Main character James Benedict is drawn realistically, though to be honest I was far more involved in following the plot than getting to know him – competent investigator and lovelorn swain that he is. Ditto for his sweety, Julie Holding. The most interesting of the characters was Nam, the shadowy figure who haunts the tale from its beginning and who shows himself to be a genius in loyalty, obsession and evil.
Dawson’s crisp writing style and cryptic dialogue fit this action-packed tale. Her story-telling instincts are evident throughout as we get just the right amount of information and at the right time to keep the story a tantalizing bob and weave till the end.
The desire for vengeance is an idea that not only generates the plot, but is the theme that flows through plot and subplot too. Nam answers his need for revenge one way. Little Cassandra, with Julie’s guidance, arrives at an entirely different answer on how to handle hideous evil, fleshing out the Bible saying, “A little child shall lead them.”
Vengeance is a suspense thriller that will find you oblivious to time. Block off an afternoon to read the whole thing – because you won’t be able to put it down anyway.
Article comments
1 - Peter Black
Violet's seems to be an excellent review of Vengeance. I say, "seems to be," in that I have only read the first three chapters; but I'm sure it is an excellent review of an excellent and intriguing work, and further whets my appetite for my venture into chapter 4 at about 11:30 PM tonight.
Thank you Violet and Donna.