Retribution (C.J. Townsend #1)

Jan 22, 2008 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished, owned-and-gave-away

Jilliane Hoffman, Retribution (Putnam, 2004)

It's not often that a single book causes me to put aside everything else I'm reading to concentrate on it. I got my copy of Retribution in the mail, and started paging through it about half an hour later. Thirty-six hours later, with little food and sleep in the interim, I'd finished it, having put aside the other books in the queue to concentrate solely on Jilliane Hoffman's debut novel.

Some books are best summed up with the same "what if?" question t...more Jilliane Hoffman, Retribution (Putnam, 2004)

It's not often that a single book causes me to put aside everything else I'm reading to concentrate on it. I got my copy of Retribution in the mail, and started paging through it about half an hour later. Thirty-six hours later, with little food and sleep in the interim, I'd finished it, having put aside the other books in the queue to concentrate solely on Jilliane Hoffman's debut novel.

Some books are best summed up with the same "what if?" question the author likely asked when forming the idea for the book, and this is one of them: what if an ADA found herself prosecuting a defendant whom she had a vested interest in seeing go to the chair? Such is the premise of Retribution. C. J. Townsend, an Assistant District Attorney in Miami, was raped and tortured in 1988, while still in law school in New York, by an assailant she knows only as The Clown. He left her for dead; she survived, and a nervous breakdown and twelve years of therapy later, she's relocated to south Florida, changed her name, and managed to erase her past. Then a man is pulled over for a routine traffic stop, and in the trunk of his car is found the tenth victim of the serial killer known as Cupid. Many of the details of the case are all too well-known to Townsend, for they remind her of her own violation so many years before. Then, in court, she sees a distinctive scar her rapist had, and knows she's prosecuting her own assailant... but that can't sway her niggling doubts about whether he really is Cupid.

Hoffman, an ex-Florida ADA herself (begging the autobiographical question, of course), delivers the goods in her debut novel. She gives us a well-drawn and engaging cast of characters, a fabulous plot, and almost perfect pacing. The novel rarely slows, and when it does, it picks back up again promptly. While it lacks the onion-like layers of mystery of, say, Erin Hart's recent debut Haunted Ground, Hoffman zeroes in on the simpler mystery she supplies us here and relies on the ethical subtexts for layering; when the prosecutor knows the defendant in such a way, does the case become prosecution or persecution? And how will keeping all the necessary secrets affect Townsend's life, and the lives of those around her, especially in a case where everyone knows the media will be digging so far into it that someone's bound to turn something up?

It's probably not the greatest of form to describe a book with a January release date as great summer reading, but that's exactly what Retribution is. It's got the feel of a literary Law and Order episode (even more so that L&O staff writer Giles Blunt's novels); we see both the police and the prosecution side of the case, there's all the courtroom drama one could ask for, all the twists and turns to keep the suspense in gear until the final pages. (The ending does go a bit over the top. But it's such a fine rollercoaster ride we'll forgive Ms. Hoffman the stock serial killer climax.) Oh, and one other great thing about those twists and turns-just when you think you've figured out the end of the novel, Hoffman springs what you just figured out on you in the next few pages. The revelations of various bits of information throughout are as well-constructed as they are in a Hideo Nakata film, leaving the reader wondering what's coming around the next turn.

A fine debut. Jilliane Hoffman is going places. **** (less)

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Apr 25, 2008 Evelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Blond and beautiful Chloe Larson is brutally raped and left for dead in New York City. After a mental breakdown, Chloe starts a new life in Florida as C. J. Townsend, a prosecutor in the State Attorney's office. When she prosecutes "Cupid," a serial murderer who preys on women, her world begins to fall apart again.

A graphic serial-killer and legal thriller. The fast pace and lots of surprises make this a tale you won't want to put down. A first time novelist, Hoffman is a former Florida assista...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Sherrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-read, i-own-this-book

"Retribution" by Jilliane Hoffman
from the back cover)

When an elite prosecutor faces the most lethal predator she's ever encountered, it all comes down to a choice between justice....and retribution. C. J. Townsend is a brilliant state prosecutor in Miami known for keeping her cool while trying even the most horrific cases. The latest suspect is as base as they come: a vicious killer who savors cruelty and considers murder an art. Amid a maelstrom of media attention, C. J. has just begun to build...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Boof rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: thriller, crime, mystery fans

Shelves: read-in-2010, thrillers-mystery-crime, my-most-amazing-books, usa

Absolutely brilliant! This is the first book by this author that I have read and I plan on tracking down her others now. A gritty, no holds barred book that grabs you from the off and makes you question what you think you know.

The story starts with Chloe, a young law student from New York who is brutally raped in by someone who is waiting for her in her appartment when she gets home from a night out right before she is about to take the Bar exam. The rape scene is not for the feint of heart, not...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Ann Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Second time I've read this book and it is just great. It's the introduction to C.J. Townsend and I've read the 4 books about her. This book is the best as it's chockabloc with thrills, twist and turns. C.J is Chloe Larson in this book and she has her life turned upside down by a horrific rape. Following years of therapy she is now a prosecutor in Miami. Her rapist has never been caught and C.J. never saw his face as he wore a clown's mask. Girls have been disappearing from nightclubs in Miami an...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Kit rated it 1 of 5 stars

A rape victim becomes a state prosecutor, and eventually comes face-to-face with her rapist some twelve uneasy years later in the courtroom as his potential executioner. But being in a position that requires her to do away with prejudice, will she be able to uphold the lofty ideals of her profession or give in to her devouring need for vengeance?

This is the premise of what would have been an engaging novel. However, the answer to question above is disappointingly delivered in a superfluously wor...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Mysterious Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: legal

#1 in the C.J. Townsend series. 12 years after her rape and after years of experience as an Asst State Attorney, she is willing to flout the law to get Bantling convicted on murder charges. Once she finds out (surprise!) that the statute of limitations has tolled on her rape, she will suborn perjury and lie to get a murder conviction on increasing shaky evidence. An exciting read, in spite of ethical flaws.

C.J. Townsend series - Law student Chloe Larson's expectations are shattered after a madma...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Christie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel starts back in the past in 1988 with the lead character, Chloe, fresh out of law school and cramming for the New York State bar exam. Right off the bat, Chloe's life is shattered when she is brutally raped and maimed; she blows off the exam and her would-be fiance because she is so haunted by the crime and the mark it has left on her life.

Then the book continues to present day to 2000 where a serial rapist who has killed 10 victims is caught and on the case is a compassionate officer...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery fans, courtroom mystery fans, fans of strong female protagonists.

Recommended to Michael by: Saw that it was nominated for Anthony Award

Shelves: author-s-first-book, award-winner-or-nominee, books-into-film, collectible, courtroom-drama, hardboiled, literary-prize-winner, mystery, new-york-times-best-seller, own-it, read-in-2009, reviewed, signed-edition

4 1/2 Stars.

In this fine novel which was nominated for the Anthony Award for the Best First Mystery Novel, a preditor stalks and rapes law student Chole Larson and escapes.

12 years later, a string of murders has occurred in the Miami area. A policeman pulls a car over for a traffic offense and when the driver refuses to allow the author to check his trunk, a K-9 unit is called. The dog whiffs something. On popping the trunk, they find a dead girl with a missing heart. William Bangling asks for a...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zitat
„Es heißt, Justitia sei blind, C.J., aber ich glaube in manchen Fällen beschließt sie einfach nur, nicht hinzusehen. Vergessen Sie das nicht.“

Inhalt
Chloe ist noch Studentin an der Uni und befindet sich kurz vor ihrem Examen, um danach einen Job bei einer renommierten Anwaltskanzlei anzutreten, als das Grauen in ihr Leben tritt. Mitten in der Nacht befindet sich plötzlich ein Fremder in ihrer Wohnung und foltert und vergewaltigt sie. Doch das ist nicht das Schlimmste. Der Mann mit der Clowns...more

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May 03, 2012 Mia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: standalone-novels

Phew!! That was one BIG journey from the first page till the 517th page. But a good one at that. I just finished reading this book and honestly, I was speechless for a good half an hour.
Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman is about Chloe Larson, a woman living in the Big Apple, who is so ruthlessly assaulted in her own house. Embarrassed - by "the incident" as her then boyfriend preferred to call it - and no longer able to face her family and friends, Chloe opts to change her name and moves to Florid...more Phew!! That was one BIG journey from the first page till the 517th page. But a good one at that. I just finished reading this book and honestly, I was speechless for a good half an hour.
Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman is about Chloe Larson, a woman living in the Big Apple, who is so ruthlessly assaulted in her own house. Embarrassed - by "the incident" as her then boyfriend preferred to call it - and no longer able to face her family and friends, Chloe opts to change her name and moves to Florida. Each day is a struggle in itself as Chloe tries to forget about the past and live in the present. As CJ, she is now not able to get into any serious relationship because of having to keep so many secrets. She is certain that once disclosed, no guy would ever be able to accept her along with her troubled past. The book goes on to talk about how 12 years since the assault, a new series of gruesome murders start popping up in Florida and there is a possibility that the murderer (Cupid) is the same man who left Chloe to die all those years ago. Now the real question is - whether she is willing to risk her career to find out (and if positive, then frame him for the murder of 10 women, he has possibly never seen in his life.) or is she going to let bygones be bygones....

In the beginning I was a little unsure of whether I really wanted to read this book, mainly because of the humongous size and also the first few chapters weren't very gripping. But then it started picking up pace. And that's when I really started reading it, I mean word to word. Hoffman is AMAZING!! Apart from the fact that, thanks to her detailed writing, I am now completely aware of all the horrible possibilities a lone woman/ girl could endure (Ah well! that had to happen some or the other time right!! so no biggie). Its like all those gory details are drilled into my brain. I will definitely think twice (nah! make that a million times) before easily trusting anybody. I just wish that Chloe's character would have been a little more cautious and not so cocooned. And also I was really hoping that she would move in with Dominick (even though it totally contradicts what I said about trust.). On the whole its a great read. Even during lunch and dinner times I had the book in one hand and my spoon in the other. I would rate it a 4 on 5.
You all should try it.(less)

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Mar 17, 2011 Marca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Halfway through book. Oh, good grief. Another female character (an attorney) who is described by other characters as strong and unflinching, but is instead a mess of emotions that get in the way of her job. In addition, she and a male character have the hots for each other, so this is also a romance. Not to mention that the female attorney is tstl and has made an error in judgment that could sink the case of the most horrid serial killer-rapist one can imagine. (At least she does not have a youn...more

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Jan 12, 2011 NancyG rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read rave reviews about this debut novel I had high expectations. By and large I was not disappointed. It is a graphic crime book with the female prosecutor a victim as well. The book has some hard to believe twists which made me want to quit reading but I persevered and am glad I did. The descriptions of the courtroom scenes and prosecutorial procedures in Miami, FL were interesting to me being very different than criminal proceudres in South Bend, IN. The time frames were a lot more acc...more

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Oct 30, 2009 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK, I didn't think I was going to like this book. At first it seemed like just another slasher/serial killer story with a good-looking but troubled heroine who would solve the crime. I thought I was done with that type of novel. As I continued reading, however, this book truly surprised me. It's extremely well-written, which is especially amazing for a first novel. So in spite of the subject matter I was hooked and kept reading. In fact, I couldn't put it down. The story was well-presented with...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Teresa Grubbs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-romance-and-mystery-novels

Excellent adult thriller! Chloe Larson is brutally raped and mutilated when she is in law school in New York, and her rapist is never caught. Twelve years later, she is a prosecutor in the Miami DA's office who has changed her name to C.J. Townsend and dyed her blond hair a mousy brown. A man accused of raping and killing a woman is brought before C.J. in court. She recognizes him as her rapist when she sees a tattoo on his wrist and hears his voice, but the statute of limitations is up on her r...more

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May 16, 2013 Michaela rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, library-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 28, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ausgeliehen, read-in-2010

Da ich von "Der Mädchenfänger" begeistert war, wollte ich "Cupido" auch unbedingt lesen. Es geht um Chloe, eine junge Staatsanwältin, die als Studentin von einem Unbekannten in einer Clownsmaske brutal vergewaltigt und misshandelt wurde.

Nun scheint die Polizei den berüchtigten "Cupido"-Mörder gefasst zu haben, der schon mehr als 10 Frauen auf bestialische Weise ermordet hat. Chloe ist die Vertreterin der Staatsanwaltschaft in diesem Prozess.

Sehr, sehr spannend, deshalb will ich hier auch gar nic...more

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Oct 03, 2009 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hoffman's first book is a gripping thriller I couldn't put down! The characters were well developed and the plot twist at the end I didn't see coming. C.J. Townsend is a Miami state prosecutor at the top of her game and involved with Major Crimes. The latest serial killer, "Cupid" takes delight in torture and mutilation, staging the body and "when and where" the bodies are found. When Miami cops find a missing girl's body in the trunk of a car driven by Bill Bantling, they're sure they've captur...more

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Mar 02, 2010 BoekenTrol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all people who like thrillers

Recommended to BoekenTrol by: kiki1928

Shelves: crime-thrillers-espionage, german_language, bookcrossing_ringbook

This was my first book by Jilliane Hoffman. As a matter of fact I had never heard of her before. On another site I came across this book and decided to give it a try (in German).

From the very first page the story grabbed me. At first there's the brutal rape and the aftermath. And then, I realised that C.J. and Chloe are the same person (yes, soemtimes it takes me awhile to figure things out...).
After that I couldn't put the book down, wanting to know 'what's next?, what will happen? how will i...more

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Nov 21, 2010 Stina Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jilliane-hoffman

WOW! WOW! WOW! This book was totally unputdownable, from start to finish, and apart from some legal jargon thrown in I thoroughly enjoyed it! It begins in New York with young up-coming lawyer Chloe Larson and the brutal torture and rapes of woman in the city, including Chloe herself. Unable to put it behind her she moves to Miami and takes up a job at the State Attorney's office where her past comes back to haunt her once again.

It has been quite some time since I read this book, but I do remembe...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Cindi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow, where to start? What a great book! It has been a very long time since I have read a book that I can honestly say is a great one.

It starts off in 1988 when Chloe, a law student preparing to take the Bar exam, is brutally raped and terrorized by a madman who lies in wait outside of her apartment building. He knows everything about her.... personal details, hobbies, her schedule, etc. He leaves her in her bed close to death. Her life is turned upside down. Her lawyer boyfriend abandons her, sh...more Wow, where to start? What a great book! It has been a very long time since I have read a book that I can honestly say is a great one.

It starts off in 1988 when Chloe, a law student preparing to take the Bar exam, is brutally raped and terrorized by a madman who lies in wait outside of her apartment building. He knows everything about her.... personal details, hobbies, her schedule, etc. He leaves her in her bed close to death. Her life is turned upside down. Her lawyer boyfriend abandons her, she loses the relationship with her family, etc.

Fast forward 12 years. Chloe is now C.J. and is a high-powered Assistant District Attorney who is prosecuting a notorious serial killer in Miami. Imagine C.J.'s surprise when she faces the accused in the courtroom and she realizes that the defendant is the man who had brutalized her 12 years earlier in New York. Statute of limitations prevents her from prosecuting her rapist so she makes a decision to continue with the prosecution on the serial murders. No one knows the defendant is her rapist except her psychiatrist.

The book goes on with details of the murders committed, outbursts by the defendant, threats of exposure by him and his defense attorney, etc. All the while there is a "Will they or will they not?" relationship between C.J. and Dominick, the lead investigator on the case. Which turns out to be the only problem I had with this book. And to me, it is a very big problem. C.J. and Dom go back and forth throughout the first third (or so) of the book. She is scared........ he tries to comfort her, etc. but keeps pushing him away. She doesn't confide anything to him about her past or mention (with good reason) the fact that the man they have in custody is someone who had attacked her years earlier. But when they DO finally get together, it is a total nonevent. That bothered me. All the back and forth between the 2 characters and then suddenly they were just together? Seriously? And how did it even come out that they HAD finally gotten together? A couple of weeks later C.J. mentioned it to her psychiatrist (Greg) in his office. That was it. Back and forth and then it just happened like it was no big deal. I have read enough books in my life to seriously get mad about the way that particular part of the book played out. I did not expect a romance, nor did I want one. But I felt that more details could have been thrown in there in regards to them finally getting together. Especially considering how the entire point of C.J. pushing him away from her in the beginning was because of fear. THAT was my only issue with this book.

Everything else played out well. The characters were believable and some were entertaining. I will admit to having figured out that Greg was the "real" bad guy early on, but that did not detract from the rest of the book and waiting to see how it was going to play out.

I'm not big on legal thrillers as they tend to bore me, but this book had a little bit of everything and you never knew what was going to happen next.

I can't wait to read the sequel to Retribution, and every other book by Jilliane Hoffman that I can get my hands on.(less)

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Jun 18, 2011 H. Shar rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who can stomavh gruesome things and have an appetite for a good mystery

Shelves: all-time-faves

This is one of the best crime thrillers I've read in a long time. I remember reading it when it first came out and the story is still imprinted in my memory all these years. Even though I have only read it once. It's the type of shocking, exciting, heart-racing story that stays with you long after you flipped the last page. The characters are complex and the plot is detailed. PLUS THE TWISTS AND TURNS, omg. It left me quite breathless in several occasions. ALSO, I couldn't put this book down til...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

A young law student is brutally raped in New York. 10 years later, she is the lead prosecutor in Miami, working on the case of a serial killer nicknamed Cupid. A suspect turns up--whom she believes is the same man who raped her years before.[return][return]The plot reminds me of the early patricia Cornwell books; unfortunately, the writing, while good, is not at that high a level. There is a nice twist towards the end that makes for page-turning tension at that point. The courtroom scenes are we...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys contemporary mysteries

Recommended to Mary by: Library Book Sale

Shelves: read-but-unowned, 1990-2009, 90-95, bought-at-a-library-book-sale, contemporary-mystery, hardcover, favorites

C. J. Townsend is a brilliant state prosecutor known for keeping her cool even when trying the most horrific cases. The current murderer is as base as they come - a vicious killer who savors cruelty and considers murder an art form. Amid a maelstrom of media coverage, C. J. builds her case until she is struck with a shattering blow from her past. Now, everything rides on her ability to hold herself together long enough to put the criminal behind bars forever.

I enjoyed this story even though it w...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Karolina rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book confused me. It’s divided into two parts, one about the past and one about the present. But it’s like two different persons wrote the book! The first part is excellent! It is frightening – so frightening in fact that I had a hard time sleeping afterwards – and extremely well written. Then came part two and something went very, very wrong. It was horrible! It made no sense and it was just a stupid story all of a sudden. A big disappointment after the first excellent part. Therefore, I c...more

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Jun 07, 2009 Evelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Blond and beautiful Chloe Larson is brutally raped and left for dead in New York City. After a mental breakdown, Chloe starts a new life in Florida as C. J. Townsend, a prosecutor in the State Attorney's office. When she prosecutes "Cupid," a serial murderer who preys on women, her world begins to fall apart again. A graphic serial-killer and legal thriller. The fast pace and lots of surprises make this a tale you won't want to put down. A first time novelist, Hoffman is a former Florida assista...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Pam rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Judging from the other reviews it looks like I'm the only one who did not enjoy this book.

This is my second novel of Jilliane Hoffman’s I’ve read and it will be my last. I should have learned my lesson after reading her other one.

I didn’t find this novel entertaining at all. Nor was it suspenseful or thrilling. For a court-room drama it’s quite the bore. It revolves around C.J. Townsend who is a district attorney in the state of Florida. Twelve years earlier while studying in New York she was...more Judging from the other reviews it looks like I'm the only one who did not enjoy this book.

This is my second novel of Jilliane Hoffman’s I’ve read and it will be my last. I should have learned my lesson after reading her other one.

I didn’t find this novel entertaining at all. Nor was it suspenseful or thrilling. For a court-room drama it’s quite the bore. It revolves around C.J. Townsend who is a district attorney in the state of Florida. Twelve years earlier while studying in New York she was violently raped. There’s a serial killer who has just been captured and C.J. is in charge of prosecuting it. Everyone is gunning for a guilty plea of course, however, as soon as she sees the alleged serial killer, her world is turned upside down as she realizes he’s the same person who raped her and he in turn recognizes her. She doesn’t know if she should continue to prosecute the case or not but she just wants to make sure that no one finds out what happened to her years earlier. This is where the story becomes more ridiculous than it already is. She has a reputation of being smart, strong and in control in the courtroom but right now she’s having a hard time dealing with it. You think?? When she’s alone she’s a complete mess. She doesn’t want any help or wants to talk to anyone especially with Agent Falconetti who cares for her and knows that something is wrong. He sees that she’s losing weight, jumpy at every turn and has dark circles under her eyes yet he does nothing but stand by and constantly ask if she’s ok. As well, throughout the entire plot she just goes on and on about her rape. I’m not condemning, judging or knocking the feelings of one being raped, however, it just seems that the author let C.J.’s personal problems over-shadow a story that could have been exciting instead of so long-winded.

None of the characters jump out and they have no depth. The plot is full of improbabilities that it’s ludicrous. The blossoming relationship between C.J. and Falconetti is superficial. I can’t imagine any man wanting to be in a relationship with such a person who is a complete nut because that’s what she comes across as. For a supposedly smart woman she’s beyond stupid.

There are way better books out there to read. I’m just glad I didn’t buy this book but checked it out of the library. You might want to do the same.(less)

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Nov 03, 2009 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-other

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Retribution was a gripping thriller from start to finish. CJ Townsend, an assistant district attorney in Florida, has a secret. Her name was not always CJ and she was once the victim of a brutal rape. In her efforts to heal, she transformed herself and began a new life which suits her to a tee until Bill Bantling falls into it. Bill Bantling is the primary suspect in a serial killing case which CJ has been actively involved in. The Cupid killer has been leaving a trail of carnage across the stat...more Retribution was a gripping thriller from start to finish. CJ Townsend, an assistant district attorney in Florida, has a secret. Her name was not always CJ and she was once the victim of a brutal rape. In her efforts to heal, she transformed herself and began a new life which suits her to a tee until Bill Bantling falls into it. Bill Bantling is the primary suspect in a serial killing case which CJ has been actively involved in. The Cupid killer has been leaving a trail of carnage across the state and his capture thrusts CJ into the national spotlight. Unfortunately for CJ, she soon realizes that Bantling has another secret- he is the man who brutally raped her many years ago. This sudden discovery leaves CJ in an awkward position, abandon the case and possibly set a killer free or hide her conflict of interest and proceed. Her choice will result in a shockwave that will affect those who know and care about her forever.
Retribution captured me from the first page and kept me reading until the shocking ending. CJ Townsend was a wonderfully conflicted character and her struggle with her emotions was vivid and real. The shock and fear she experienced when encountering her rapist was palpable and immediately her character drew sympathy. Her counterpart, Dominick Falconetti, was irresistible. His concern for CJ and generally laid-back nature made him a perfect match for our skittish heroine and the chemistry between them was amazing. It was ideally mixed into the storyline and never overpowered the plot which was unstoppable. The description of the brutal rape of CJ and the gruesome murders of Cupid's victims was perfectly balanced and left me horrified yet strangely curious. The twists and turns present in Retribution were unexpected and shocking and even a seasoned reader would be stretching to call Hoffman predictable. The ultimate resolution to the storyline was a scenario that I would not have anticipated and it left me thirsting for more from these strong leading characters. Overall, I thought Retribution was an easy 5 star read for me and I would recommend it to any of my friends who enjoy a good thriller mystery. I will definitely be reading more of Hoffman in the future and look forward to seeing if Townsend and Falconetti team up again! (less)

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Jul 25, 2009 Dave rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So, one day I was locked in a tiny 8 x 8 building surrounded by two layers of razor wire fencing. Such is the life of a security guard. While doing inventory, I came across a book and started reading it. Bor-ing. Then, being bored I decided to read the end of the book and started around page 313, conveniently just after the 3rd and final part of the book began. Not as boring. I then went back to page 39 or so and read until 313 and then just to make things nice and complete, I read from the begi...more So, one day I was locked in a tiny 8 x 8 building surrounded by two layers of razor wire fencing. Such is the life of a security guard. While doing inventory, I came across a book and started reading it. Bor-ing. Then, being bored I decided to read the end of the book and started around page 313, conveniently just after the 3rd and final part of the book began. Not as boring. I then went back to page 39 or so and read until 313 and then just to make things nice and complete, I read from the beginning.

Retribution falls into a genre I have always ignored and likely will continue to do unless I am locked in a small building. This genre is “mystery / suspense”. I used to watch an obscene amount of Law & Order, and I guess I now understand the appeal in a new way. Take a heinous act (generally for suspense purposes it has to be plural) and then see it play out. Like any good Law & Order-style thing, it must include a twist. I was at times reminded of being up at 3AM flipping channels and coming across the low-budget cable TV serial killer genre film – the most representative of which that springs to mind was “Cabin by the Lake”. In it, the serial killer was in fact a mystery writer who killed people for the purposes of “research” for his novels. Aside from the fact that the premise was stupid (including a very stupid signature on the serial killer), it was made worse by the ham-fisted acting of one Judd Nelson. Enough said. I digress.

Retribution has an interesting idea that unfortunately was taken too far and thus lost its sense of reality – a sort of thing the Law & Order twist often does. There was a young woman, she was brutally raped, she experiences years of therapy and becomes a prosecutor of capital crimes. Now, I experience problem number one. Someone who had experienced a brutal rape, does not exactly strike me as someone who would want to delve deep into similar territory, especially when her rapist was never caught and doubly so because it took ten years of therapy just to hold it together.

She is currently assigned to a case of a serial killer that removes the hearts from victims and stages the bodies in an elaborate fashion. The person who ultimately ends up on trial turns out to be her former rapist. Ok, so, a woman was raped in New York, moves to Florida to escape and unwittingly they each end up in the same area of Florida and he ends up on trial and she ends up being the prosecutor chosen. If he was stalking her, ok (kinda). But by random chance? We’ll call that problem number two.

Now here’s where the book could have taken some more provocative chances. She does research and finds a trail of similar rapes anywhere he has ever lived or visited extensively. However, every rape uncovered (including her own) is now beyond the statute of limitations and thus cannot be prosecuted. Apparently he took a five year break? There is some dodgy evidence that supports that he is not the serial killer, but extensive evidence to support that he is a violent sadistic rapist. So, she seeks retribution (which was handily defined courtesy of the Oxford American Dictionary on the book jacket) by getting him the death penalty for these murders since he cannot be prosecuted for the rapes. Now how this could have been more provocative was if she was the only victim. The author went to great lengths to make him almost as sadistic as the actual murderer, to pin more rapes on him then murders had been committed by the serial killer. The preponderance of evil made it pretty easy to be on the side of the avenging prosecutor/victim. If she had been the lone victim it would have been far more compelling, particularly if he had adopted a more “reformed” tone. But alas, it was not to be.

The twist is such a big problem, that we will call it problems three through seven. The sheer amount of coincidences for it to have occurred border on lunacy. And the fact that despite the previously mentioned reasons to doubt the actual accused being the murderer (and the fact that the author explicitly wrote from the perspective of the actual murderer in several interludes), the protagonist didn’t seem to give it a second thought after the trial. And then conveniently got to kill (in self-defense) the actual murderer to both take care of the more-evil-more-sadistic killer while still getting to keep the despicable-but-not-guilty-of-murder defendant on death row.

Oh, and there was a tacked on romance too. She was understandably not so into relationships in her ten years since her attack, but got over it just in time for the most stressful period in her life since the attack had occurred.

And on a less critical, but still annoying note, the author felt the need to both use legal terms and acronyms and then define them. One thing I like about Law & Order is the fact that they use (at least on the face of it) realistic language. When they say “One PP” you don’t necessarily know they are referring to One Police Plaza, the NYPD headquarters. But Hoffman insisted on using shorthand and then defining it using appositives or narrator asides. Oh, and also the phrase “They lay together, in the darkness, front-to-back, like two spoons from the same set”

Retribution was what one would call a “page turner”. The chapters came in very short bursts and helped the flow. The timeline was somewhat hard to follow as one character would be several minutes ahead and the next chapter would have the other character’s perspective catch up, but all in all I guess I enjoyed it. Not really enough to recommend it to anyone, but if you’re ever locked in a small room you should totally go for it.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, murder-mystery, crime-fiction, thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So it took me 7 and a bit days to finish this book, which generally speaking for me is quite quick (I'm a slow reader). I've been known to read other books a lot faster, like 4 books in a series within 4 days, but this one I felt like I got through pretty quickly. It was easy to read, pretty gripping, and interesting. I kind of suspected from very early on that there would be two different major criminals in play, but I wasn't entirely sure who the actual Cupid would be. At least until I read th...more

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Retribution (C. J. Townsend #1)

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