Retribution

Dana
Delamar
ISBN Number: 
0984931139
Genre: 
Suspense-Thriller

Nick Clarkston is a man with a past.  As a boy he witnessed his mother's suicide, then focused his anger and pain on the father who abandoned him - Enrico Lucchesi, head of a mafia family.  He joins INTERPOL as a way to fight against his heritage, but even there he is not beyond the reach of his family.  

Delfina Andretti is a mafia principessa with a mind of her own and a dream.  Seeing Nick as her ticket out of the life, she pulls him into her scheme to rid herself of her father's influence and travel to Milan, where she dreams of being a fashion designer.

Using his connections to infiltrate 'Ndrangheta  (the Calabrian mafia) Nick enters a murky world of treachery and deceit, where honor is held above all and the ties of family bind them, for better or for worse.

Retribution is the second book in a series, and while the story is fast-paced with plenty of action, it will be lost on new readers.  There is so much going on and so many characters being churned out it is virtually impossible to keep up.  Nick and Sofia are unsympathetic characters with no more depth than the endless stream of cousins, uncles, grandfathers and other dead relatives stuffed into this story.  The author has provided 3 pages of character names and 5 pages of Italian translation but with an ereader, it is very cumbersome to access.  The assistance it provides is minimal.  Readers looking for a "Godfather"-ish tale of vendettas and retribution under the hot Italian sun will enjoy this quick read.  Lovers of emotionally charged romance will be better served elsewhere.

Tammy Grant