Payback by Charlotte Mills

**Sometimes a book cover sets up the mood, tells the story or raises the level of curiosity and intrigue. THIS cover satisfies all. The contrast. Beauty and ugliness. Calm and chaos. In the midst of beauty and calm illuminating the dark forest lies chaos. Its name is Spade and its mission? “Payback.” Can you feel it?** MESMERISING. If you haven’t read Charlotte Mills’ latest, “Payback,” her first Ylva-published novel, and you’re a fan of crime/mystery (with a compelling romance, to boot!), you really ought to, imo! Craftily original. Insidiously unassuming. Slyly-weaved web. Pure FUN. And the twist? *slow clap* Anyway… This book, I have to say, was one of the few anticipated books I had planned to explore in 2019 despite not knowing anything about the author when this ominously aesthetic cover caught me undivided attention when Ylva first revealed it on SM some time ago. Long story short, three previous books of hers later (prep for what was to come, in style and story execution, in this one), here I was, finally swiping the pages of “Payback” (thanks to the very kind author who, out of the blue, sprang a delightful surprise on me the other day, no obligation! Lucky me!), filled with anticipation, but not before getting a good, long look at the incredible cover again, for real, only this time, with its accompanying story! As I’d really enjoyed Mills’ convincing voice, tone and rhythm of her word flow writing craft in all her previous stories, I knew going in, “Payback” would surely provide me with an engaging and compelling story that I’d be fully invested in. Needless to say, Mills delivered…and then some, in this latest outing! The overall style, the flow, the tone, her angle approaches, the entangled web she weaved… Naturally, I practically devoured it in no time at all and do I have much to comment about this utterly original and creative crime/mystery story! First off, this was Mills’ first try in writing in the crime/mystery genre. But that didn’t put any damper on how she ever-so effortlessly transitioned from contemporary romance to a more structured genre, with the all-crucial five must-haves: 1) crime or mystery case; 2) victim(s);  3) killer(s); 4) law enforcement ; 5) solving of the crime. And she nailed them all with vigour, using her own distinct voice and style. Also, I believe, if I’m not mistaken, that this was her first try in using a third-person narrative instead of her signature first-person format, which was refreshing. The prologue drew me in immediately. Mills set up a curious situation, shrouded in mystery and uneasiness in a suspended quietness which, without revealing anything here, ended with even more mystery! Not to mention, it kept creeping back into the peripherals of me mind periodically to taunt me as I delved deeper into the story. Needless to say, I was right hooked, I was! Anyway, Mills wasted no time getting the story started, opening the chapter with a crime. I loved Mills’ attention to detail in describing the exterior which allowed me to instantly picture the visuals in me mind as she not so much as introduced but threw Kate, one of the protagonists, a DC (Detective Constable) into the scene, without any warning to me, the reader, and Kate herself! Needless to say, Mills’ style was effective. I found meself suddenly straightening up, much like Kate did, laser-focused on the apparent scene of the crime and the crime itself which quickly descended upon me, much to me utter excitement! Yes, crime/mystery needs to start off with a bang so the reader’s attention is grabbed fully from the start. I was taken to Kate’s character right there and then. Her quick and dry wit, fiery temper, an inherent lack of respect for authority and an intriguingly rebellious nature gave the entire opening an added thrill. I was struck by Mills’ detailed description of the opening crime scene which provided not only a visual image but also the relevant “smell” that automatically increased the foreboding onslaught of what was to come. And throughout the story, this methodology was adopted with steady persuasiveness when subsequent relevant crime scenes were introduced. Back at the station, the other protagonist, Helen, the DCI (Detective Chief Inspector), was introduced. I loved her instantly. She wasn’t the typical DCI characters that I was used to reading in the crime/mystery genre. Helen had a decided playfulness in her that was always screaming to get out and Mills manoeuvred that fine line between being the obligatory serious senior officer in front of her subordinates and showing her sense of mischief especially around Kate, with ease. I utterly enjoyed Mills’ dry and wicked sense of humour which flowed through Helen and Kate’s personas with great effect. Helen’s calm and quiet nature played off very well with Kate’s brash, impatient personality. The contrast with their professional experience only served to complement each other as they approached the cases differently, with Kate’s natural instincts compensating her lack of experience. One interesting matter came up whilst reading this book. Literally from the first chapter, I noticed this particular reference that I initially dismissed but it kept coming back and stayed throughout like a layer of fog that wouldn’t clear up and I couldn’t help but feel disconcerted, utterly perturbed. I couldn’t understand why. It was somewhat distracting because me mind couldn’t let it go but definitely not enough to derail me reading pleasure, thanks to a solid, tightly written story.  Nevertheless, I will come back to this perplexing matter later. I was captivated by how Mills skilfully manoeuvred between advancing the plot and developing Helen and Kate’s mutual attraction toward each other. Speaking of, I absolutely loved their natural chemistry, so deftly depicted I felt their connection right away. Their constant banter, Helen’s very amusing way of referencing Kate (brilliant choice of name, Mills!), the adorable playfulness (verbally and physically) their increasingly risque flirtations and explicitly suggestive body language all made their chemistry and their physical and emotional connection even more acutely felt. As their relationship grew deeper, the case they were investigating was also progressing at an equal pace. One of me favourite moments was the interview room scene. It reminded me of a favourite tv series of mine, “Scott and Bailey,” whose brilliant writing and style of police interview scenes were one of the best, if not THE best with unsettlingly realistic depictions (the only other one that could compare would be “Line of Duty”). Although not as detailed and expanded as “S&B,” Mills’ nailed the style and setting convincingly and her written description of every question posed by Helen followed by the suspect’s responses (at times non-verbal) were just as tight and potent, creating this similar air of realistic integrity. I believed it. As the case reached its tipping point, so was Helen and Kate’s relationship. Just when I thought everything was falling into place as structured so well in the book… ALL. HELL. BROKE. LOOSE. You know, it was kind of like, M. Night Shyamalan’s signature in his films – just when you think it’s the end of the story, then comes the reveal which actually ends up being the CRUX of the story. That’s how it was with Mills’ final act! So sudden it was that I was taken by surprise. Whilst I wasn’t shocked by the initial revelation, the nature and inner-workings of the reveal literally threw me sideways. I did not see that coming! It was ever-so slyly weaved by Mills and I just couldn’t get enough of it! So original, truly outside-the-box thinking from Mills’ part! I truly appreciated Mills’ dramatic pullback of the veil with every point, every stage, every thought, every reason described in vivid detail. And THAT was THE essence of the entire story. And that’s not all….. Amidst all the excitement of immersing meself in this incredibly original, creative and utterly captivating mystery-romance that Mills masterly crafted, I suddenly perked up in the middle of reading the rest of the story when I noticed a sharp shift. Then a flicker of light switched on in me mind and realisation dawned on me. OMG. THAT’S WHY the fog that I was feeling utterly perplexed by throughout most of the book was so evident! And suddenly the persistent fog that had followed me throughout me reading experience of this book dissipated! I was dumbfounded! I mean, I do hope it was by design, carefully planned, because it was BEYOND original, imo! Yes, the content of the reveal was original but THIS? I raise me hat to Ms. Mills. Bloody well done! I know I must sound cryptically bonkers but you MUST read it to find out and experience it for yourself! Fair warning though – you may NOT have the same feeling as I did. Christ, you may not even think it was anything at all! Who knows? Reckon it’s a subjective view and vantage point, innit? Anyway, there you have it. But bloody hell! If I wasn’t completely gobsmacked because I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite like it before! And last but not least, I utterly LOVED how it ended! Oh-so hopeful, so many possibilities! I felt the joy and couldn’t stop smiling even long after I finished the book. Well done, and thank you, Ms. Mills, for this incredibly crafted mystery-romance! This book is a MUST-READ!!!! I can’t recommend this high enough! Mills has proven to be one solid, brilliant writer with an absolutely captivating narrative style that I can always get behind 100% because she tells her stories with utter honesty and with emotional effect. Her characters are explicitly defined and portrayed, which I totally appreciate. One can still apply these aspects even when writing in an otherwise more structured genre like crime/mystery. Mills’ “Payback” as written and told proves that. **Thank you kindly, Ms. Mills, for surprising me with a complimentary, NO-obligation copy of this book! Very generous of you, mate, cheers! As you can see, I just HAD to comment on this brilliant piece of work because of all the things I just gobbed off above, obvs! Well done and congrats!**