3.5 stars - Payback is the second in a series and since there are a lot of characters and a complicated plot, this book works better if you've already read the first book. The main character, Kate Stone, is no longer working for the New York District Attorney's office. However, she is still in danger from more than one person as she tries to get justice for the innocent and take down a corrupt and powerful man.

I love this author's legal thrillers, but I'm still trying to make up my mind about this series. There are parts I really like, including Kate's sense of humor. I really enjoyed the scenes showing the interactions between Kate and her mother, who is a successful defense attorney and very intimidating both in and out of the courtroom. I wish the book would have had more courtroom scenes, but those with Kate visiting a friend and client in Rikers prison are well-done and appropriately creepy.

The plot gets a little over-complicated at times which creates some pacing issues. However, the dramatic and satisfying ending is excellent. My hope is that if there is a third book in this series, it will focus more on Kate (as well as her mother) in the courtroom which the author does so well.

I received a copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

First and foremost, this would not make for a good standalone. I strongly suggest you start the series from the beginning. Without prior knowledge of the Anonymous Justice (AJ) group, as well as what happened at the end of the first installment, I truly believe this story would be really confusing to readers who didn’t have the previous history of the characters and events. JMHO

The book summary is pretty vague and just introduces the primary storyline. What the book summary doesn’t mention are the secondary storylines. On that note, this story takes place shortly after the last story. Kate has left the DA’s office and is now working in her mother’s firm as a defense attorney. The woman, and fellow AJ member, Whitney, who tried to kill Kate (at the end of the first installment) is released from jail after only a couple of weeks. There is also the incident of a limo driver trying to kidnap Kate from the airport and ending in Kate causing a crash in order to escape him.

Kate also takes on the representation of another AJ member and friend, Rod, who is now in Rikers because of his involvement in AJ, and yet another AJ member, Millie, is in some kind of mental state, who believes that Whitney is stalking her. Lastly, Kate’s friend and former DA partner, Bill, appears to be getting set-up by the DA Rubenstein (aka Ruby) in the same way that he set Kate up in the first book. Suffice it to say that there is a lot going on.

Sometimes, I can get a little suspicious of writers trying to cram so many different storylines into one book. It’s been my experience that throwing a bunch of stuff into story, can be a cover-up for a weak plot. Inevitably, if a book has too many storylines, sometimes one or more storylines can be left hanging (and not in a good way) or more often than not, it’s character development that will suffer.

The story flips back and forth between Kate and Bill with a few chapters from Whitney sprinkled throughout. Most of the story just kind of stumbles along from one scene to the next where we witness Kate struggle with her day-to-day life as well as her behavior (she struggles with anger management issues), decisions, and priorities. Kate temporarily stays at a hotel because of an incident at her apartment (a whole other story). Suffice it to say, Kate and her life are a bit of a hot mess, more so now than ever before.

It isn’t until well into the second half of the story (around the 70%-75% mark) that the story FINALLY starts to get interesting with the discovery after the death of Kate’s late father’s former partner. The end comes fast after that in a flurry of activity and revelations, some scary and intense, and others kind of predictable. This installment was kind of disappointing, at least to me, compared to the first installment that was really good. The whole Ian Templeton storyline just got to be kind of boring after two installments. Glad to see that the next installment will be moving on from it. For me, most of the story was a 2-2.5star read, but I did like the ending; a decent enough ending can be the difference between a 2star and a 3star rating.

I want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #GrandCentralPublishing #Payback

This is a thrilling book that will have readers clearing their schedules to finish. I read this book cover to cover. With this second in series our main charcter Kate Stone leaves her positon at the DA office of New York amid wide spread corruption by judges, detectives and other D.A's. She is now attempting to solve her Father's murder and doing so by utilizing vigilantes to bring corruption to light. She has confronted her former boss and investigated corruption throughout the New York court system and is assisted by her former boss in the D.A. office.

This is a fun thriller to read as it captures the reader from cover to cover. Kate is fearless and determined as she exposes wide spread corruption and does not hold back in exposing those guilty. From dirty cops, to judges accepting bribes, to falsefied police reports Kate persists. I enjoyed this as a fast paced thriller read. I recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

"Payback" by Nancy Allen is an engaging legal thriller that follows the story of former NYC prosecutor, Kate Stone, as she takes on corruption in the legal system and seeks to clear her father's name. The book is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, making it a thrilling read for fans of the genre.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is its well-developed characters. Kate Stone is a complex and flawed protagonist who struggles with the ethical implications of the actions she takes to bring down the corrupt men in power. Her relationship with her former boss, Frank Rubenstein, is also intriguing, as he offers her help in her quest for justice despite their troubled history.

The plot of "Payback" is also well-crafted, with plenty of suspense and action to keep the reader hooked. The exploration of corruption in the legal system and the use of dark money to gain advantages adds a timely and relevant element to the story. However, there are some weaknesses in the book. Some of the plot twists can feel a bit contrived, and at times, the pacing can be uneven.

Overall, "Payback" is a solid legal thriller that offers a compelling exploration of corruption in the legal system. While it may not be perfect, it's an enjoyable read that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read the eARC for my honest review.

Payback - Nancy Allen

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this exciting eARC.

I think this was book #2 of a series, so it took me a while to catch up, as it begins with a lawyer in jail, and you aren't initially sure why. Ideally, it would be best to read directly after the 1st book, as some books are fine standalones, but this one already seemed like a work in progress.

However, once I went back and referred to the 1st chapter once or twice to get my bearings, I was able to follow along.

A good mystery with numerous twists and turns, and I especially loved the ending (hint: the book IS titled Payback).

Until next time, fellow readers...

My Thoughts:
When Kate sets out for justice on a guy she set away but who was released by a corrupt judge she finds her life is in jeopardy. This is full of action and a fast paced read.
This is the second book in Nancy Allen's fast‑paced new series where a corrupt NYC legal system pushes a lawyer to take justice into her own hands and I would recommend reading book one called Renegade if you can first.

Kate Stone is an attorney with an anger issue who almost got killed by a member of her anger management support group. And now Syria's running for her life again when the woman accused of attacking her is released from Riker's on a trumped up bond change.
Ian Templeton is a millionaire who is now into a fraudulent crypto currency business. Kate is in the middle of both, trying to bring him down and catch her killer,.
The story gets a little sloppy with the in and out characters from her support group, past work in the NY prosecutor's office and her family; continually trying to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys gets a bid tedious.
Just ok.

This book is a little heavy and worth reading but I suggest you go back to the beginning of this series if you haven't read the others, you need that for context.

This book is filled with shock and awe and if you like a good mystery where the underdog or good guy mostly wins, you'll want to read this because the bad guy gets his in a big way.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Might have to go back and read the 1st one. This novel was good, a little like Patterson though. I did enjoy it

Sometimes even a lawyer wants to take the law into her own hands.

In this, the second book in a series, now former NYC ADA Kate Stone is trying to return to a normal life. Her father was a solid cop before his untimely death (Kate refuses to believe it was a suicide) and her mother is a defense attorney, so she has always believed in the rule of law. But when a crooked judge released a serial offender whom she had worked hard to put away in the prior book, Renegade, she let anger get the best of her and assaulted the freed man outside the courtroom….where it was caught on video. The DA mandates that she attend anger management meetings if she wants to keep her job, which she does reluctantly. There she met other people who felt that the system had failed them, and who each contributed a set of skills to trying to right a few wrongs. Things went too far, and some of the members of the group set out to eliminate Kate. She survived with her life, but barely. And she lost her job.
Now working for her mother’s law office, Kate is still in touch with the members whom she feels she can trust….Steven, a doctor without the license to practice, with whom she has a budding relationship; Millie, a young aspiring singer and her boyfriend Rod; and Devon, a talented hacker. Returning from a recuperative stay in Florida, she is no sooner off the plane than bad things start happening again. Kate is not one to back down from a fight, so she gathers her fellow vigilantes to work on finding out who is working against them. Since one of her suspects is a titan in financial circles whom no one, not even her ADA friend and former colleague Bill or the DA himself is willing to go after, it is up to Kate and her gang to make themselves safe and bring the bad guys to justice. If the bad guys don’t get them first.
Payback is a fast paced, action packed read. Kate Stone is a flawed but ultimately likeable character, and isn’t afraid to defy anyone (even her formidable mother) in her quest for justice. She is inclined to be a bit more trusting than this cynical reader is when it comes to the people in her life, but she takes her hits and keeps going. Author Nancy Allen has co-written two novels with James Patterson, so fans of those and other Patterson books might enjoy Payback, as would fans of Sharon Sala and Carla Neggers. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader’s copy of Payback.

Kate Stone is not a very likeable heroine; however, the pursuit of the corrupt Ian Templeton makes this book interesting. Because it is number two in the series, reading book number one would be a definite advantage in understanding the plot.

Payback by Nancy Allen is the 2nd book in this fast‑paced series where a corrupt NYC legal system pushes a lawyer to take justice into her own hands.
Former prosecutor Kate Stone has found herself on the wrong side of the law since leaving the district attorney's office. She returns to confront her former boss, D.A. Frank Rubenstein, and discover all he knows about the corruption in law enforcement and the legal system, where wealthy men use dark money to gain advantages. She must decide whether the ends justify the means when she accepts Rubenstein's help and the help of his ragtag team of vigilantes to bring down the corrupt men her policeman father was investigating before his mysterious death.

I liked this second book much better than the first. Kate is more likable in Payback, and the side characters are more relatable. There were good twists and surprises to keep my interest. I liked the setting and the storyline. I would recommend this second book. I don't think you necessarily need to read the first book in the series to understand what is happening, but it might help you understand the relationships between the characters and the backstory.

I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars.

#Payback #NetGalley @GrandCentralpub

Second book in the series; make sure to the first book before jumping into this one. Double crosses and triple crosses abound as our heroine seeks her seemingly untouchable prey while wearing a bullseye of her own.