What can happen when an ordinary member of the public’s
mobile phone is hacked?
A student has been murdered in North Wales and the press are
hounding her landlord, Gareth Evans. Peter Gray, a reporter, sent up from
London to cover the story, tries to protect his ex-colleague Gareth, but
becomes embroiled in a murderous plot.
Craig Fletcher, a drugs runner, wants retribution. He plans
to torture and kill James Ryan, the man he believes tried to have him killed
six years ago and who is now running his former drugs empire in the north-east
of England. Fletcher’s plot involves the abduction and murder of IT worker
Travis Williams, whose disfigured body in a burnt out car will keep James
Ryan’s men off the scent while Fletcher exacts his revenge.
But in its bid to be first with a ‘new angle’ on the
murdered student case, a tabloid newspaper conflates the two stories and the
result is confusion and chaos. As the body count rises and the journalists, the
local police and Travis’s acquaintances, Nick Parker and Ann Butler, try to
work out what is really happening, the race is on to find the location where
innocent people are being held before more deaths are added to the list.
Their intense experience over three long days drives many
involved to question some deeply held assumptions and re-examine their
consciences. Ultimately, in various different ways, nearly everyone caught up
in the media frenzy becomes a victim of press intrusion and phone hacking.
One early reviewer described this story as “Amazing!”; another
as a “Masterpiece of suspense”. See http://webofdeceit.org/ret-reviews
for more.
Sales links (only available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook) are:
OR
About the author
Previously a senior executive in the UK telecommunications
industry, since 2001 Charles R Stubbs has earned his living from writing sales
and marketing literature for companies, helping them to improve their business
performance.
'Web of Deceit' was Charles’s first eBook. A thriller set in North
Wales in 1999, it examines how the media can manipulate public opinion, and how
the internet has the potential to affect the lives of ordinary people.
In ‘Retribution’, set five years later, the focus is on the
activities of the UK press (some of them illegal) that came under the spotlight
during a high profile inquiry. The novel shows how innocent people’s lives can
be turned upside down by dubious media practices.
Charles lives in the UK in the Midlands. When not writing or
working in his garden, Charles likes to go birdwatching, and he has
incorporated this hobby into his books. This does make the stories somewhat
unique – along with the fact that the action takes place in North Wales!
My review
Although this book can be read as a stand
alone, it is the second in the Travis series and I really wish I’d read the
first book before embarking on this one. There is no doubt at all that this is
a gripping thriller but in the beginning I found it hard to get to know the
characters as so many seemed to be introduced without really giving the reader
a chance to identify with them. This was further compounded by the numerous
pseudonyms that were used throughout with several characters having more than
one name. Add to the mix, action that takes place in Wales, Poland, The
North-East and that the action is divided into five parts rather than a
beginning, a middle and an end, and you can see that it is a recipe for
confusion.
Having said that, I really liked the way
the author dealt with topical problems such as phone hacking and media
harassment. The fact that the newspaper refuses to change its story even after
getting the facts wrong speaks volumes about today’s society.
By the end of the story I could admire the
way the author brought all the strands together with many unexpected twists and
turns. In addition, the character of Ann is very well portrayed and we were
given glimpses into what had happened five years ago. Gareth too is extremely
well described but I think that the whole story would have been held together
far better by reading the first book.
On the whole this is a thrilling story of
suspense with some real villains. Personally though I would have preferred
fewer characters and more backdrop about the location. I felt the description
of Wales worked well but as for Poland, to be honest the setting could have
been anywhere as there were few details to relate to. The villains and
especially the Russian Mafia did come across as slightly stereotyped at times.
If you are looking for a fast-paced
thriller that will have you wondering about the next twist then I can recommend
it- just read book one first!
Best for…. Those who like their thrillers
to jump about from country to country and with lots of twists and turns.
My rating
3.5/5
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