The Charm of Revenge

by Tom Secret

WANT TO READ the Prologue and first 15 (of 80) chapters FREE? Go to www.TomSecretAuthor.com

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN IRS DEPARTMENT TURNS ROGUE?

Six years ago, Brad and Lola Fairweather ran through the hospital corridors searching for a doctor to save their baby, Daisy, but they ran into cops. They gunned Brad, dragged him away like a slab of meat, and left Daisy to die in her mother’s arms.

Now they have another daughter, Lilly. She’s four and their son, Jack, is eleven. They’re the reason Brad and Lola keep going. But when a bogus tax demand arrives, it triggers a chain of events that forces the Fairweather family to take the law into their own hands, with devastating consequences. As events unfold, they discover their names are on a sinister government list, and their enemy wants to finish what he started, all those years ago.

With the dead bodies piling up, Detective LT. Donatello hunts for the vigilante killer the press are calling "a hero," but finds himself caught in a complex web of organized crime, kidnapping and murder, with the evidence pointing to just one person, and that's bad news, for him!

Goodreads & Amazon Reader Reviews

“A thrilling ride, with three-dimensional characters and a story that will have you racing to the end, where everyone has a secret to tell, including the dead." — Michael Carr – Editor of a dozen New York Times best sellers and another dozen Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times International, and Amazon best sellers.

“This is a fantastic fast paced story. Tom Secret has woven ‘real-life’ villainous gut wrenching subjects, into a brilliant intricate web. The characters are layered, complex and gritty and Lieutenant Donatello is straight off a movie set. I found him so engaging I can't wait to journey with him again.

Excellent twists and turns right to the very end.” P. Mia

“Wow, what a ride!!!!
I had not read such an action-packed book in months.
The book has so many twists and mysteries that sometimes it seems that even the skeletons in the closet have their own skeletons in the closet
Of course, there is gore, violence and abominable crimes, so make sure you're not faint-hearted before reading it
I'm not a bad guy who likes to give spoilers, and I don't want to ruin your right to discover all the crazy secrets of this book by yourselves, so I'll describe the story in general terms
Cliffhangers - Every 1-2 chapters
Family secrets - One, two three.... many
Heart rate while reading is too high
Dangerous sicko crooks are around every corner
So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly declare this book a page-turner.” S. Lenkevich

“I give This Book a 4.5 rating as this has been a great book compared to the standards of new and rising talents!! The story was beautifully told and kept us in the grips till the very last. I was blown away by the final twist in the very last goddamn line!” Kaushik N.P

“Really good thriller: An excellent police psychological thriller. I can recommend it to anyone. I want to read more by this author. Excellent twists.” K. Bracy
“I found this book very enjoyable from start to finish. It has everything and keeps you locked in to the story line the whole time…” Heather GR reviewer

One of the best books I have read this year!!
This book was excellent....First time I have read this author and am looking forward to his next book. Could not sleep one nite so thought I would read for a bit.....ha ....could not put it down....just kept going totally hooked.” June

“Very clever plotting. Very fast moving and good character development. I will recommend to my friends. I am glad I found the book. Bookbub. Thank you.” Amazon.com reviewer

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

460 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2017

About the author

START READING NOW: Prologue and Chapters 1-15 Available online: www.TomSecretAuthor.com

The sequel "The Will" is due to be released June 2019

Thriller author, Tom Secret, was a property developer to the rich & famous, before he began writing novels. During that time, he encountered first hand, the corruption, abuses and influence of organized crime that runs through government.

His novels take us on a journey into that world.

With a writing style likened to psychological thrillers by Stephen King, Lee Child and John Sandford, The Charm Of Revenge is #1 in a five-part series that has been described as “a thrilling ride” by legendary fiction editor, Michael Carr. A fast paced, psychological journey of institutional crime, kidnapping, and revenge.

Tom lives in Europe with his partner and their rescued canine cavalry.

CONTRIBUTORS

The following, highly respected specialists were consulted during the creation of The Charm of Revenge:

Karl Eglasias - Developmental editing.
Lecturer and author of the book, Writing for Emotional Impact

Jeff Goudeau MS CSCSA
Forensic and police procedural consultant to The Charm of Revenge and book 2: The WIll.

Jeff received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science in 1999. In 2006 he earned a Masters of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with a focus in Criminal Investigations. He began his career as a Firearm Examiner and Crime Scene Investigator in 2003 with the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory.

Jeff if the past President of the Louisiana Association of Forensic Science (LAFS). He is a member of the Association of Crime Scene Reconstruction (ACSR) and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (IABPA).

Michael Carr – Editor of The Charm of Revenge and book 2: The WIll.

Michael is one of the most highly respected editors in the publishing business, with well over thirty New York Times, LA Times & Amazon bestsellers to his credit.

Reviews

[Sergey Lenkevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads
Thank You, Tom Secret, for sending me the free copy of the book
********
Wow, what a ride!!!!
I had not read such an action-packed book in months
The book has so many twists and mysteries that sometimes it seems that even the skeletons in the closet have their own skeletons in the closet
Of course, there is gore, violence and abominable crimes, so make sure you're not faint-hearted before reading it
I'm not a bad guy who likes to give spoilers, and I don't want to ruin your right to discover all the crazy secrets of this book by yourselves, so I'll describe the story in general terms
Cliffhangers - Every 1-2 chapters
Family secrets - One, two three.... many
Heart rate while reading is too high
Dangerous sicko crooks are around every corner
So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly declare this book a page-turner

[Kaushik NP · Rating 4 out of 5]

 ¡Received the book in a Giveaway!

RATINGS : 4.5

A great book compared to the standards of new and rising talents!! The story was beautifully told and kept us in the grips till the very last..
I was blown away by the final twist in the very last goddamn line!
But I wish that that wasn't how the book ended :P
Anyways a good book overall and wish you continue making great books ahead!!

[kathy bracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good tnriller

An excellent police psychological thriller. I can recommend it to anyone. I want to read more by this author. Excellent twists.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

😁

I liked this book. I liked the ending to too and I'm fussy about my endings. It was totally unexpected.

[Angela Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

I'm unsure if this is the author's first book but, if that is the case, then it is certainly a promising start. The blurb warns that the body count is high but I wasn't expecting the content to be quite so gruesome! The action is fast-paced and there is a good balance between action and dialogue.

At times I found that there was maybe too much going on; with the child trafficking, corrupt IRS gang, bankrupt businesses and the death of a previous child. That would really be the only fault I would highlight, but it did not detract too much from the story as a whole.

If you enjoy crime thrillers which whizz along at fantastic speed (and you don't mind frequent bloodshed) then you could do worse than give this book a whirl.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW
sent note to author and am following now for this book was incredible...

totally kept me going wondering what the next chapter would bring....could not sleep so thought to read a few chapters and try again.....next thing I know it is the middle of the night and I have finished the book....

this is a def go out and get book....thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very enjoyable from start to finish. It has everything and keeps you locked in to the story line the whole time I would recommend this book to all who like mystery and drama.

[Steven Weed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

Very clever plotting. Very fast moving and good character development. I will recommend to my friends. I am glad I found the book. Bookbub. Thank you.

[Dede · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was action packed and I could not put it down! I didn’t realize it was a series, sooo now I can’t wait for the second one! I would recommend this book.

[Elizabeth Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

How the past can come back to haunt you in very unexpected ways.

[Starr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn't grab me.

[Rebecca Tando · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author manipulated my emotions and kept my interest. Excellent read!

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed!

I really dug this fast pace thriller; even as I had to go back and reread parts to discern who all the characters are. Very well done!

[Conina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book via giveaway and the special support of Goodreads, to whom I am thankful!

So this is a really fast-paced book as it said on the blurb. In fact it is the fastest-paced book I've read! It has a lot of action, surprises and uh, gore. At some points I found it too harsh - I mean too much shit happening to too many people in too short time - and at some points I needed a "rest" - some description or long explanations so my mind could rest from all the things happening in the book. For an avid reader, this book can be easily eaten in 2 days. I took longer because after the first part of the book, I kind of got "tired" of everything happening and wanted some rest thus the long reading period.

I think the ending has left mr. Secret with an opening to a sequel, so I'm intrigued if it'll happen.

[Carolina · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rating: 1 of 5 stars




I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.


Characters
This book has a buttload of characters, most of them unnecessary. I kept getting them all confused, because a) they were poorly developed; and b) I didn't care enough. Hardly anyone gets any development, most of their motivations and actions make no sense, and they're all assholes. The villains are so cartoonishly villainous that one even has a pet snake. The portrayal of female characters is extremely offensive, as they only exist in relation to men, be it Brad's nagging wife (she keeps pushing him to do something but never does anything herself), Cilcifus's sheepish employees, or Donatello's eye candy (by the way, you ruined my favorite Ninja Turtle for me). Every one else is just a list of names.

Plot
This plot tries so hard to be twisty that it's just a convoluted mess. It makes very little sense, and there's almost no foreshadowing. Most things just spring out of nowhere, trying to surprise you, but end up just being dull and unoriginal. It relies so much on coincidences that there's no suspension of disbelief that can survive it. It's not plausible at all.

Writing
You'll find typos, punctuation mistakes, and continuity errors (and maybe other stuff that I didn't catch). The voice is dull. The dialogue is forced and unrealistic, and the lines don't always follow each other. The narration tries to be quirky, but it's simply annoying.

Final Notes
The takeaway message from this book: the IRS is evil, taxation is theft (in a weirdly right-wing kind of way), and conspiracy theories are real. It's so absurd, I would think it was a parody if this book didn't take itself so seriously.

[Para Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic fast paced story. Tom Secret has woven ‘real-life’ villainous gut wrenching subjects, into a brilliant intricate web.

The characters are layered, complex and gritty and Lieutenant Donatello is straight off a movie set. I found him so engaging I can't wait to journey with him again.

Excellent twists and turns right to the very end. This story leaves one with a clear understanding “that the mills of God grind slowly yet they grind exceedingly small” - Karma is unavoidable!

[Lauren Talk Back Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was a super fast read, great length, and great story line. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I thought there were so many characters and names to follow throughout the book that I got lost. Also the author would sometimes use their first name and then their last, which would make me have to flip back another chapter or two to figure out who it was or keep reading and finally get who the author was talking about. Other than that the story line was fantastic. A great twist at the end that I did guess, but wasn't sure until it was confirmed. The author does a great job at giving you enough description to know what's going on without being super gory, long winded, or too sad. Anything dealing with child trafficking is super sad, but the author did a great job of talking about it and then moving on to the action that kept me turning the pages!

Thank you for the free book via Amazon Kindle. I loved the book and I will def be reading other books from this author.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this in the giveaways in exchange for an honest review. Brad and his family are barely staying afloat, still deeply grieving for the loss of a child six years previously. When yet another demand for payment of outstanding taxes arrives, they are plunged into a world of child trafficking and evil taxmen. I found this faintly ridiculous and a tad unbelievable. And, unfortunately, I'm of a generation that when I hear the name Donatello, I immediately think of turtles so the lead detective had the weirdest image in my mind as he went about his investigation. Not really one for me.

[Gail Mchugh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope, not my cup of tea. I think all big game hunters should be put on a deserted island and left to die. That shit gives me nightmares and obviously ruined the story for me. Rogue IRS, huh! I have a great deal of difficulty with a man who would have his young family be homeless and allow his daughter to die when he could have gone to his wealthy father. Pride! I skimmed for the most part after the first 17 chapters. Gruesome

[Dai Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like it to start with but grew into it as I got into the style. Having said that, the style was not that appealing to me - too direct, slightly quirky and with no real depth for me. Others obviously like this author's style, but not greatly to my liking I am sorry to say.
I am grateful to Goodreads for this 'giveaway.

[Pamela Faust · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brad’s not having a good day/year/life? His daughter, Daisy, has died. Now the IRS is after him and planning to steal his children. Unfortunately, that works and he has to go find a lot of people to find Jack and Lilly. Donatello is the police officer that is just a little behind in figuring out what’s going on, but at least he figures out who killed Jonah and who covered it up and why.

[Alexiapapa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was sent to me through Goodreads First Reads!
It kept my interest up to a point, but I think it got too complicated and followed a path where everything was mixed and with no clear image of something deeper.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a page turner!
You may want to put it down within the first 50 pages but give it a chance, it is amazing.
One of the most fast paced, exciting, and suspenseful books I have read in a while.

[pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be continued I did not like. It may take him a year to write it and it is going to take me a year to get it at the library I will forget what I read. However, it did wrap up story lines IRS going rogue is different , revenge after 30 years.

[Jim Hovencamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK read, but in the beginning I found myself wondering if the author meant to portray the characters, particularly the IRS staff, as the clowns that emerged in my reading. Characters could have been more thoughtfully developed. I finished it, so that's something.

[Dawn Michalski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little predictable

I rate this a 3 just because it's a little bit predictable, not a bad read. recommend for an easy and quick read.

[Michael Zoeller]

I ordered it today at the public Library. It might take about 4 weeks until they get it. So, there is nothing to write about until I read it.