What do you think?
Rate this book
Payback
Ramon del Villar is well known and highly respected English-Spanish translator in Texas's Southern District U.S. Courts. He is now residing in Houston after he migrated (legally) from his h homeland, Mexico. In this his first published novel, he skillfully brings up to us his expertise, both in the judiciary proceedings and his knowledge of people involved in narco-traffic with very witty remarks about behavior and reactions by Hispanics and "You have the right to remain silent. If you speak, anything you say may and will be used against you in court. You have the right to have an attorney..."so starts this thriller in which Mr. del Villar guides us through the inner and awesome steps of a criminal trial, so readers become familiar with terms such as arrest, detention, hearing, cross examination, rebuttal and verdict, so well narrated that it is very difficult to stop reading this novel once you started...
200 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2012
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 29, 2022
The Review
This was an eventful and captivating thriller. The author found just the right balance between legal suspense and adrenaline-fueled action-thriller storytelling. The exploration of the law in such detail and how it impacts everyone, from those pursuing the law to those caught in its wake to the family affected by the trial and more, was both impressive and engaging to read about.
I truly appreciated the rich character development of this novel, especially the focus on the cultural aspect of the narrative. As someone who comes from a Hispanic background himself, I was grateful to see such attention to detail shown in the story, even from minor yet important details like how Mexican people will utilize both the father and the mother’s last names in their culture. The study of how narcos and the narcotic trade as a whole have impacted everyone, on both sides of the border, was critical to this novel’s success, as was the study of how those with money and power influence the events that determine other people’s fates, whether they be deserving or not.
The Verdict
Hauntingly suspenseful, entertaining, and culturally impactful, author Ramon del Villar’s “Payback” is a must-read thriller. From the shootouts to the dramatic legal twists and the important character developments, this was a meaningful and thoughtful approach to the genre and deserves to be checked out.
This was an eventful and captivating thriller. The author found just the right balance between legal suspense and adrenaline-fueled action-thriller storytelling. The exploration of the law in such detail and how it impacts everyone, from those pursuing the law to those caught in its wake to the family affected by the trial and more, was both impressive and engaging to read about.
I truly appreciated the rich character development of this novel, especially the focus on the cultural aspect of the narrative. As someone who comes from a Hispanic background himself, I was grateful to see such attention to detail shown in the story, even from minor yet important details like how Mexican people will utilize both the father and the mother’s last names in their culture. The study of how narcos and the narcotic trade as a whole have impacted everyone, on both sides of the border, was critical to this novel’s success, as was the study of how those with money and power influence the events that determine other people’s fates, whether they be deserving or not.
The Verdict
Hauntingly suspenseful, entertaining, and culturally impactful, author Ramon del Villar’s “Payback” is a must-read thriller. From the shootouts to the dramatic legal twists and the important character developments, this was a meaningful and thoughtful approach to the genre and deserves to be checked out.
September 21, 2015
In this interesting legal thriller, an extremely naive and heartless Mexican playboy gets involved with the beautiful daughter of a drug lord and their relationship doesn't end well. Once he travels from Mexico to the US, he's taken into custody for drug trafficking. He was certainly framed, but how to prove his innocence when the supposed perpetrator is an untouchable and powerful drug lord? The intricacies of the legal system are well described with a surprising end. Good book!
May 24, 2015
Great tension throughout with a nice twist at the end. Love the shoot out scene descriptions.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews