Taste of Revenge — Jadran Hawke

Detective John Montclair is still recovering from his previous investigation and waiting for what could be 'the biggest trial of the last twenty years.' But some people have their own agenda and have been planning to kill for months. What happens in John's life or in anybody's life doesn't matter to them: all that matters is revenge.

When French presidential candidate Jacques Placide is assaulted at home in Paris's suburbs by a group of four armed men, money seems to be the most obvious motive. However, no amount of money will stop the four killers, all brothers and determined to repair what they perceive to be social injustice.

This time, John Montclair is officially suspended by his boss, due to his controversial methods on the field. Is it fair? Is it personal? Who knows, but one thing for sure is that John remains a cop and his instinct cannot be turned off. His personal investigation will lead him further than the official team and much closer to the truth than he thought.

When love, money, religion, social discrimination and painful memories all mix together, the worst is always to be expected. And unfortunately for John, the worst will actually happen.

Note: Taste of Revenge is a novella (approx 30K words or about 100pages) and the second installment in the John Montclair series of mystery and suspense thrillers. This volume can be read as a standalone but it's strongly recommended to read the previous one before: Taste of Fear (FREE).

Q: Why John Montclair? Who is he?
A: I've always been a fan of mystery thrillers and detective mysteries. Writing in the mystery and suspense genre was the most natural and obvious choice for me. John Montclair is a man a lot of people can relate to: he's dedicated at work, tries to do his best, is not always appreciated and understood, has bills to pay, a daughter he loves and sometimes, he encounters great challenges. That's when it gets interesting.

Q: What has been your inspiration?
A: I read a lot and like most writers, I use my imagination. But I also observe people around me and I reflect on my personal experiences. So basically, I get inspired by fiction and real life.

Q: Real life? What happened?
A: I've been in dangerous and scary situations a couple of times. I've had an automatic pistol pointed at my forehead once, for example. The guy was bigger than me and drunk.

Q: What did you do? Did you kick his butt?
A: I wish! That's what John would do. Unfortunately, things aren't that simple in real life. A trigger is very easy to pull. I took my chance and I ran away. I was very lucky he didn't shoot me in the back, but I think I did the smart thing. I wasn't going to be a hero. I'm not a hero, but John is. He's the man I wish I could be.

Q: You said a couple of times; what else happened to you?
A: I used to have a part time job as a waiter. One day, a client with obvious mental issues showed up and he pulled a knife. We've called the police and I helped them to handle the guy. I've also witnessed serious street fights where baseball bats and thick beer bottles were involved. That's very scary, believe me.

Q: How did it influence your writing?
A: I'm trying to be as realistic as possible based on my own experience. Sometimes, you have to do what's necessary and it's not always pretty. People make mistakes, it's life. When we have limited resources and very little time to think, something has to happen. However, I write to entertain my readers so imagination is my main tool.

Q: Is it true that you had to deal with the Mafia?
A: I'm not sure, this is always a gray area. But it was in Asia, in the financial industry, and death threats and intimidation had been used. So I let you judge…

Thank you for reading.