Retribution

By: Lawrence Gold

Narrated by: Keith Jedlicka

Can the pursuit of justice go too far?

The kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder of Dr. Joshua West’s nine-year-old daughter, Mattie, shatters his life. He lives for the capture, trial, conviction, and punishment of her killer. Fate, however, has its own grotesque form of justice - the killer’s release on a technicality, never to be tried again.

A gripping story of a grieving father’s thirst for justice, Retribution exposes the hard truth about what happens when law fails the innocent and leads them down a dark path from which they may never return.

©2020 Lawrence Gold (P)2021 Lawrence Gold

Dark and gripping

Retribution is a dark and gripping psychological thriller from retired doctor turned esteemed author Lawrence Gold. This is the first book from this author that I listen to and I am more than happy with both the writing and the level of immersion created.

The story follows Dr. Joshua West, a respected and very much loved professional who tries to save everyone who ends under his care, but when his own child is brutally murdered, Joshua transforms from the angel of mercy to a harbinger of vengeance! With his life shattered into a million pieces and his wife turning to faith in order to accept and understand what happened to their little baby girl, Dr. West will walk the very fine line between justice and retribution.

The Publisher’s Summary can give you a very good idea of what’s happening in Retribution, but I suggest that you just read this gripping story of a grieving and distraught father’s thirst for justice without any additional spoilers. The writing is good, the action moves at a breakneck pace and you’ll care for the characters, rooting at every step for them to succeed.

This is definitely not a lighthearted tail! Retribution is bloody, heartbreaking, gory, visceral, and the ending packs a punch that you will never see coming!

Former radio news anchor, disc jockey, voiceover artist and audiobook narrator for more than 20 years, Keith Jedlicka, delivers a gripping performance for Retribution and manages to raise the audio production to the highest level of immersion for the listener.

He is very talented at bringing the characters to life, switching with ease between voices and accents, while at the same time infusing the action with emotion and passion.

Keith perfectly captures the sense and scope, the feel, and the meaning of this story and I think that he did a great job with both the narration and the acting.

So, if you’re looking for a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you awake late into the night, look no further than Retribution by Lawrence Gold!

Deadly Thriller

A dedicated and professional Pediatric Surgeon who saves lives is knocked unconscious by a vicious carjacker turned murderer. His daughter is ripped from his life and endures a horrible death. The Court system fails. The mother turns to religion, but Dr. Joshua West turns to “Cain.”

Lawrence Gold, the author of Retribution zeroes in on vigilante justice and levels of pain and hurt that deliver the characters to make their choices of dealing with loss and the well-intentioned yet failing judicial system. This is a book that will grab at your heart, your mind, your stomach, and your fears. Gold weaves the story of Dr. Joshua West and Cain into a heart-breaking yet terrifying story rich in imagery. Each character fits perfectly into the story. There is nothing in this story that is left to chance, it is a well-planned and executed story. Each plot twist was equally planned and executed smoothly.

The narrator, Keith Jedlicka gives a realistic and powerful performance. The emotions he interjects into each unique voice further the story. His speech was clear, balanced, and strong. When he delivers the final plot twist, I had to listen to it twice because I was shocked! He set it up perfectly and the reveal was done in a manner to elicit the strongest gasp of shock!
This is one of those rare stories that everyone will have an opinion on; many will focus on different aspects of it but ultimately each person will agree it is a shocking story with an equally shocking ending no one sees coming. This is not just a book, but an experience!

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook. It was clear and crisp.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.