February 3rd, 2021 by Jane Turner
This review of Orca by Mariette Whitcomb comes via a Blog Tour from Damppebbles. Orca was self published on Amazon as an ebook on 24 November 2020. I received a free copy of the ebook.
If you prey on the innocent, I’m coming for you.
War didn’t change me… Four months as the enemy’s captive did. I returned home broken, scarred, the call to combat echoing in my soul. Haunted by the deaths of my squad, a darkness festers inside me, set on vengeance.
Seven little girls died at the hands of the Angel Taker. He thinks himself invincible, taunting the police and the families of his victims with letters. If the police can’t stop him, I will. I’m not bound by man-made laws. Starting with the Angel Taker, I will hunt him and every other vile predator down. The dark web won’t keep them safe; I’m not afraid of the abyss.
I don’t care if this path destroys me, or the police realise a woman is responsible for the bodies found hanging across the city. The victims deserve freedom, and their deaths avenged.
Soon I find myself in the crosshairs of the Marcel Sniper. The worst he does – kiss me. As sure as my name is Finley D. Williams, that kiss is the best I’ve ever had.
Perhaps I’m not alone in this fight after all…
Justice.
There is no denying this one was a tough read. Gritty, gory, depraved – trigger warnings on almost every page.
But, if you like a gutsy hero with balls to spare, Finley Williams is your gal. End of.
This was also a tough read because of the writing style and edit (though I don’t think this was professionally edited). The dialogue seemed stilted with few contractions (can’t or won’t didn’t appear often – it was can not and will not). It didn’t flow like conversation. The grammar and language could use a tweaking. Finley’s head jumps around a bit, snippets and brief snapshots more than proper descriptions, and there were way too many ‘ids’ to make it a totally smooth read. All up, I think it needs a tightening of prose and a loosening of dialogue.
We don’t really find out Finley’s backstory or exactly what happened in combat, and I would have liked a little more. I also guessed the sniper’s identity quite a way before the reveal, but I do that a lot. And I would have liked more on Tabula Rasa and the Foundation, though it’s perfectly clear why Finley is involved and why she chooses her role.
I’ve got to hand it to her, though – Ms Whitcomb has created one hell of a hero in Finley. She pulls no punches, takes no shit, and comes through on her promises. She’s a protector, through and through. The female Equalizer? Yep, that’s an excellent comparison… Tough and unbending, steel-spined and determined – she’s one gutsy lady.
All in all, I liked this one. Action packed with a little romance – I’d like to read more about Finley and will be looking for book 2.
Mariëtte Whitcomb studied Criminology and Psychology at the University of Pretoria. An avid reader of psychological thrillers and romantic suspense novels, writing allows her to pursue her childhood dream to hunt criminals, albeit fictional and born in the darkest corners of her imagination.
When Mariëtte isn’t writing, she reads or spends time with her family and friends.
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