Review of Kickback

[Victor Nwabuisi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Kickback" by Ana Manwaring.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Dafne Olabarrieta is a hard-working woman who is passionate about her job as a COO of her family’s company, Inmobiliarias Aspectos Olabarrieta (IAO). She also works on the side as a hostage negotiator. One day, she unexpectedly received a call from her estranged best friend in college named Alba. Alba told her that her ten-year-old daughter had been kidnapped, and she pleaded for her help. Dafne was conflicted about helping her because Alba stole her boyfriend, and that was what led to the end of their friendship. But, when she discovered that Alba was murdered, she realised she had made the mistake of not helping her out sooner. Dafne became determined to rescue Alba’s daughter from her kidnappers. She discovered that this crime is linked to the governor's office of the State of Mexico. The kidnappers started haunting her, putting her marriage and the people she loves at risk; Dafne had to decide if it was worth the risk to continue. 
 
Kickback by Ana Manwaring is a captivating crime thriller that left me turning pages. Through the author’s creative writing, it felt as if I was in Mexico City, seeing the happenings. I love how the author wove the words with Spanish, and surprisingly, it wasn’t distracting because they are just words thrown in here or there and can easily be understood even if you aren’t fluent in Spanish. This made me get a feel of the book and enjoy every bit of it. The book explores the corruption in Mexico and how journalists don’t have the freedom to speak about the ills of the government. This can be seen when Dafne is haunted and even assaulted to stop her from discovering the truth. This crime thriller is filled with action, light romance, and family drama. It’s a story about the resilience and bravery of a female protagonist who found herself amidst gunfire and murders in what might be bigger than she thought.
 
What I enjoyed most in this intriguing tale is the theme of solidarity. I loved how Dafne, Quint, Rosi, Horacio, Jade, and others worked together as a team to help in rescuing Alba’s daughter. The teamwork was admirable and heartwarming. Dafne’s husband, Seeger, despite being against the idea of his wife being involved in the case, still provided her emotional support and helped in any way he could. The storm they faced was heart-touching. This is a suspenseful story that leaves readers glued to it. Some of the scenes kept me on the edge of my seat as I held my breath, scared for Dafne and her team's lives. This is the first book in the series, and I look forward to reading more of the author’s work. The author did a great job of bringing each scene to life, from family drama to action, and even the smaller scenes were top-notch.
 
This is a fast-paced crime thriller which took me on an exciting journey till the last page of the book. I couldn't find anything to dislike about the book, and as such, I rate it five out of five stars.  Additionally, the characters in the book were exceptionally developed, which made it easy for me to dislike Oliver from his very first scene in the story. If you are a fan of family drama and crime thrillers, then I recommend this book to you. Readers would enjoy the captivating twists and turns in it.

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Kickback
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[Onyemuwa-dave]

This is giving me James bond vibe or even extraction vibe, I am already loving the story line. I will definitely give it a try. Awesome review.

[Kibet Hillary]

It appears Dafne's decision to help Alba's daughter requires more than just the decision to help. What I am wondering is what led the governor to become interested in Alba and her daughter and how the whole thing ended. Many thanks for the review, @Victor Nwabuisi.

[Spoorthy S]

You made some great points about the plot and characters. I hadn’t thought about it that way before. Thanks for sharing your perspective!