While the cover and the back copy of the book broadcast that it is a revenge thriller, I still ended up being surprised on several fronts. The book was more intense and violent than I thought. And it had a few more twists in the plot than I expected. I thought I knew where it was going when I was suddenly shocked by a plot twist that left me flabbergasted and left the main character in a worse situation. Ahh, but first, the story.

Claire Valentin is an expert paramedic who has been awarded a few medals for saving people's lives. One day an old friend calls her up and tells her that her father is in the hospital; the same man who abused her massively as a child, so much that Claire ran from home and never returned. Now Claire and her friend have a chance to get revenge on the man. The plan starts smooth, deviates a little quickly, and then takes a hard left into a brick wall. Suddenly Claire finds herself fighting for her life instead of getting revenge.

The book is concise and tight in its wording. An effect that pulled me in faster and sped me through the story. At the same time, I felt every emotion along with Claire. Her desire for revenge, her confusion when the reality of the moment hits, and her fear when things go really bad. Kozlowski does not hold back either. The pain, suffering, and abuse throughout the novel are unfiltered and intense. Some of the torture is imaginative also. Scary but still imaginative. I don't want to give anything away so I'm going to end it here. Do yourself a favor though and read this book. ( )