Vigilantes

Retrieval Artist #13

by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

A shocking act of violence...

The looming threat of another attack spurs the Moon's chief security officer, Noelle DeRicci, to uncover the identity of the masterminds behind the Anniversary Day bombings before they strike again. Armed with information uncovered by Retrieval Artist Miles Flint and Detective Bartholomew Nyquist, DeRicci lets herself hope she can put an end to the violence against the Moon.

But then a brutal murder changes everything.

DeRicci must risk everything to launch a secret investigation into the very heart of the Earth Alliance.

Can the next attack be stopped?

Genres: Science Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Crime

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 13, 2015

About the author

Kristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.

Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.

In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".

She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent installment in the latest story arc. The plot thickens...
Well-written and incomplete! I'm glad the Anniversary Day Saga was released monthly instead of yearly. These last couple of novels have truly felt more like chapters.
That said this novel handles the 'othering' of the Peyti very effectively. The blowback on poor Zhu is most surprising in its intensity as is the predictable cover up. I like the paranoid environment and the government conspiracy. Now on to the next book...

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had such a slow start. More like slow first half and a little more. There was a lot of retreading known information from the story so far and very little new to propel momentum forward. Perhaps this works better when reading a series as it's coming out over time and not after it's a complete whole and there's less time between reading books. As much as I love Nyquist and his investigative style, I'm mostly into these novels because of Miles Flint & Noelle DeRicci and for the main of the book, they were both pretty light on story. Additionally, Talia (who I also adore) was still going through her issues from the Peyti attack. Important but took up too much story time.

But somewhere around the 55-60% mark, things picked up, Miles and Noelle featured a bit more and pieces to the clone attack puzzle start coming faster. All the characters make forward movement and it feels like just when it's getting good, it's over. Also points to the entire law first thread. The society & its attitude and laws regarding clones say nothing in its favour so I'm glad there are people pushing for a correction. That this society also has a contingent who think legal defense is somehow approval of crime strikes me almost as terrifying as whoever is looking to destroy the domes and all life in them.

I've begun the next already and can't wait to see where Rusch goes before pulling this into Series Finale Station. Recommended.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 3 out of 5]

#6 of 8 in the Anniversary Day saga. Although she warns readers upfront to read these in order, she repeats a lot, and some of the repetition is getting irritating. For example, she keeps talking about the concept of the Disappeared, even when it is not relevant to the matters at hand. Such things are not even necessary background to understand the current book (at least so far). There are also descriptive passages that are repeats of ones in previous books. The story is moving along well, but these side details are not being handled as well as I would like.

[Alain Normand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the story but again here, the first eleven chapters are just repeating what happened in the last three books. Too much repetition. I am still going to read the last two of the series because I do want to get to the end of the mystery but this is becoming laborious. I don't think I will ever start another series from Rusch. I don't want to get caught up in unending repetition.

[Michal · Rating 3 out of 5]

much better than the last two installments. the story is beginning to fill in the edges and the middle, bringing all the characters into play.
More like the Retrieval Artist novels.
I love this world and the characters

[Charl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auuugh! The story's really starting to develop, now, and we're seeing more of the structure. And then the book ended!

You've got to read the Anniversary Saga in order, or much of it won't make sense. But it's well worth it if you do.

[Avid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to return to this series.

[Al Menaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a bridge book, to get to the last 2 books in this series. I usually detest bridge books, but Rusch is, as always, a terrific writer, excellent character development, lots of plot.

[BBFlyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging story. Aliens, bombings on the moon, lawyers and murder most foul.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

More interesting than the last one but definitely not a stand alone novel.

[John Wegener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read. I can now see the tension start building towards the finale soon.

[Marion Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a series you enjoy is like wearing your favorite part of shoes. They are a comfortable fit and make you smile every time you put them on. Well, the Retrieval Artist Series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch has given me that same kind of feeling and after 13 books (with 2 more to go), I’m an unabashed fan of these books.

Vigilantes is Book Six of the Anniversary Day Saga that started with Anniversary Day and with two more books to go in the saga, the plot thickens as Retrieval Artist Miles Flint and Moon Chief Security Noelle DeRicci attempt uncover the mystery behind the Anniversary Day bombings on the Moon colony of Armstrong. Detective Bartholomew Nyquist (an excellent minor character throughout the series) and Miles uncover new information that leads them one step closer to what happened on that fateful day of the bombings. However, the murder of an prominent lawyer in Armstrong reveals another layer that Noelle DeRicci did not expect. She decides to launch a secret investigation in attempt to finally reveal who is responsible behind the bombings and keep another attack from happening.

Vigilantes is another solid entry in the Retrieval Artist Series and my favorite book of the saga since Blowback. It’s a must read for fans of the series and I would recommend for newcomers to start with Anniversary Day and read the subsequent books before getting to this one. I’m looking forward to Starbase Human, the next to last in the Anniversary Day Sage, and one step closer to resolving those Anniversary Day Bombings.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can the next attack be stopped?

I have to start with the same warning that Kris put at the beginning of each book in the Anniversary Day Saga. Unlike most of the books in the Retrieval Artist series the books in this saga do not stand alone. You need to start at the beginning and read in order.

Plot: complex, complex, complex – More is exposed but much is still unknown – There are flashbacks that give a glimp into how things started to develop that add to the development of the plot.

Characters: There are the characters from the Retrieval Artist series but this plot requires a large cast of characters. None are side characters all play a big part in the development of the story. With this many important characters their development could be shorted. That does not happen. Each has the development that adds to the story and plot.

World Building – The series is set in the world developed for the Retrieval series but the Anniversary Day Saga requires quite a bit of addition development. That development continues in Vigilantes and adds to the plot development.

Writing: Rusch is a experienced writer and it shows in this book and the series. Everything flows in a way that keeps the story and plot moving.

There is another very nice thing about the series. Each month a new book with another part of the story is released. There is just a one month wait for the next part and I have the next one on pre-order.

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm rounding up by half a star or even more, but this is one of my favorite installments in the Anniversary Day saga (which is itself part of the Retrieval Artist series). The book moves the saga's central mystery along nicely. We get to experience complex personal conflicts within many interesting characters, and the chronological back-and-forth which can make some of the installments a bit frustrating to read isn't a problem here.

(Note: my "date finished" notation is a guess, as I'm rereading some of the books in the saga after finishing the final one.)

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is almost a long walk to an end that may or may not be unexpected. This is another installment in the whodunit aspect of the anniversary day bombings, and weaves around the characters of Nyquist, Flint, Talia ( who is coping with horror) and some new characters from S3. I would have enjoyed a pick up in the pace, but I do want to see how this all ends.

[Samuel Lubell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best in the series since Blowback, although it still feels more like a piece of a novel rather than a whole, it is still better than books like A Murder of Clones or Search & Rescue that felt more like the author's character notes. The previous few books seemed like setup. This one has a bit of action and progress on the case. I'll have a full review up later.

[Carly Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just can't...

...get enough of this story! It's so intricate and complex that it's taking a lot for the author to tell it well and she's doing an excellent job of keeping it moving along without letting it get too confusing

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping book! I love this saga and this volume held me enthralled through every page!

[Muff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time to wrap up this storyline.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the last several books in the series. Felt a little short.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting good. Glad I"ve got the next one already, and the last one is on its way!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

highly recommend.