My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ I really liked it
"What would YOU do if you got away with murder? Would you stop there? Could you?
Roy and Susie thought they had committed the perfect crime. Their planning was meticulous. Their execution was flawless. But, there is always a loose end, isn’t there? Always a singing bone.
Now, as enemies multiply and suspicions abound, their perfect world begins to crumble.
The hunters have become the hunted.
“ONE OF THE MOST INTRICATE, WELL THOUGHT OUT AND EXECUTED CRIME NOVELS I'VE EVER READ.” - Amazon Top 100 Reviewer "
"Tooth for Tooth" is the second instalment in the Eye for Eye Trilogy, which opens J.K. Franko’s Talion Series.
Tooth for Tooth continues with the same format as book one, Eye for Eye [see review], where the same narrator picks up where he left off, continuing to tell us about and to analyse Susie and Roy’s, but also his, story as we now understand the nature of his relationship to them. For our mysterious ‘blast from the past’ we are introduced to a new character, Billy Applegate, and to a set of events which start back in 1974 and of which we are reminded at the beginning of each of the four parts of this book; their relevance will gradually become clear.
This is a complex crime thriller with multiple strands of third-person narrative that follow the full spectrum of characters that we met in book one, with several peripheral ones coming to the forefront, and which gradually intersect. In particular we get to know Kristy Wise’s perspective, going back to the very beginning of when this trilogy started to unfold, in January 2018. Liz Bareto, Tom Wise and Joe Harlan Senior’s timelines pick up where they had left off as they continue to cope with and unravel their individual situations and demons. I am assuming that, unlike in Eye to Eye, a literary all-knowing narrator is also at play here, as it seems implausible for our original narrator to have such detailed knowledge of these other individuals.
Twists, turns, new surprises and revelations are aplenty. The theme of the morality of revenge, versus justice and retribution is still there, taking new nuances given the differing situations the various protagonists find themselves in, and their own personal crossroads. The theme of personal motivation is also very strong, and a loss of faith in the legal system is a recurrent issue.
If you have not read the first book, fear not as all essential information is woven in smoothly at the appropriate juncture, meaning that, whilst new readers are brought up to speed, continuing ones are not bored with a lengthy recap (thank you for this, Mr Franko!). Having said that, I would strongly recommend reading the books in order, as Eye for Eye provides a detailed insight into Susie and Roy, whose lives this trilogy is about, as well as building a gradual picture of all of the other players. Although the main subplots are resolved in this book, Susie and Roy’s story is far from over, and I am going to dive into book three: Life for Life; you will likely want to do the same.
Taut, vivid, intelligent, engaging, insightful and immensely well written and researched, this is a series that continues to captivate me; a real page turner.
[ARC received via Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours]
Tooth for Tooth continues with the same format as book one, Eye for Eye [see review], where the same narrator picks up where he left off, continuing to tell us about and to analyse Susie and Roy’s, but also his, story as we now understand the nature of his relationship to them. For our mysterious ‘blast from the past’ we are introduced to a new character, Billy Applegate, and to a set of events which start back in 1974 and of which we are reminded at the beginning of each of the four parts of this book; their relevance will gradually become clear.
This is a complex crime thriller with multiple strands of third-person narrative that follow the full spectrum of characters that we met in book one, with several peripheral ones coming to the forefront, and which gradually intersect. In particular we get to know Kristy Wise’s perspective, going back to the very beginning of when this trilogy started to unfold, in January 2018. Liz Bareto, Tom Wise and Joe Harlan Senior’s timelines pick up where they had left off as they continue to cope with and unravel their individual situations and demons. I am assuming that, unlike in Eye to Eye, a literary all-knowing narrator is also at play here, as it seems implausible for our original narrator to have such detailed knowledge of these other individuals.
Twists, turns, new surprises and revelations are aplenty. The theme of the morality of revenge, versus justice and retribution is still there, taking new nuances given the differing situations the various protagonists find themselves in, and their own personal crossroads. The theme of personal motivation is also very strong, and a loss of faith in the legal system is a recurrent issue.
If you have not read the first book, fear not as all essential information is woven in smoothly at the appropriate juncture, meaning that, whilst new readers are brought up to speed, continuing ones are not bored with a lengthy recap (thank you for this, Mr Franko!). Having said that, I would strongly recommend reading the books in order, as Eye for Eye provides a detailed insight into Susie and Roy, whose lives this trilogy is about, as well as building a gradual picture of all of the other players. Although the main subplots are resolved in this book, Susie and Roy’s story is far from over, and I am going to dive into book three: Life for Life; you will likely want to do the same.
Taut, vivid, intelligent, engaging, insightful and immensely well written and researched, this is a series that continues to captivate me; a real page turner.
[ARC received via Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours]
About the Author
J.K. FRANKO was born and raised in Texas. His Cuban-American parents agreed there were only three acceptable options for a male child: doctor, lawyer, and architect. After a disastrous first year of college pre-Med, he ended up getting a BA in philosophy (not acceptable), then he went to law school (salvaging the family name) and spent many years climbing the big law firm ladder.
After ten years, he decided that law and family life weren’t compatible. He went back to school where he got an MBA and pursued a Ph.D. He left law for corporate America, with long stints in Europe and Asia.
His passion was always to be a writer. After publishing a number of non-fiction works, thousands of hours writing, and seven or eight abandoned fictional works over the course of eighteen years, EYE FOR EYE became his first published novel.
J.K. Franko now lives with his wife and children in Florida.
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