail, in a most spectacular manner and I might also say, a highly unrealistic scenario. I am sure there have been a few evil genius types in prison who have thought up many ways to escape and I'm pretty sure none of them could have pulled this ploy off. I like a story to be grounded in some type of realism, I know these books are works of fiction, but this is bordering on fantasy. Anyway, Jacko escapes and plans revenge on people he sees as responsible for his capture and incarceration. Apart from Jackos story, there is a serial killer (once again) on the loose in Bradford, killing young prostitutes (once again) and this is Carol and her teams last case as she is working out her notice, so the team are anxious for her to leave on a high, by solving this case before she goes. Paula, unknown to Carol, enlists Tony's help in profiling the killer, while he is also working on a risk assessment on Jacko Valance for the Home Office. Jackos revenge takes a sinister twist that Tony did not envisage and it leaves his relationship with Carol in tatters. Not wanting to give the plot away any further, I will leave it there. Except to say, I was disappointed in this story on two levels. The author went a step too far with the Jacko Valance story, it didn't ring true for me at all, sometimes, less is more. The Tony/Carol relationship, as I said, I think 12 years on the go or thereabouts, wiped out in 1 minute. If she followed Carols character as it has developed since book one and her feelings for Tony, as portrayed over the years of the series, this is out of character for Carol Jordan to treat Tony as she does. I have always liked Carol Jordan (as a character), after this offering, I seriously dislike her and hope she falls off a cliff. This is the weakest link in the series, I feel she is not done with it yet, not the way she ended the book, but it left me feeling like I couldn't be bothered if she wrote another one. That's not good - especially for a huge fan, such as I am.
January 23, 2012
Have read all of the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books, imo the best of McDermid's work. I like the density of the Bradfield setting, the complexity and nuancing of all the different minorities and majorities and the pretty complete lack of bias against any of them. I also like the GLBT content, and the fact that people of alternate sexuality aren't either idealised or demonised. I like the fascinating up-dates on police technology. I also like the ongoing relationship between Hill and Jordan - a large part of what keeps me reading, of course,is the question of what will happen between them.
But this book I found for the first time somewhat disappointing. There was a lot of repetitive explanation of background and relationships. There was an offul lot of wind-up to Jacko's actual breakout and malignancies, where nothing much happened except menacing final chapter lines. There was also, once the first attack took place, an alarming lack of foresight among the characters about what he wd. do next. It's the first time I've found myself out-guessing Hill and Jordan consistently, and even picking the ending well before it arrived.
These are symptoms I have seen elsewhere of series that have gone on a long time, and have eventually led to my dropping said series. Carole Nelson Douglas's Midnight Louie series. Lindsey Davis' Falco series - though the problem there was more that Falco turned into a Tory patriarch. I sincerely hope McDermid doesn't fall into the I-forget-how-many-times-I've-told=you-this syndrome too.
But this book I found for the first time somewhat disappointing. There was a lot of repetitive explanation of background and relationships. There was an offul lot of wind-up to Jacko's actual breakout and malignancies, where nothing much happened except menacing final chapter lines. There was also, once the first attack took place, an alarming lack of foresight among the characters about what he wd. do next. It's the first time I've found myself out-guessing Hill and Jordan consistently, and even picking the ending well before it arrived.
These are symptoms I have seen elsewhere of series that have gone on a long time, and have eventually led to my dropping said series. Carole Nelson Douglas's Midnight Louie series. Lindsey Davis' Falco series - though the problem there was more that Falco turned into a Tory patriarch. I sincerely hope McDermid doesn't fall into the I-forget-how-many-times-I've-told=you-this syndrome too.
October 7, 2012
This was the 7th in a series and maybe if I'd read the other six, I would have liked it better (then, again, maybe not). The main characters are a psychological profiler, Tony Hill, and a Detective Chief Instpector Carol Jordan. Fifteen years ago (and, apparently a few books back), they captured a serial killer of teenaged girls who happened to be an Olympic contender and talk show host, Jacko Vance. The book opens with Vance escaping from prison and it revolves around his "retribution" for those who put him in jail - in other words, Tony and Carol. The story is gory and edgy and frustrating. Carol's brother and his long-time girlfriend are brutally killed as Vance's first "retribution." Carol blames Tony for not figuring out that this is how Vance will strike and their relationship quickly devolves because of it. Another member of the detective team is maimed and Tony's house is burned to the ground. The suspense is good, but the body count and emotional damage is just too high for me to ever read another book by this author - as a whole, it just wasn't an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2021
This is the 7th book in the Tony Hill series so I wasn't up to date with Tony and Carol's relationship. I've only previously read the 1st book "A Mermaide Singing". Nevertheless, this was a really enjoyable book. Two investigations take place in this book. Part one; trying to capture a serial killer who is killing prostitutes. Part two; trying to re-capture a convicted child killer who has escaped from prison and is on a revenge mission to those who he blames for putting him in jail.
Very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the previous books in the series. I did feel sorry for Tony in the book though. He gets a hard ride and Carol is very harsh on him in my opinion. Overall 3.5 stars 👍
Very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the previous books in the series. I did feel sorry for Tony in the book though. He gets a hard ride and Carol is very harsh on him in my opinion. Overall 3.5 stars 👍
December 28, 2022
I haven't read McDermid's series for more than a decade. My memory of this has been quite hazy and since am trying to find my footing back into this series, I find myself disappointed with the bleakness with which the characters seem to interact. Few years ago I did watch the adaptation - Wire in the blood and it was pretty good. Though the TV adaptation had original content, I think they got Tony and Carol right.
I don't think this was adapted on TV, the old serial killer becoming active again is always a good set up. However the ending didn't payoff. The build up was so good, the ending came and went, and it fizzled out.
I don't think this was adapted on TV, the old serial killer becoming active again is always a good set up. However the ending didn't payoff. The build up was so good, the ending came and went, and it fizzled out.
January 3, 2016
I found this really, really hard going and speed-read the second half of the book just to get through it. Since it is relatively well-written it took some time to work out why but ultimately it was that all characters were of no interest whatsoever - I really could not bring myself to care one iota about any of them.
Additionally, I found the somewhat evangelistical harping on about lesbians profoundly irritating.
This is the second of Val McDermid's books I've read - I don't recall struggling so much with the other, perhaps it's just this particular cast of characters.
Additionally, I found the somewhat evangelistical harping on about lesbians profoundly irritating.
This is the second of Val McDermid's books I've read - I don't recall struggling so much with the other, perhaps it's just this particular cast of characters.
March 10, 2020
Love the two main characters Carol and Tony. Another great crime story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 694 reviews