Eye for Eye Trilogy
by JK Franko
October 19 - December 31, 2020 Tour
If you like smart, fast-paced thrillers with unexpected twists, then you’ll love J.K. Franko's Eye for Eye Trilogy!
“REALISTIC & CHILLING!” - Mystery Thriller Week
Eye for Eye
"NEW TWIST ON STRANGERS ON A TRAIN"
~ THE SUNDAY TIMES
Roy and Susie are on a skiing holiday, trying to take a break from the constant reminders of their daughter, tragically killed by a careless driver. Out of the blue they meet Deb and Tom, another couple with a tragic past and a shocking proposal to put things right.
As the bodies accumulate, secrets are revealed and alliances crumble. Ultimate survival depends on following the rules for a perfect murder. And the first rule is… leave no singing bones.
My Review
I
found this to be an engaging novel but in a methodical way, not in
the normal suspense driven way. The plot is one of psychological
drama and character revelation that was fascinating. To think that
one could plan and execute the perfect, evidence free murder. And
then to wonder if there was just one mistake, one detail that might
set the police on an unrelenting investigation.
I
like how Franko developed the characters, such an essential aspect of
this novel. Hidden relationships are revealed as associated facts
become known. Underlying layers of motives and related actions are
revealed bit by bit. It is definitely an engaging way to develop a
murder mystery. I like the narrator point of view, causing me to
wonder who this person was, knowing all the facts and personalities
involved. And when the narrator is revealed at the end, we are
perfectly set up for a sequel.
I
was unhappy with a rather graphic sex scene that was unrelated to the
plot and certainly did not add to it. There was also quite a bit of
vulgar language that, while appropriate for the character, was not
something I appreciated.
This
is a good novel for readers who enjoy one of psychological suspense.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel.
The Trial of Joe Harlan Junior
A college Halloween party. A night of fun, dress-up, and laughter. But for Kristy Wise, it quickly became a night of horror.
Now, Joe Harlan Junior, entrepreneur and son of a prominent senator, is at risk of losing everything as he stands accused of a crime he insists he did not commit.
Yet the facts are undisputed: Kristy was drugged, and she did have sex with Joe.
But was it consensual?
Read the story. Listen to the testimony. Is everything that happens next justified?
YOU decide.
My Review:
I
read this prequel after reading the first novel in this collection.
While the trial record was interesting, a scene Deb related about her
childhood was much more informative. As Franko tends to do, that
little story revealed the roots of action in Eye for Eye. It is worth
the read.
Tooth for Tooth
What would YOU do?
What would you do if you got away with murder? Would you stop there? Could you?
Susie and Roy thought that they committed the perfect crime.
Their planning was meticulous. Their execution flawless.
But, there is always a loose end, isn’t there? Always a singing bone.
Now, while enemies multiply and suspicions abound, their perfect world begins to crumble.
The hunters have become the hunted.
My Review
Franko
knows how to weave many threads into a compelling story. Each of the
threads represents a different character and each having a different
piece of the overall puzzle.
As
with the first novel in this series, the theme is revenge, a terrible
task master. The personal dispensing of justice takes on a life of
its own. Franko has created a situation where people cannot go to the
police. There are people manipulating others with lies and deceit.
There are secrets that turn deadly.
Franko
is a master at misdirecting. He is also good at revealing the layers
of deceit and secrets from the past as the plot progresses. He deftly
brings in new characters. Previously unknown, they become essential
to the plot.
I
am hooked on this series. Franko has done a good job of exploring the
psyche of one who craves revenge and those who are willing to deliver
it.
Life for Life
What would YOU do if someone threatened your family?
Roy Cruise and his pregnant wife Susie barely survived an assassination attempt in their own home. The police now have them under surveillance. Meanwhile, Kristy Wise is a loose cannon—she knows too much and is trying to “set things right.”
What goes around comes around. And in this case, Roy and Susie may have pushed things too far. There are too many dead bodies. Too many foes plotting against them.
Roy and Susie must outwit the police and neutralize their enemies once and for all. If not, their days of retribution may end behind bars... or six feet under.
My Review:
Franko
maintains an engaging story in this third novel of the series. I like
how he introduces new characters into the plot and how they shed
light on actions in previous novels. I like how he explores yet again
the concept of planning the perfect murder and the possible
ramifications that follow. Even though this theme has been central to
the prior novels, Franko adds situations and insights to maintain the
engaging nature of his narrative. This novel is certainly a study of
lives ruined because of choices made.
And
that is another theme of this novel, choices we make in life. Can we
continually make choices determining the course of our life, changing
the trajectory as life unfolds? Or are there particular choices we
make that set us on an unchangeable path, that causes character
change that cannot be undone?
Franko
includes a shocking twist in this novel I did not see coming at all.
And he sets us up yet again to be waiting for a sequel. This series
has been so interesting and Franko has been so skilled at creating an
engaging narrative, I will be looking for the next novel with
anticipation.
My Review of the Trilogy:
I
am impressed with this series. Franko has managed to maintain the
development of characters throughout, as new situations occurred. He
introduced new characters well, weaving them into the narrative with
skill. He explores the theme of choices and how they determine the
course of life. He looks at the results of those choices on the
characters themselves and others involved. That Franko was able to
keep me reading with interest through over a thousand pages is an
amazing accomplishment. Other than the unnecessary graphic sex scene
in the first novel, I highly recommend this series.
My
rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Eye for Eye Trilogy Details:
| Genre: |
Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Legal |
| Published by: |
Talion Publishing |
| Publication Date: |
October 5, 2020 |
| Number of Pages: |
1050 |
| ASIN: |
B08KSCHTRX |
| Series: |
Talion Trilogy #1 |
| Find out more or get your copy: |
|
Read an excerpt from Eye for Eye:
When I try to piece together how this whole mess began, a part of me thinks it may have started over thirty years ago. At least the seeds were planted that far back, in the early 1980s. What happened then, at that summer camp in Texas, set the stage for everything that was to come.
Odd, how something so remote in time and geography continues to impact me here, today.
Sometimes I try to imagine her, how she felt—that eleven year-old girl—as she ran, stumbling and tripping through the woods that night. I try to put myself in her shoes. When I do, I wonder if she was frightened.
Did she understand the consequences of what she’d gotten herself into? I imagine it felt otherworldly to her, like a dream. But not a good dream. No, one of the bad ones—the ones that make your heart machine-gun as you try to outrun some dark thing that’s chasing you. But the faster you try to run, the slower you go, your legs feeling leaden, clumsy, useless.
Panic sets in. Tears of frustration form. Fear takes hold and won’t let go. You open your mouth to scream but realize, to your horror, that you’re paralyzed. It’s not that you can’t scream; you can’t even breathe. Not a dream—a nightmare.
Then again, all that may simply be my imagination. It could just be me projecting what I might have felt onto Joan. Maybe she wasn’t scared at all.
True, it was dark out. The night smelled of rain, but there was no lightning, only the far-off rumble of thunder hinting at a distant storm. There were no trail lights, no visibility but for the moon peeking out intermittently from behind a patchwork of clouds. But, Joan had been down this trail before. She was running toward the main cabin.
She had been at Camp Willow for almost two full weeks. She had been up and down that trail at least ten times a day, every day. Of course, that was during the day, and always with her buddy, or a camp counselor (the children called them troop leaders). Joan had never been on the trail at night. And never alone.
Maybe I imagine Joan was scared because, as an adult, I believe that she should have been. I would have been terrified.
***
Excerpt from Eye For Eye by JK Franko. Copyright © 2019 by JK Franko. Reproduced with permission from JK Franko. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
J.K. FRANKO was born and raised in Texas. His Cuban-American parents agreed there were only three acceptable options for a male child: doctor, lawyer, and architect. After a disastrous first year of college pre-Med, he ended up getting a BA in philosophy (not acceptable), then he went to law school (salvaging the family name) and spent many years climbing the big law firm ladder. After ten years, he decided that law and family life weren’t compatible. He went back to school where he got an MBA and pursued a Ph.D. He left law for corporate America, with long stints in Europe and Asia.
His passion was always to be a writer. After publishing a number of non-fiction works, thousands of hours writing, and seven or eight abandoned fictional works over the course of eighteen years, EYE FOR EYE became his first published novel.
J.K. Franko now lives with his wife and children in Florida.
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I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
