Payback

by Chris Calder

Payback is a fast-moving, pacey revenge thriller. Geoff Summers is a brilliant designer of electronic controllers for anti-burglar systems, whose vindictive new managing director prevents him from fulfilling his wife's dying wish. Geoff's revenge is ingenious, slow and sweet. This story will keep you turning the pages all the way to its explosive climax.

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2013

About the author

After ten happy years of retirement in rural France, Chris Calder is back in England. He came late to writing novels, penning his first whilst incarcerated in a French hospital following cancer surgery. At the time he spoke little French. Unable to communicate effectively with the staff, he spent his time fleshing out his first novel. Four more have followed; light thrillers leavened with humour.

Chris knows that readers of fiction expect to be diverted and entertained. He loves feedback and believes passionately that taking on board readers’ views improves what he does.

You can find him at: http://www.chriscalder.com.

“You have an aggressive cancer.” That’s what the specialist said. Not what I needed in my seventies, happily retired in France. Recovering after surgery and unable to communicate easily in French, I wrote my first novel. It was based on stuff I experienced during years running my small engineering business. Years of avoiding people in brown envelopes.

Five books to date; four light thrillers, the fifth not. But that one’s in a narrow niche and has potential for sequels. When asked which is my favourite book I say, “The next one.” When asked when I intend to quit, I reply, “Ask me again in twenty years’ time.”

Published:

PAYBACK, written in 2013. A light revenge thriller, based loosely on personal experience.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. A priest charged with helping other priests who have problems. But he has his own demons to confront.

CELESTE THREE IS MISSING. A light thriller, set in the near future of passenger earth-orbit travel. The protagonist waits a long time to get even with a murderous Russian oligarch.

KISMET. A slightly darker thriller. A British Member of Parliament falls foul of ISIS.

Completed, now published as an e-book:

GROWING APART. A story about twin boys conceived in pre-war India by an affair between an English civil servant and a vivacious Anglo-Indian woman. She dies in childbirth and the twins are separated. One is adopted and raised in India, the other is taken by the father to be raised in middle-class comfort in England. They meet 25 years later in dramatic circumstances.

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I found this difficult to engage with at the start with a lot of names thrown at you.
Thankfully I persevered because the story pulls you in and becomes a real page turner.
Although far fetched in places this is well worth a read.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Payback by Chris Calder.
A good read with likeable characters. Found it a little slow but I read it. Cant say I had a favourite character as I wasn't sure about them. 4*.

[Aakriti Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

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"Payback" by Chris Calder is an outstanding book which is based on crime thriller genre. It has an elements of crime, suspense, thrill and revenge. It is a perfect blend of all these elements. The storyline was engaging and will keep you going till the end. It has alot up's and down which were really interesting and unpredictable. Do grab your copies now for going through such an amazing read.
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Now, coming on the book cover, it's very well-designed and attractive. The title is unique and well-suited. The narration was apt.
The language used by the author was simple and reader-friendly. All the characterization was perfectly done. The pace was good.
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Overall, a good read and will definitely recommend.
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