Payback is personal for a former NYPD detective taking on a corrupt cop and a dirty accounting firm in this adrenaline-laced thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sleepers and Tin Badges.“Carcaterra’s keen eye and deft style bring New York City to stunning life. A brilliant thriller by one of the all-time greats.”—Jeffery Deaver, #1 internationally bestselling author If … internationally bestselling author
If there’s one kind of person Tank Rizzo hates most in this world, it’s a dirty cop. Criminals are at least honest about being dishonest; dirty cops are a disgrace to the badge they carry. Detective Eddie Kenwood is one such disgrace. He’s got the highest signed-confession rate in the NYPD and a distinguished career built on putting men behind bars—whether they’re guilty or not doesn’t matter much to him. When Tank’s partner, Pearl, tells him about an old family friend Kenwood put in jail for a murder he didn’t commit, Tank and Pearl vow to take Kenwood down.
Also in need of a takedown: the money-laundering accounting firm where Tank’s brother used to work—before he mysteriously died, leaving Tank the sole guardian of his nephew, Chris. Chris smells a rat, and enlists Tank’s help to bring the men who had his father killed to justice.
Working two big cases means getting out the big guns, and Tank assembles his A-team. With help from a retired mobster, a professional boxer, a Chelsea psychic, a dog named Gus, and the U.S. Attorney—not to mention his and Pearl’s own quick wits and Chris’s burgeoning skills as a computer whiz—Tank gears up to take on his most dangerous and personal cases to date.
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Set aside a day for this book, because you’re not going to be doing anything but reading — or should I say, speeding — from first page to last, in the company of some of the most memorable characters we’ve ever met in crime fiction. By turns wry, moving, and gut-punching, Payback is a novel you won’t forget. And as always, Carcaterra’s keen eye and deft style bring New York City to stunning life. A brilliant thriller by one of the all-time greats.
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I really enjoy these Tin Badge books. This is the second in series. The first, Tin Badges, was a great setup, and I really feel connected to the world that the author has established. Carcaterra has done a marvelous job assembling a cast of characters that are relatable, a jumble of personalities, and personable enough to keep me rooting for them book after book.
Admittedly, there are a lot of times when it seems things wrap up a little tidily or occur in a way that is a little convenient or our fearless Tank is a little too perfectly spot-on for reality – but I don’t care. The books are well plotted and well paced and I enjoy the way good triumphs over evil, even if it’s not always realistic to the extent that it happened. I find them to be a great distraction read, wholly entertaining and engaging from start to finish.
I’m hoping for many more in this series!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
A gritty, old-school crime novel that flat-out delivers the goods. Payback is an engrossing, emotionally satisfying read with good guys you pull for and bad guys you want to plug yourself. No one knows the streets of Manhattan like Lorenzo Carcaterra, and it shows from page one. A stone cold winner!
With retired NYPD detective Tank Rizzo at the helm, and the most colorful cast of backup crime fighters you have never seen before, Payback is the kind of brilliantly conceived, high-powered, totally diverting entertainment everyone is looking for these days. On a case that is as down and dirty as it is personal, this is Lorenzo Carcaterra at his best, and that’s saying something!
Another riveting novel by this author. Tank and his crew take on two group of scumbags and this time it’s personal. The author uses first person conversations to move the story along at a fast pace. I love the little bits of NY history thrown in as the guys dig into the case. They make catching bad guys seem so effortless and simple even when their lives are in danger. The mix of the bad guys working for good makes it simply human. These are all great characters that make every page enjoyable.
PAYBACK by Lorenzo Carcaterra is the second book in the Tank Rizzo mystery series and the first one that I have read by this author. Tank Rizzo and his former NYPD partner Pearl are retired on disability, but they still do investigations. In this story line, they are pursuing two cases. The first is the death of Tank’s brother and his sister-in-law and the second is the imprisonment of Randy Jenkins for a murder that he says he did not do.
Tank has a wide variety of people that help him solve cases and they are not the usual sort of team that would immediately come to mind. The beginning of the book switched time lines multiple times making it more difficult to achieve a smooth flow and transition. Eventually, the time line became current and worked well. There was no trouble going following the two concurrent investigations. Where I had the biggest issue was the believability factor of the agreements and interactions with the Chief of Detectives and the U.S. Attorney’s office as well as their acceptance of some of the actions taken by Tank and his team.
The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. The stakes were high throughout the novel and kept me fully invested in the story despite knowing who the ‘bad guys’ were early on in the book. The world-building enhanced the setting and gave me a clear sense of place. Themes include death, corruption, secrets, lies, family relationships, racism, friendships and much more.
Overall, the plot was action-packed, absorbing and entertaining. The pursuit of justice was not always done in a legal manner and this affected my rating. However, there are many reviewers that could overlook this aspect of the story and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Lorenzo Carcaterra for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
It is non-stop action in this second story of Tank and the crew. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first story. Tank and his “family” have taken on two very hard cases. One where a young man is accused of a murder he didn’t commit, although he confessed to it, everyone knows he didn’t do it. There are quite a few cases that involve the same circumstances and are all arrests by the same cop. The second case means that Tank is going after the people who ordered his brother and sister-in-law’s murder. He gets help from his crew, his nephew and the Feds. Tank also has to confront a past that he doesn’t ever want to think about, but knows it will rear it’s ugly head anyway. Will he lose those he loves over it, or will they understand?
One hard core cop fiction. So many elements!
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The first book in the series really made me love the character of Tank. An ex-cop who has a tough exterior but a soft heart really makes you connect with this guy.
Tank and his team consists of an ex-partner who is in a wheelchair but has a brilliant mind. His nephew, who came to live with him when Tank’s brother was killed. Assorted other characters from many walks of life are also along for the take downs. Some with a criminal history. Some on the up and up. Some a questionable blend.
We can’t forget Tank’s girlfriend whom he waited years to connect with and her dad who is a friend as well. This assortment of characters and the unique cases they are given to work on create an intense story full of action, crime, bullets flying, murder and mayhem, and that’s from the good guys.
That’s the thing I like the most about the story is Carcaterra really shows people who the characters are and isn’t afraid to show that even in goodness sometimes we all have a little dark side. Protecting our own just got a new definition with this team.
Payback is an all-around action packed story set in downtown NYC that gives us the city grit and crime with unexpected direction and surprise secrets. So much energy and intensity that you will be hard pressed to put this one down!
Second book in the Tank Rizzo series. Rizzo comes face to face with his past demons and present justice and payback. This is an excellent read, I found the capacity for violence a bit outrageous at times and wonder if this will be the focus of the next book (if there is one). All the friends and family have a place in this one and yet the pieces shuffle and change direction. Add this to your TBR list.
This is the second book in the series and just as good as the first one! It was fast paced, it was descriptive and kept you on the edge of your seat.
I like how everything was wrapped up in a neat little package.
I think fans of Michael Connelly will enjoy this book!
I certainly did! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy