Dark Retribution is one of those murder mysteries that you can’t get out of your head. Author, BR Stateham, tells a grisly tale of murder and mayhem that can only be helped by a ghost of a man.
Synopsis of Dark Retribution from Goodreads:
“Smitty’s a hit man. A hit man who, sometimes, becomes a dark angel for those select few who are in desperate need. This time a cop needs his help in saving his sister-in-law. A madman is stalking ladies of the night and slaughtering them. No one knows who the madman might be. No clues are left behind. No witnesses are left alive. The police are baffled.”
“But one cop knows what to do. Sometimes, in defeating Evil, you occasionally have to flirt with the devil. Sometimes, only a killer can find a killer.”
My Review of Dark Retribution:
I wanted to love this book. The synopsis had me hooked, but the more I read, the more confused I got. Unsolvable murders are happening in the area, but the police can’t figure out who is committing the crimes, even though there are so many strange circumstances surrounding the family of the next target of the murderer.
The novel is dark and violent. If you are into gristle and bloody murder mysteries, this one is for you. Unfortunately, I can’t help but feel as if the story lacked real magic outside of death and hysteria.
The setting was splendid, however. The dark warehouses, the shadows, the whole environment of the town is well written and detailed expertly. I wish I had felt as much pull with the characters.
I award Dark Retribution 3 out of 5 Stars. I think that those who love grisly murders will enjoy this book, and I suggest giving it a try!
About the Author, BR Stateham:
B.R. Stateham is a fourteen-year-old boy trapped in a seventy-year-old body. But his enthusiasm and boyish delight in anything mysterious and/or unknown continue.
Writing novels, especially detectives, is just the avenue of escape which keeps the author’s mind sharp and inquisitive. He’s published a ton of short stories in online magazines like Crooked, Darkest Before the Dawn, Abandoned Towers, Pulp Metal Magazine, Suspense Magazine, Spinetingler Magazine, Near to The Knuckle, A Twist of Noir, Angie’s Diary, Power Burn Flash, and Eastern Standard Crime. He writes both detective/mysteries, as well as science-fiction and fantasy.
In 2008 the first book in the series featuring homicide detectives Turner Hahn and Frank Morales came out, called Murderous Passions.
Also, in 2008 he self-published a fantasy novel entitled, Roland of the High Crags: Evil Arises.
In 2009 he created a character named Smitty. So far twenty-eight short stories and two novellas have been written about this dark eyed, unusually complex hit man.
In 2012 Untreed Reads published book two of the Turner Hahn/Frank Morales series A Taste of Old Revenge.
In 2015 NumberThirteen Press published a Smitty novella entitled, A Killing Kiss.
In 2017 a British indie publisher, Endeavour Media, re-issued A Taste of Old Revenge, and soon followed by a second Turner Hahn/Frank Morales novel entitled, There Are No Innocents.
In 2018 Endeavour Media published a third novel of mine, the first in a 1st Century Roman detective series, entitled While the Emperor Slept.
Also in 2018, NumberThirteen Press merged with another famous British indie, Fahrenheit Press. Soon afterwards, Fahrenheit Press re-issued an old novel of mine entitled, Death of a Young Lieutenant.
Now, after all of this apparent success, you would think Fame and Fortune would have sailed into my harbor, making me the delight of the hard-core genre world. Ah but contraire, mon ami! Fame and Fortune are two devious little wraths who pick and chooses the poor souls they wish to bedevil. I remain in complete anonymity and am just as bereft of fortune as I have always been. And apparently will continue to be for a long time to come.
B.R. Stateham has a blog called, In the Dark Mind of B.R. Stateham – http://noirtaketurner-frank.blogspot.com/
If you would like to pick up a copy for yourself, you can purchase it on Amazon.com. If you use my special link in the image below, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
