Everyone knows revenge is a dish best served cold and no-one knows this better than John Hayes.After dealing with the mercenaries sent to kill him in Oman, John realizes he can never live in peace knowing the man who sent them, the man ultimately responsible for endangering the woman he loves, is still roaming free.To hunt him down John must draw on all his courage and will power, and return to … will power, and return to where it all began.
India.
Reprisal is another exciting, nail-biting adventure once again starring John Hayes, an ordinary man in extraordinary situations.
What readers are saying:
**These books are very difficult to put down!
I was eagerly turning the pages until the end.
*** It’s fast paced and action packed. With lots of twists and turns that’s a real page turner.
**John is an ordinary man that trouble seems to find
**This read pulls you in right from the first page.
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Wow a fantastic read. A fast past edge if your seat adrenaline rush. I could not put this read down. The Author has brought to fruition a fantastic listen that leaves you wanting more. This is definitely a must read.
Shauna Joesten
After the events and adventures in the previous volume, John Hayes and girlfriend Adriana want to spend some well-deserved quality time together. He had to come clean to her and explained everything about his murky past; She didn’t run, but hugged him and told John that she loves him and will never leave him. But afraid that Patil can come after him anywhere and anytime, he decides to go to India himself and take the matter into his own hands. Adriana has a job offer in Lisbon from a major newspaper. He doesn’t want to put her in danger anyway, as she would be if she’d accompanied him. To avoid early detection he has to sneak into India by foot from Nepal, followed by an exhausting road trip to Bangalore in the south of the country. Luckily, John has an extended network of friends and their relatives that he can count on for support, as well as regularly meeting nice and helpful people.
In Bangalore, India, Surya Patil is fuming that his mercenaries didn’t succeed in killing John Hayes and looks for revenge. He puts out a police-alert that John is a dangerous terrorist who’s planning to kill him. One of the officers charged with this operation and investigation is DI Rajiv Sampath, no supporter of the governor and an acquaintance of Hayes. Something his commander is very well aware of. Surya eventually manages to commandeer a swat team for his protection complemented with members of the local police from Sampath’s team.
DI Rajiv is an honourable man. He hates corruption and can’t condone it, he sends back a constable to pay for a samosa he got free of a street vendor. He believes in the law and the legal system and is utterly frustrated that corrupt politicians and rich men can evade their justified and just punishments. That’s why he can also -reluctantly- understand that people like John take that law into their own hands if that’s the only way possible for them to get justice.
Surya Patel is one of the most powerful men in the province. He’s the villain in this series, a domineering, corrupt, selfish, nasty creature. Charming as he can be, his village roots often shine through. His son was the leader of the gang that tortured, raped and killed John’s first wife and he got killed by John after the legal system failed to condemn the arrogant shite. Now the father seeks revenge for the murder on that son.
Maadhavi was a rather successful Indian actress who became entangled in Patil’s web. Though at first there seemed to be nothing that he asked in return for his patronage after raping her at an award ceremony he made her into his mistress, the relationship is hardly consensual or between equal partners. She’s a nice, well-liked person as can be seen in the restaurant when it’s obvious that the staff really like her, not just because she happens to be famous but because she treats them with friendliness and respect.
Captain Ankit Sharma hates to be on VIP protection. He thinks that those corrupt politicians deserve to get retaliation for their blatant crimes. He prefers to be on counter-terrorism duty.
John Hayes is the ‘hero’ of this series. He and his first wife were newlywed and they spend their honeymoon in India where disaster struck. His wife was raped and murdered by a group of wealthy local young men. When police and courts couldn’t or wouldn’t do the right thing, he served his own brand of lethal justice to the arrogant bastards, making well certain that legally he couldn’t be implicated. Now that he’s found a second chance to happiness, the father of his wife’s murderer is out for revenge and had Adriana kidnapped in Oman. A conspiracy that failed.
This book is more than just an action thriller, albeit a very good one. It could almost serve as a travel guide. Although some of the methods or activities in the story should not be duplicated by innocent, law-abiding tourists if you prefer to stay out of trouble and jail. But the descriptions of the scenery and surroundings that John travels in are so detailed and clear that you can picture it before your own eyes. And this doesn’t interfere or slow down the narrative, the surroundings are simply part of the story. It also helps that the book is divided into 98 very short, bite-sized chapters.
Although this book strongly builds on the adventures and events of the earlier volumes, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Most of the info needed is given in the text in a short and clear manner.
Maybe it’s moralistic and old fashioned but all in all, it’s not ok to take the law into your own hands. For where will you stop in your quest of retaliation? What crimes? And most important who appointed you as the ultimate judge of right and wrong? Are you sure that you’re always right? The only one struggling with this dilemma in this story is of course not the bad guy but also not the ‘good’ guy, it is the policeman whose character is severely tested when he is torn between his job (protecting a politician he despises) and his friendship and respect for the outlaw that has been a victim of that politician.
One of the (minor) things that bug me in this book, as well as in many others, is that English speaking /writing people constantly assume that all foreigners will be fluent in English. Yes, most Indians will have a basic knowledge of the language but I seriously doubt that they will talk English to one another instead of Hindi, Kannada (the official language of Karnataka) or another local language. But for John to follow the phone conversation between Maadhavi and Surya they must have spoken in English. For it to be inconspicuous that must have been the language they normally use to talk to each other.
I really enjoyed this book and despite its volume, it was a rather quick read as I kept reading ‘just one more chapter’ for hours on end.
I received a free ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
A Fast-Paced Unstoppable Read!
As the story continues we are taken back to where it all started. We think, in our minds’ eye, that we can envisage the act of revenge. The adrenaline rush of close calls and terrifying realities take our breath away as we move through this adventure with John Hayes. A fast-paced story that literally takes your breath away as you read ever faster to see how things turn out. John has finally found another love, but this time, can he move fast enough to save her? An exciting thrill-ride that is simply spectacular! Another brilliant read! Seriously! My pulse is still pounding!
John Hayes has lived through his girlfriend being captured and held hostage by mercenaries hired by Surya Patil, a corrupt Indian politician. John will never be safe unless he takes care of Patil. John puts a plan in motion. This novel is a page turning thriller in this series. I could not put it down until I finished it.
Love it. This an excellent book that you can’t stop reading it. Great characters, well written, page turner, easy to read, full of action & adrenaline. Great job. I received a copy and voluntary leaving a review.
John is determined to end this trail of killings. Now that he and Adriana are the next targets, he will stop at nothing to end it all. This is a very intense story. If you like a lot of action, great characters, and an intense story this book is for you. If you haven’t read any of the John Hayes thrillers, I suggest you start at the beginning, but not totally necessary. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Reprisal is Book 5 in Mark David Abbott’s John Hayes series. I would say you need to read these books in order as they are so connected you would be lost if you just picked up this one.
It’s time to head back to the start. John wants to be able to start a life with his new love and go back to his everyday man quiet life. Surya Patil is standing in the way of that so needs to be dealt with. This story once again tests the reader and makes them question what they think is right. The readers aren’t the only ones as there’s one very conflicted detective caught up in this mess as well. Our characters continue to be dynamic and the scenery is so descriptive you’ll almost feel you’re there. I live in the freezing cold and even I could feel the heat of India.
I loved how much John has changed over the journey he takes in this series. If you like to be entertained and are looking for something to dive into this year pick up these books!
I received an advanced copy of this story from the author but my review and opinions are my own and voluntarily given.
I received an ARC from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. Wow, what a roller coaster ride!!! This book grabs hold of the reader from the very first pages and doesn’t let go until the end. And even though it isn’t non-stop action, it sure isn’t sedate by any stretch of the imagination. This is book 5 in the series but I think anyone could pick it up and not be lost. Mr. Abbott gives enough background for the reader to understand what motivates John Hayes, but there’s not so much background that the current story is bogged down or inadequately moves forward. Mr. Abbott has created an action-adventure novel with heart, passion, and a hero who believes that justice must be served, and if no one else will do it, then he will. If you haven’t read any of the John Haynes novels, I highly recommend them. They are the best!!!!