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The Darby Shaw Chronicles #2
Retaliation
A year after Detective Darby Shaw found out she was a superhuman who could revive the murdered, she has uneasily accepted the expectations on her and settled into the new direction of her life, although she's not sure she likes it.
Darby's relative peace is shattered when, a year to the day after her first resuscitation, the 37-year-old killer in the case turns up dead in his jail cell—his body withered to that of an aged man. Speculation mounts that Darby and her powers are directly responsible for the death of the killer.
The Department of SuperHuman Affairs attempts to revoke her status as a super so they can whisk her off for testing without being bound by the SuperHuman Bill of Rights. But when a motion for just that is denied by the court, even Darby will be surprised at just how far they will go to get their hands on her...
Darby's relative peace is shattered when, a year to the day after her first resuscitation, the 37-year-old killer in the case turns up dead in his jail cell—his body withered to that of an aged man. Speculation mounts that Darby and her powers are directly responsible for the death of the killer.
The Department of SuperHuman Affairs attempts to revoke her status as a super so they can whisk her off for testing without being bound by the SuperHuman Bill of Rights. But when a motion for just that is denied by the court, even Darby will be surprised at just how far they will go to get their hands on her...
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2014
16 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Liberty Speidel
14 books55 followersLiberty Speidel thought she found herself years ago. But she recently discovered she's not the person she believed. Always striving for more understanding of self, Liberty writes tales of people discovering themselves—and others. A native Kansan, Liberty lives with her muggle teenage daughter, hobbit preteen son, and their menagerie of pets.
(And, yes, her name really is Liberty.)
Find out more about her at her website and catch her hamming it up on The Lasers Dragons And Keyboards Podcast.
To join Liberty's newsletter where you can learn about new releases, get exclusive short stories, and find out what she's up to, click here: Fans of Darby Shaw Chronicles.
(And, yes, her name really is Liberty.)
Find out more about her at her website and catch her hamming it up on The Lasers Dragons And Keyboards Podcast.
To join Liberty's newsletter where you can learn about new releases, get exclusive short stories, and find out what she's up to, click here: Fans of Darby Shaw Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 10, 2018
Wow, the sequel is a little darker but still VERY well written and REALLY grabs your attention from the start!
It's a little creepy to discover that the murderers Darby gets put into jail are dying a year later from aging overnight. Makes her reconsider the entire resuscitation procedure she has been doing with the victims, but her family and bosses convince her she's doing the right thing saving peoples' lives and it's no big loss with the murderers since she's taking them off the streets. So mysterious and would like to get that part of the plot resolved.
Darby and her partner, Mark, have some real chemistry going on, but nothing has happened between them yet.
She gets kidnapped in this one and it's super creepy how they torment her. Nothing is detailed or graphic but the suspense keeps you turning the pages fast. One of the doctors touches her inappropriately and grabs her boob in a painful manner. Does someone get to shoot this guy? Hope so.
Little more profanity in this one, f word and sh words, but still a great read and loved how the police united to find Darby.
It's a little creepy to discover that the murderers Darby gets put into jail are dying a year later from aging overnight. Makes her reconsider the entire resuscitation procedure she has been doing with the victims, but her family and bosses convince her she's doing the right thing saving peoples' lives and it's no big loss with the murderers since she's taking them off the streets. So mysterious and would like to get that part of the plot resolved.
Darby and her partner, Mark, have some real chemistry going on, but nothing has happened between them yet.
She gets kidnapped in this one and it's super creepy how they torment her. Nothing is detailed or graphic but the suspense keeps you turning the pages fast. One of the doctors touches her inappropriately and grabs her boob in a painful manner. Does someone get to shoot this guy? Hope so.
Little more profanity in this one, f word and sh words, but still a great read and loved how the police united to find Darby.
December 7, 2014
Detective Darby Shaw is back, and author Liberty Speidel pulls out all the stops to take her on a bigger, badder, more epic adventure. This book finds Darby settled well into her role - using her unique ability to bring murder victims back to life.
The discovery that the killer of the first victim that Darby raised to life has mysteriously died plunges her into a legal controversy, and a disturbing moral dilemma with terrible implications. This leaves her questioning everything about who she is and what she does. The thing that I think disturbed me the most however, is that the people around her didn't seem too bothered by it. This dilemma is not fully resolved in the book and will likely continue to be a matter of story arc in the future.
At the heart of all of this though is the realisation that there are powerful people out there who have it in for Darby.
Retaliation is much edgier than the first book in the series, and adds a great deal more texture to the world. I continue to be enthusiastic about the possibilities these books offer.
The discovery that the killer of the first victim that Darby raised to life has mysteriously died plunges her into a legal controversy, and a disturbing moral dilemma with terrible implications. This leaves her questioning everything about who she is and what she does. The thing that I think disturbed me the most however, is that the people around her didn't seem too bothered by it. This dilemma is not fully resolved in the book and will likely continue to be a matter of story arc in the future.
At the heart of all of this though is the realisation that there are powerful people out there who have it in for Darby.
Retaliation is much edgier than the first book in the series, and adds a great deal more texture to the world. I continue to be enthusiastic about the possibilities these books offer.
October 9, 2024
"Retaliation" is a wonderful follow up to "Emergence" the first book in the Darby Shaw Chronicles. It has been a year since Darby's superpower of bringing the dead back to life has emerged. She and Mark Herman have a good working relationship and life is moving along as it should. Yes, there is constant harassment from the news media and there are the strange devotees who literally worshipped the ground she walks on. They call her their goddess.
Darby is called to Austin, Texas to work a serial killer case. They want her to try and resurrect the latest two victims. As soon as Darby is able, she wants to get back home to Kansas City. Unfortunately, the husband of the first victim Darby resurrected has died suddenly a year to the date. His body aged tremendously. This leads all of the alphabet law agencies (FBI, CIA) calling to legally have Darby turned over into their custody so that they can determined her supernatural skills are the reason for the deteriorated bodies of the murder perpetuators.
When the courts rule in Darby's favor, the religious devotees warn Darby that someone has been watching her and want to harm her. She falsely believes that because she is a cop, she can take care of herself. However, when she is abducted by a military precise team all of the Bendex PD's resources are being used to find her and bring her home.
This was a great follow up. It was great to see how Darby has developed a great group of friends among her fellow officers, the courts and even the crazy religious devotees. Of course, she still has her detractors. They want nothing more than to see her fail. The question is, who wants to get their hands on her the most?
Darby is called to Austin, Texas to work a serial killer case. They want her to try and resurrect the latest two victims. As soon as Darby is able, she wants to get back home to Kansas City. Unfortunately, the husband of the first victim Darby resurrected has died suddenly a year to the date. His body aged tremendously. This leads all of the alphabet law agencies (FBI, CIA) calling to legally have Darby turned over into their custody so that they can determined her supernatural skills are the reason for the deteriorated bodies of the murder perpetuators.
When the courts rule in Darby's favor, the religious devotees warn Darby that someone has been watching her and want to harm her. She falsely believes that because she is a cop, she can take care of herself. However, when she is abducted by a military precise team all of the Bendex PD's resources are being used to find her and bring her home.
This was a great follow up. It was great to see how Darby has developed a great group of friends among her fellow officers, the courts and even the crazy religious devotees. Of course, she still has her detractors. They want nothing more than to see her fail. The question is, who wants to get their hands on her the most?
August 16, 2017
While I really enjoyed this longer look into Darby's world, there are a few things I wish would be fleshed out more. We're told that a couple of characters are Darby's best friends but one we have not seen interact with her at all other than a summary of a phone call, the other has been present for legal matters and we haven't seen them have any friend moments outside of that. The same is also true of her relationship with her partner Mark. That was just getting started in the first book, but now we are moved forward a year and left to assume they've become close, but I would have liked to see that on the page more before the kidnapping happens. The case itself is exciting and has good pacing. I enjoyed having so much of Mark's point of view. However when I read the sneak peek for book 3 I was a bit surprised at how Darby's relationships have changed in the future. I will have to read that one right away because I have certain hopes for how things play out.
May 7, 2018
Pretty good, but some bad language
I noticed (and appreciated) that, while there was mild cussing in the first book, the author seemed to be trying to avoid it, often saying something about the person cussing instead of using the actual words. In this book, however, an actual f-bomb was used, which surprised me from a author who thanks her "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
I also thought the brief sexual abuse Darby suffered was unnecessary and slightly disturbing.
Also, the author and/or editor seem to use the words "which" and "that" interchangeably, which is incorrect.
I noticed (and appreciated) that, while there was mild cussing in the first book, the author seemed to be trying to avoid it, often saying something about the person cussing instead of using the actual words. In this book, however, an actual f-bomb was used, which surprised me from a author who thanks her "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
I also thought the brief sexual abuse Darby suffered was unnecessary and slightly disturbing.
Also, the author and/or editor seem to use the words "which" and "that" interchangeably, which is incorrect.
January 6, 2024
Excellent
July 4, 2016
This second installment of the series had some nice developments. I gave this one a 5 because for the entertainment factor, character development, setting, conflict, tension buildup and suspense. I've always loved superheroes and always will. The story idea with the crime writing and her particular powers are unique. I enjoyed seeing Marks POV getting an inside scoop of his feelings. The backdrop with bureaucratic conflicts and tension were great. The suspense is sown in particular areas that keep you wondering what will happen next. All of those elements together make up a 5 star enchilada!
November 24, 2014
This new installment in the Darby Shaw Chronicles finds Darby in more danger than she could have imagined. The suspense that Liberty Speidel has penned into this book will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages rapidly. Not wanting to give anything away about the plot, I will simply tell you that this is possibly Darby's worst nightmare come true. The word pictures are vivid and clear. The characters jump off the page and pull you in. I recommend this book highly.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews