The Sweet Revenge Files

by Martin Herman

It is Christmas Eve, 2018. A bomb explodes in a packed movie theater. As the First Defenders move through the crime scene making instant life and death decisions, federal investigators pick up numerous clues, fingerprints and even D.N.A., all belonging to a known murderer. However, it soon becomes crystal clear that this particular criminal could not possibly have been responsible for this crime because he was executed almost eighty years before in the Cañon City, Colorado gas chamber. In “The Sweet Revenge Files”, the latest in the current series of Will James Mysteries, the resourceful and quick-witted investigator and his crew chase after three different, seemingly unrelated killers, all but obsessed by a need to dramatically settle old scores – A television preacher who claims to be doing God’s work by ridding the land of sinners… transgressors… non believers… but whose real driving force is to enrich herself and settle old scores regardless of the death and destruction left in her wake… An art dealer with a dark and well hidden past as well as all of the resources necessary for getting what he wants regardless of who or what he destroys in the process… A former KGB contract killer on a lifelong search for payback from the person who made it more challenging for him to ever rape another woman after he raped her… Each of these criminals seems to be willing and able to do whatever it takes to get their revenge even though such an all consuming objective can and does threaten their own survival. If you think you know how it will all end, guess again. You will almost certainly be wrong – so very, very wrong – because in a Will James Mystery things are very rarely as they first appear. You are about to be strapped into a roller coaster with no end in sight. You will feel as if you are moving in various directions at the very same time but you will refuse to get off until the very end.

350 pages, Paperback

Published May 16, 2017

About the author

Martin Herman was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and currently lives in Connecticut, midway up a small mountain.

For more than forty years he led a series of start-ups and troubled businesses towards stronger bottom line results, here and abroad.

Although he has written and published articles and short stories under a series of pen names since his early teens, it was not until he approached his 75th birthday that he published his first full length mystery novel, “The JeffersonFiles – the expanded edition” – a historical murder mystery, (now in its 8th printing).

The response from readers as young as 10 all the way up to a 93 to the protagonist, Will James, sparked enough interest to turn it into a series. With the launch of his newest novel, there are now four more novels in this series – “The Hidden Treasure Files” – an international thriller; “The Sweet Revenge Files” – a who dun nit that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page; , “The Return to Sender Files”, pitting Will James against a very clever cybercriminal who seems to be well on the way to bringing the entire civilized world to its knees and the newest novel in this series,.The 1st Tuesday of the Month Murder Files.

Late last year Martin released two new books. One, a book of short stories titled, “A Very Special Dress & Other Stories with his daughter Aimee, already a published author on her own, and a biography of a still active 93-year-old Hartford musician, Howard M. Hill.

He is currently writing a novel that follows eight generations of a family of grifters, scam artists, and swindlers who skillfully cheat the rich, the famous, and the infamous, over a 400 year period. Also scheduled for release in the next year is a book on business basics based on his 40 year career as a turn-around expert.

He also teaches writing at U-CONN, Waterbury, as part of their OLLI program.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery,
Kept me guessing.
Here once again the story had twists and turns.
I will admit that towards the end I did shed a few tears, I laughed at other parts.
That was telling me the author Martin Herman was doing his job and doing it eight. An author that can make you smile, cry, or feel other emotions in the span of a book or books, is doing his job.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The unexpected. While shopping, we saw Martin Herman at a table with his books in Lord & Taylors. My sista friend and I stopped because we both just love to talk to people (her, much more than me) They discovered they lived in the same town and had a few things in common. So we're looking and talking and thrilled to meet him and after a stimulating and insightful conversation, we shared the cost of all three books, which he signed. I left with The Sweet Revenge Files and she and her daughter would read the other two and then we switch.

I started off slowly a bit put off with the bomb part which is a part of our everyday reality in today's world. But the more I read, the more intrigued I was with who, why, will they catch them! I love a good mystery. What a rollercoaster ride! I couldn't stop reading and when I was finished, I wanted more. Amazing book. Amazing author. So much attention to detail and research. Usually I suspect what's going to happen or have an idea where a plot is going, but there were so many unexpected turns that I was continuously surprised. It had me talking out loud and to the book. One character I found so antagonizing and when they changed it was a "well finally" moment uttered aloud. I love the pattern of how everyone and everything came together. I did cry at the end so much so that I had to stop reading to wipe my eyes so I could see again. I can't wait to read the other two books. I highly recommend this book. You won't be sorry. Thanks Martin. You actually put me on the road to seriously reading again.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book at a fair by this adorable older gentleman, so I just HAD to buy it! Mystery is not my typical genre (a romance junkie), but I had to try it! Unfortunately, it was not my kind of story nor my favorite. It was very confusing as the jargon used was a LOT of FBI, governmental, and detective language that may be confusing to those who don't follow things like that.
It's about a bombing at a theater on Christmas Eve, and the detectives are trying to find out who did it, BUT the reader knows who did it within the first chapter of the book. So therefore, the book is the reader watching everything unfold and watching the detectives figure out what happened. It makes it a bit less exciting because the part that you want to know the most (who did it), you already know so therefore the ending is very anticlimactic. It does jump storylines a lot, which makes it confusing as well as using names like "the secretary" rather than their real name so it's a bit hard to follow.
There were parts during the investigation where the detectives were beginning to find out who did it, and those parts were VERY interesting and captivating. Although it wasn't my type of book, I do recommend to those who enjoy mystery type books or investigations.
Shout-out to the author as well, he was extremely sweet and worked very hard to create these books! :)

[Kylie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Minor spoiler*

I own a small business and I do a lot of craft fairs in New England. I met Martin at one during the pandemic. this was the first Will James books I picked up. I read it and fell in love with the story and its characters. I have read it over many times, convinced my middle school English teacher to allow me to do a book report on it, let me tell ya, he was not happy when I mentioned the bombings and I wasn't allowed to pick my own book report book again til the next year, although this wouldn't be the first time he threatened to revoke my book choosing privilege. I was always that girl reading the books no other girl would read, and this book, The Sweet Revenge Files,-and the rest of the Will James series- has down on my list of favorite books.

It is so well written. The phrase, "You will not be able to put this book down" is actually true. Once you get into this novel, you will not be able to put it down.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so disappointed in this book. It started out strong, and I was excited to read it. But when high level government officials/operatives use their real names when meeting with a suspect…which then moves the plot along…that seems lazy. There are too many surprising connections in the book, and at one point the author even used a character to state “I wouldn’t believe it if it were in a novel or a movie so why should I believe it here and now.” It’s in a novel…and it’s not very believable.

[Deb Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in his Will James series and it is a well written mix of fact and fiction. I especially enjoy the final recap where he talks about what is fact and fiction and the basis for why he would write certain passages. I'll be starting the next book later today.

[Rachel-Morgan Lanouette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know that I would necessarily say this was a "good" book but it was definitely entertaining, fast paced, and out there so to speak.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! This has my greatest praise!! Everyone should go out and read this immediately!