Book Review: Payback by R.A. Van Vleet

Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker | Content warnings: sex trafficking, sexual assault, domestic violence

A dark murder mystery with a fulfilling dance between evil and justice

Cheating, lying, and murder runs rampant in Ventura, California. Ian Martin and his team at Martin’s Security, Investigation, and Bond Enforcement Agency are paid to follow possibly unfaithful spouses, protect people, and return people to jail. These kind of jobs come with great risk but also great rewards. 

Previously, one of Ian’s employees, Megan, had been forced into sex trafficking and Ian had to rescue her during one of his assignments. When their newest target, Harold Huntington, sexually assaults a girl while Megan is surveilling, she has a hard time putting her traumatic memories out of her mind.

Over the years, Ian has developed relationships within the police department and the judicial system. So when Harold Huntington ends up dead, Detective Ryan, who has worked with Ian in the past, discloses more than he probably should. While Ryan runs through the possible suspects for Mr. Huntington’s murder, more evil and violence lurks.

Kari Singleton is another friend through work, a defense attorney who has an abusive ex-husband. After much struggle to divorce him, Kari tried to move on from the sick prick by dating a theater professor a few months later. When everything seems to be going good for Kari, a string of murders begin that keep Ian, detective Ryan, and herself pre-occupied; someone seems to be specifically targeting her clients.

As the detective and investigators handle each case, the reader is shown how their methodology differs (mostly due to legal reasons). However, the illustration of larger themes, such as, protecting those who cannot protect themselves and being a gentleman is one area where Payback stands out against some of my favorite crime thrillers. Ian Martin is the epitome of a gentleman who has disdain for the fact that many men “haven’t been taught that gentlemen open doors for a woman and walk them to their door.”

Among the best aspects of Payback is just how successfully detail-oriented it is. We’ve got vivid scene descriptions galore, allowing you to be the detective there to assess the crime scene, and it also handles its mystery with keen detail. But beware, sometimes Van Vleet’s descriptions can be so vivid that they capture pure evil and be difficult to read. There are some sections that could take the deeds of sexual predators a bit too far for some readers.

Crime thriller lovers and law enforcement enthusiasts will enjoy Payback. It’s got plenty of dark themes, so hang on tight, but the mystery of the murders pull you in over and over until the unexpected end. 

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