Eye for Eye

By: Ellie Dolan-Yates

If you love a book of twists and turns Eye for Eye is definitely one to keep an eye out for. The first in author J.K. Franko’s Talion Series, Eye for Eye tells a story of loss and revenge. A chance meeting at a ski resort gets husband and wife Roy and Susie wondering whether they should have ever avenged the death of their daughter Camilla. As secrets begin to emerge, will they be able to pull off a perfect act of revenge and at what cost? The adventures of Roy and Susie’s quest for revenge are subtle, nothing too over the top or unbelievable, but enough to keep you on your toes nonetheless. Will they be found out and what will they find out?

The story is documented through third person, someone who seems close to both Roy and Susie. A prologue readies us for mystery as the suspect death of a young girl at Camp Willow in the early 80’s is explained. After seeing something she shouldn’t have, something according to her “ungodly,” the girl is followed on her way to reveal what she has seen. The next day, after concerns for her whereabouts grow, the girl’s broken body is found on the rocks at the bottom of an overlook. Although questions surround her death, nothing concrete can be proven. Thus, her death is put down to a tragic accident. This prologue not only sets the mysterious undertone of the book, but will prove itself important to understanding the relationships between certain characters.

Several characters are introduced throughout the novel, all of which are important. I have to admit that my perceptions of each person changed the more I read. People aren’t always what they seem. The main characters are Roy and Susie Cruise – painted as an idyllic couple who have everything, skiing trips, their own business, even a 60 ft. yacht. However, there is a gaping hole in their lives caused by the death of their daughter Camilla three years ago. This was a loss which caused a rift in their marriage, a rift which Roy would do anything to heal. Roy brings up the whole idea of revenge on their skiing trip. In a drunken realization after watching Game of Thrones he states “…[evil people] have to suffer before they go…Their deaths have to be worse than, or at least as bad as, the reason they’re dying…” (Here I must warn at this point that there are Game of Thrones spoilers for those who haven’t watched the entire series!) His wife Susie brushes his statement off though as she wouldn’t be interested in that kind of thing. She understands, but is it really the way to go? The tables quickly turn after a chance meeting at the resort though.

Roy and Susie meet Deb and Tom Wise who explain that their daughter Kristy was raped by a Texas senator’s son who was never brought to justice. They want revenge and they had heard about Camilla’s death, so they believe it is fit that Roy and Susie take revenge on Kristy’s attacker – that way they both get revenge.

The story lends importance to the relationships and secrets between the characters and the morality of what is happening. As it unfolds, we see many tie-ins with the characters, which ironically contrasts with one of Roy’s “Rules for Murder” – no ties. How the characters are brought together is nothing short of ingenuity. As connections are made, it is clear there is more to Roy and Susie’s actions throughout the book. Everyone has their own story to tell, only complicating the matter of whether this particular act of revenge is justifiable. The act of revenge itself is scarily well thought out and, although it is over and done with fairly quickly, the intricacy of it is not to be overlooked. The planning behind the perfect murder must have taken longer to come up with than the entire book! Although there is no big revelation in terms of the murder itself, we know it is going to happen and how it will happen, the awe comes in the precision and execution of the plan.

The story shows what desperation can do to people including Roy’s desperation to keep his marriage alive, Susie’s desperation to get some sort of revenge for their daughter’s death and the Wise’s desperation for their daughter’s attacker to be brought to justice. Will this be enough for them all though? What amount of satisfaction can they gain from it all? Have they really pulled off the perfect murder with no mistakes?

The answer may lie with the mysterious narrator who reveals themselves in the epilogue. The epilogue tantalizingly sets up the second book in The Talion Series – Tooth for Tooth. After seeing a sneak preview, it seems that that the events in Eye for Eye are just the beginning of a long chain of interlocking retributions.