In a small country town, an act of revenge causes five lives to collide. Early one Christmas morning, Graeme Sweetapple, a man down on his luck, is heading home with a truck full of stolen steers when he comes across an upended ute that has hit a tree. He is about to get involved with Luke, an environmental protestor who isn't what he seems; a washed-up local politician, Caroline Statham, who is searching for a sense of purpose, but whose businessman husband seems to be sliding into corruption; and Carson, who is wild, bound to no one, and determined to escape her circumstances. Into their midst comes Retribution, a legendary horse worth a fortune. Her disappearance triggers a cycle of violence and retaliation that threatens the whole community. As tensions build, they must answer one question: is true retribution ever possible -- or even desirable?
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I was provided a review copy of this book.
Retribution by Richard Anderson is a third person, multiple perspective crime novel set in a small country town in Australia. The novel primarily tells the story of Graeme Sweetapple, a rancher who has had more bad times than good, and the things he does to improve his standing.
The pacing was a little inconsistent for me; at times the writing felt slow and meandering, but at others it seemed like we were skipping over parts of the story that would have been better off expanded upon. By the end, however, I found myself to be invested in the outcome of a few particular characters story arcs and felt the ending was a satisfying conclusion and tribute to the novel's name.
