Roses & Thorns

Roses & Thorns

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Vengeance is Mine by Kat Henry Doran



Blurb:

Ever consider going back to study hall and face down the school bully?

The mean girls?

The brainless jocks who made your life a pure misery?

For Dru Horvath, gypsy orphan turned Pulitzer Prize winner; Rafe Archangeli, once the Scourge of Summerville and now leader of a multi-million dollar trust; and Fiona “Fat Aggie” Thorpe, current high fashion model with her own A-list agency, the opportunity to exact revenge is too good to pass up.

Will they find vengeance they crave?

Or something more valuable?

About the Author:

Nurse, paralegal, insurance investigator, victim advocate, sexual assault forensic examiner. Kat Henry Doran has been there and done that. More than once. Now she spends her time writing and sewing and occasionally acting as chauffeur to the four best things in her life: Meredith, Ashlin, Owen, and Kieran. Join Kat and her alter-ego Veronica Lynch, as they explore the north country of New York State, including the wild shores of Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River, and as they create tales which always include strong women and the men who love them.

Review:

Vengeance is Mine is a collection of novellas about three people from the town of Summerville, New York, which is located on the shore of Lake Ontario somewhere between Syracuse and Buffalo.

The first story is about Rafael (Rafe) Angeli. Having been called the “Scourge of Summerville,” Rafe went on to team up with his AA sponsor to become a very elusive, high class thief/con-man. Somehow I think he and his sponsor missed the part in the Twelve Steps about honesty. At any rate, when he returns to Summerville for his best friend’s funeral, he’s shocked to find his friend left him in charge of a charitable trust. And even more shocked to find himself falling for a feisty, crusading do-gooder whose past is nothing he would ever be drawn to.

Our next heroine is Fiona (Fat Aggie) Thorpe. Few people recognize her when she returns to town. Having lost a couple-few hundred pounds, Fiona is now a well-known model and the owner of a respected modeling agency. She’s out for revenge against the bullies who taunted her, drove her into the next county and left her to walk home after dark in a rain storm, and even caused the death of a friend with cerebral palsy. They greased the handicapped toilet seat and the girl fell off. Not only did she break her wrist, but the resulting back injury caused pressure on her lungs and Fiona’s friend eventually died of related complications. The bullies thought the elbow cast was funny and never related the girl’s death to their pranks.

And finally, Dru Horvath, bullied simply because she’s an orphaned child of gypsies.

Vengeance is Mine was unfortunately marred by editing problems. There were words missing and some grammar issues. I realize editing can be expensive, but at least buy a subscription to the Chicago Manual of Style. When asked what her advice to new writers was, Dorothy Parker said, “First buy a copy of The Elements of Style.” My second bit of advice is, go through your galleys backward. You’ll be amazed what you find that way.

Otherwise, it’s a pretty good read. Each story could stand alone, but they also segue together nicely—especially Fiona and Dru’s stories, since they’re best friends and it’s Dru who convinces Fiona to attend their reunion. I recommend Vengeance is Mine, as a great example of what happens when people grow up and move on.

Heat Rating:  PG-13
Length:  203 Pages
Prices:
Print:  $15.00
Digital:  $3.99

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