Revenge!

Natalie McMasters Mysteries #2

by Thomas A. Burns Jr.

Natalie McMasters is twenty, short and blonde (OK, it’s bleached), a way cute former stripper and a pre-law student at State. Nattie also works as a private detective at her uncle’s 3M Detective Agency. She’s deeply in love with her girlfriend Lupe, also a former stripper and undocumented immigrant, who’s now a pole-dancing instructor at a local gym. They’ve finally gotten Lupe’s eight-year-old son Eduardo into public school, and it looks like the American Dream may soon become a reality for their little family. That is until a steamy video of Nattie and Lupe appears on the campus-wide closed-circuit TV system. The video is only the first of a series of distressing events that affects every aspect of Nattie’s life and threatens the well-being of her family and friends as well. What could Nattie have possibly done in her short life to deserve the callous revenge her unseen tormentor is so brutally exacting? Revenge! is ripped from today’s headlines and full of the unexpected plot twists and non-stop action that Nattie’s fans have come to expect. It has a shocking ending that you won’t see coming, even though all the clues are there.

Genres: Mystery

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2018

About the author

As a kid, Tom started reading mysteries with the Hardy Boys, Ken Holt and Rick Brant, and graduated to the classic stories by authors such as A. Conan Doyle, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner and Rex Stout to name a few. Tom has written fiction as a hobby all of his life, starting in marble-backed copybooks in grade school. He built a career as a writer, doing technical writing, science writing and editing for nearly thirty years in industry and government. Now that he's truly on his own as a freelance science writer and editor, he's excited to publish his own mystery series as well. Follow Tom on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/3MDetectiveA..., on Twitter @3Mdetective or email him at tom@3mdetectiveagency.com to get all the news about Nattie and 3M, as well as Tom's other writing projects.

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Revenge! (Natalie McMasters Mysteries #2)” is an intense mystery/thriller. And when I use the word “intense” here, I mean “OMG the despicable evils that people are capable are the center of Natalie’s life”.

If you like thrillers with graphic descriptions of rape, torture, animal cruelty, arson and murder, you’re going to love this book. I considered book 1 intense, but the intensity was dialed up from 10 to 10,000 here, and it was for me, frankly, too intense. I enjoy graphic violence occasionally, but in sci-fi or paranormal contexts, where it rarely feels “real”. As the blurb for this book says, though, book 2 is “ripped from today’s headlines”, and the violence feels very very real.

Ok, trigger warnings etc are now done. The story is very realistic, and very well written. The narrator did an excellent job, once again.

MC Natalie is very likable, as is her girlfriend, later wife, Lupe, and many of the other characters, including her mom, uncle, the two PI’s working at 3M (Danny and former Detective Kidd), and her wonderful counselor, Rebecca. Even the street gang leader is presented as a surprisingly likable, and realistic, character who is capable of loyalty and something close to friendship, as well as unspeakable cruelty. Just by knowing Natalie, everyone she knows becomes targeted.

The evil characters aren’t as complex as Natalie’s friends and family. They’re evil.

Throughout the story, the pressures put on many people to do unthinkable things by people in positions of authority are heartbreakingly realistic. As I write this, thinking of police corruption in this book, the all-too-real story of a retired detective and his son being arrested months after they killed a black man…months during which police and the DA did nothing until a video became available...makes it clear that so many of the violent things in this book truly are drawn from today’s headlines.

“Revenge!” will make you uncomfortable, as does the news, but it’s like driving by an accident or walking near a crime scene….you just have to listen to Natalie’s story. The book ends on a minor cliffhanger - read the blurb for book 3 and you’ll understand. Also, while Natalie realized in book 1 that she loved Lupe far more than any man she’d dated, or even been engaged to, in book 2 we get several hints that she may be more fluid than lesbian. I was curious, and read the blurb for book 4. So for reviewers who are angry that a lesbian is expressing attraction to a man; in Natalie’s case this is not a lesbian being “fixed”, this is a woman who is passionate for people she loves and body parts aren’t a critical issue for her love.

I listen to very few thrillers because of the dark realism, but every now and then I like to try something different. While I’m glad I did, I realize that dark realism isn’t something I’ll listen to lots of, but for those who enjoy it - this is a terrific book with, as I said, excellent narration. 4* for “Revenge!”.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

My rating and my review was not in anyway affected by my having been provided a review copy.

[J.P. Willson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh...

[Angela Panayotopulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

In REVENGE!, I'm re-immersed in the life of Natalie McMasters, who I had the pleasure of meeting in Burns' prior book in this series, STRIPPER!. Just as in its prequel, I found it easy to follow the story of feisty Nat, ex-stripper and thus rather atypical college kid, whose sexual experimentations in Book 1 have led her to pair up with Lupe, a single mother. Nat's got blood on her hands and righteousness on her side, and once again she's fighting to reclaim truth and dignity as she hunts down the perpetrator behind a leaked sex tape. The plot line was a bit too deja-vu for me after the first book, but that makes it no less of a perfectly plausible scenario given Natalie's (old) line of work...



The storyline here, too, is brisk and flows pretty well; in this book, just as in the first, I felt again thrown off course more than once by the excessive use of acronyms and abbreviations (it's not that I don't think younger folk use them, but their usage seems more plausible in written text messages rather than in verbal dialogue; if this book was narrated in the form of a diary/journal, the word choices and acronyms would have made a lot more sense to me personally).

This book stays true to the series and genre overall by retaining its gritty vibe, multi-faceted and not always likable (thereby quite believable) cast of characters, and suspenseful twists and turns. I was again struck by the author's approach to enter the mindset and work on projecting the voice of a young college woman--no easy feat considering that he is neither female nor 20-ish years of age--and personally I consider that a brave, bold, and commendable choice of narration.

[Steve Cantwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first began to read this excellent book I was concerned that it was aimed at younger people than me. It probably is, but that didn’t stop it from being a great read.

The book is written in the present tense and first person, with the protagonist/narrator being a 20 year old lesbian college student who talks glibly about killing people. She uses phrases and words of which I sometimes had to guess the meaning, and sometimes speaks in initials such as OMG. She can be infuriating with her poor choice of action sometimes, but I guess that is what makes her an interesting character.

The story revolves around Natalie trying to find out who is ruining her life and the lives of those around her, and it moves along fairly briskly. There are no long, rambling descriptive passages - the writing is all story-driven and it held my attention easily. There are twists and turns and I was kept guessing until the end, which is how I like it.

It is true that I’m not that keen on present tense writing, and also that some of the modern/hip language annoyed or confused me sometimes (would even young people really say “OMG” instead of “Oh my God” when suddenly and truly shocked?). However, that may well be a reflection of my age rather than a valid criticism.

Despite my reservations with the hip language, I really enjoyed this book. I think it is probably aimed at the younger generation, but even old fogeys like me can get a lot of pleasure from reading it.

[Lucretia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unexpected gem. I was fully gripped from page one to the last word as the pace was fast without much down time. Natalie was the type of character I appreciate, with dimension. While hard, and often crass, there is also a vulnerability to her that makes her more than the average cardboard sassy heroine. Since I haven’t read the first part, I did get the feeling that I might have missed some of the depth between Natalie and her girlfriend, Lupe, however, that just makes me want to give it a read and see what I missed. From the other snippets of backstory, it sounds like I missed another wonderful story.

The story has a whole lot of threads that twine together to keep things tense as you try to figure out who it is that’s causing trouble for Natalie, and Lupe. Is it all related? The stakes continue to grow as well, the deeper you get. I found myself staring harder and gripping the kindle tighter as I reached the end. That end. Fantastic.

If you are looking for a thrilling mystery this one will satisfy.

[Sam Fury · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening line of this book hooked me, and it just kept getting better.

This is the first of the McMasters series I have had the pleasure to read. There is a volume before it but I followed the story fine reading it as a stand alone.

It’s a smart and intriguing story with twists that kept me guessing all the way to the end.

One thing I had a bit of trouble with was some of the lingo used. I’m not a young American female so I had to re-read a few lines several times. But there wasn't too much of it and was definitely manageable with context.

I look forward to the sequel which I hear is coming out in spring.

[Eunice Nascimento · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, brilliant mystery brimming with twists and suspense. It’s packed with action, has relatable characters and one can’t help but root for the main character. If you enjoy crime mystery where you keep guessing to the end, you’ll love Revenge.

[E.M. Swift-Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Present Tense Taut and Quirky Thriller

'Somebody's got it in for me'.

Natalie McMasters is a regular pre-law student with an irregular, interesting history which, with the help of her therapist Rebecca, she has been hoping to leave behind so she can focus on her studies and her family. She has a girlfriend, Lupe and a step-son, Lupe’s eight-year old Eduardo. But when someone decides to put a video of her and Lupe making love on the campus system, Nattie has to face up to her past and try to find out what is going on.

This is a book I didn’t think I’d like at all when I started reading it. I mean, a book written in the present tense about a 20 year old ex-stripper who has killed people? But the author has done a masterful job of making Nattie a delightfully relatable character and the reader comes qickly to care about her and the people in her life.

"I was wrong when I criticized you and Lupe for your lifestyle. It wasn't my place to do it and I'm sorry for it. Can you forgive me?”

What I Really Liked:
- The pace. It was a book that cracked along with page turning intensity.
- The characters. I found all the characters very believable and three dimensional. Their reactions to the situations they found themselves in were realistic and understandable.
- The use of language. Very believable for a 20 year old.
- Tackling issues. This book tackles a number of incredibly deep and difficult issues head on and with a confident touch. Things like US immigration policy and the impact of religion on relationships.

'A vein throbs in his temple and he's on the verge of yelling, then something clicks and he's ROFL right along with me.'

What I Struggled With:
- Present tense. The one thing that completely blew this book out of the water for me was the choice of the author to write in the present tense. It was one of the braver attempts at this technique I have come across, but time and again it shattered my immersion and threw me out of reading flow. Present tense is simple not as flexible or as deep as past, it gives an author far fewer options in verb form and as a result there are always times that it feels awkward and forced. This was especially noticeable when shifting to recall of past events and then back to present tense. It would have been rock-solid 5* otherwise.
- The amount of backstory. This book is written to stand alone, but the price of that is the extensive amount we are told about Nattie’s previous adventures. This means if you do read this book before the first, you won’t want to read the first as you already know what is going to happen in some detail.

Overall:
A really great thriller, sadly spoilt by the author choosing to use the present tense.

Star Rating: 4

Who Would Enjoy this Book:
Anyone who loves a thundering good thriller and is not put off by reading books written in the present tense.

[Cam Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This action-packed mystery/thriller picks up where Stripper left off and does a great job of building the character of Natalie McMasters - a young, strong female protagonist. After having killed three people, justifiably in self-defense, we find Nattie on state campus in a therapy session with her counselor, Rebecca Feiner, as she struggles with nightmares but won't come clean about the killings. Although she's done and experienced quite a bit in her short life, she'd rather not tell others she's a mass murderer. Shortly after leaving the session, while waiting in the library for her next class to begin, a video of two naked women is suddenly broadcast on the screens for all to see - it's of Nattie and her girlfriend Lupe! But rather than a victim of this despicable act, she's cast as the perpetrator by Director Simonson of the Office of Student Conduct. Apparently, her video has created a hostile environment on campus, a breach of Title IX of the federal Education Amendments law. While Simonson seeks to bring Nattie to justice and have her expelled from the university, Nattie must find out who was responsible for that video. Who would have reason to seek such revenge?

There is so much to like about the Natalie McCasters series, first and foremost the unpredictability of what she'll face. Some of it is self-inflicted by her own naivete and impulsive behavior as each poor decision results in compounding consequences - not a bad lesson in life. Nattie is good-hearted at her core which makes her an admirable protagonist but in Revenge!, her failure to be completely truthful puts herself and many of her friends and loved ones in danger.

Burns has crafted another well-layered thriller with twists, turns, and shocking surprises. His heroes are easy to root for and his villains are easy to despise, which helps invest you in the novel. There are usually a few new things I learn in a Burns mystery, and as always, there are important and timely themes discussed, from illegal immigration to sexual harassment. Revenge is another great addition to the McMasters mysteries.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, an impression I gleaned reading the first book in the Natalie McMasters series with regard to location was that this series takes place in Any City, USA. Upon starting to read REVENGE!, I find that the location, although still not specific, would be Any Southern State Capital, USA where Nattie attends the State University. This regional location helps to explain some of family dynamic on display.

REVENGE!, the second book in the Natalie McMasters series, looks at the very personal circumstances that cause a person to seek retribution. Payback can take the form of words, heated or otherwise, or physical harm… even death. If you read the first book in the series (you should!), you will know that Nattie is a twenty-something hothead who often leaps before looking, and maybe, just maybe, she has earned the right to seek revenge. You will also realize that revenge is a two-way street, and Natalie is in as much peril as those she wants to pay back.

It isn't often that I read something by a particular writer and become so involved in the story and the characters that I can put most everything else aside. Immediately upon finishing REVENGE!, I started reading the third book in the series. This is a series made to binge.

I'm not one to do spoilers, especially when reviewing mysteries and thrillers. I think you should read books with as little foreknowledge of the plot as possible in order to discover all the nuances for yourself. If you enjoy well-written contemporary stories that offer a real page turning experience check out STRIPPER! and REVENGE! You won't be sorry.

[Rebecca Winkler · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:
Let me start out by saying the synopsis takes care of telling you what the story is about, so I’ll give you my thoughts about the writing.

The story itself held my interest and kept me turning pages to find out what will happen next. The pairing of characters and interaction between them is well written—Rebecca and Nattie, Danny and Nattie, Lupe and Nattie, and LeBrowne and Nattie, just to name a few. You can hear the distinction in each of their voices. They are all well-developed characters. Well done, Mr. Burns.

What did not work for me:
The overuse of the word “I” in parts of the writing slowed down the flow. For instance, a paragraph with several sentences that all begin with “I” made the writing feel like wood, telling and not showing, and then things would begin to flow again wonderfully.

The information dump regarding immigration law is too much at one time and took me out of the flow of the story. At this point we do not know what Lupe will face in the future to fix her problem. Reveal the legal immigration process as Lupe is living it. Let the law support the action she needs to take at that moment in time. Spoon feed it to me.

The Final Say:
This author has created a refreshingly original character in Natalie McMasters. She has all the flaws of a real person, a little offbeat, quirky, roughed up edges, with a heart and soul. She has loved strongly and lost painfully for her young years. She’s a survivor and faces her challenges. She also keeps secrets and is guarded. She’s wonderful. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Dave Saari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Dark Thomas Burns Thriller

This is the third Natalie McMasters mystery by author Thomas A. Burns Jr. that I’ve read, following “Stripper!” (2018) and “Killers!” (2021). “Revenge!” is the second in the series, so I have not read them in the proper order, but that didn’t spoil anything for me. “Revenge!” stands on its own and I found it interesting and exciting, though dark. Natalie is a feisty young college student, now living with her lover Lupe and Lupe’s son, both introduced in “Stripper!” In this book, she faces various threats to herself, Lupe, and Danny and many her other associates in the 3M Detective Agency from a person or persons unknown. The story revolves around her attempts to discover the perpetrators and bring them to justice. She is still the same brash and impulsive go-getter we met in “Strippers!” which leads her into more and more harrowing situations.

The story is told by Natalie in a first person, present tense narrative, filled with slang (WTF, OMG, ratchet, fleek, etc.) and quite a bit of bad grammar – apparently that’s to be expected from a modern-day college student considering law school. There are occasional shifts to past tense, as expected to relate previous events but also occasionally for no apparent reason, and I still found this style a bit off-putting. My major complaint – which I also found in “Stripper!” and “Killers!” – is that there are too many typos, the bane of many indie authors. All-in-all, though, I gave “Revenge!” a 3.5-star rating, since it's a good read in spite of these perceived negatives.

[A.R. Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out with the main character stating that she has already killed three people and leads us into a mystery.
Natalie is having a hard time opening up about her experience with being rape (or not raped) and killing three people to save herself and her girlfriend. Heading back to class from her therapy appointment she sees a sex tape of her of campus TV, but here is the twist, the man in possession of the tape was one of the men she killed. From here we follow our heroine as she tracks down the person or people responsible.
What I like:
This book is fast passed and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are twisted individuals and the scenarios are truly gritty. I toughly enjoyed the entertainment I got from reading the interactions between the various people, and on occasion, I even chuckled. Also, the mystery aspect of this book is very well done and in tune with the modern times.
What I didn’t like:
At times this book seemed a bit in your face political, which would have been fine if it was a political book, but not something I enjoy in my other genres. There were also points in time that I felt very lost in the story as I have not read the first book and felt as if I had to in order to understand what was going on.
In conclusion:
This is a great book for the younger generation/New Adult audience who enjoy a mystery novel. Also, I would highly recommend reading the first book to get the best experience from this one.

[Carolyn St-Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having already had the pleasure of reading Burns, Jr.'s first book Stripper!, I was looking forward to seeing the plucky young Nattie again and Revenge! did not disappoint.
Nattie is a university student with a past. She’s been s stripper and she’s even killed people. Now her life is falling apart. Her cat is brutally murdered, a sex video is released, and the university pursues a case against her while her girlfriend is threatened with deportation. Someone is after Nattie. But who?
This book is probably targeted to a younger audience (I'm in my forties) as I found all the acronyms a bit distracting. Also, the rehashing of events from the first book made certain parts redundant. But make no mistake, the characters are well-developed, the story is clean and moves quickly. Just when I thought I'd figured out who is after Nattie, the plot goes in a different direction and I couldn’t put my kindle down.
A very fun and easy read!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the Natalie McMasters Mystery Series by Thomas A Burns, Jr was a story about the unrelenting torment of Natalie and those around her due to an ever-escalating thirst for revenge with wanton disregard for the innocent body count. As if that weren't enough in Natalie's life to contend with, the author also throws in PTSD resulting from incidents in the first book in the series, as well as turmoil in her personal life. It takes quite a while for the author to reveal who is behind all targeted events which only adds to the suspense of not knowing who or why. I always enjoyed the parts of the story that are told in Natalie's mind but not spoken out loud as they add immensely to the entertainment and enjoyment factors of the book. I have already added book 3 to my TBR file. This is a voluntary review of this book.

[Felix Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things go from bad to worse for Natalie.

This tale picks up the story of Natalie McMasters where it left off. Natalie is licking her wounds after escaping from a violent confrontation where she saved her girlfriend from certain death at the hands of a cartel.

But instead of forging ahead at Law School to become the principled public defender she’s always wanted to be, she’s skipping school and struggling through her shrink sessions.

Things go from bad to worse when an unseen adversary posts revenge porn all over the campus and in a perverted misuse of a law designed to protect women from sexual harassment she finds herself in danger of getting kicked out of college.

This book wasn’t as polished as Stripper! but fans of noire may enjoy Revenge!

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was well-written with a "keep turning the pages" pace. The plot is well-crafted, the characters interesting and well-developed. There was one minor character whose story didn't seem to resolve by the end and I wanted the bad guys to get a more robust comeuppance. Those items aside, it was an entertaining read and kept my interest throughout. I'll definitely continue with the series.

[Jeff Cochrane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good

I think I liked the first book better. This was good. The relationship between Nattie and Lupe grew. The premise was good. Don’t know why I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first. Strong suggestion is to read the books in order. This definitely builds on the previous one. Recommended.