William Morrow
Published July 21, 2026
Reviewed by Barbara Fister
Australian Detective Judith Lee takes a traumatized college student seriously when she brings a sexual complaint against a psychologist. She’d seen a similar case in the past and wishes she had been more aggressive in seeking justice. After the accused psychologist’s wife, a well-known television personality, is sent a video of him having sex in his office – a video that she realizes is probably a deepfake – she has to take steps to preserve her reputation. Besides, their marriage hadn’t been strong for some time. She leaves him as social media explodes with accusations. The psychologist appears to be a serial abuser. The only problem for the detective is that her witness has disappeared . . . and may not have existed at all.
This is the start of a dizzying sequence of events as Judith tries to get to the bottom of things. She believes there is something in the accusations women are making, but clearly someone is taking steps to ruin the psychologist, sending beautifully wrapped presents with strange quotes inside to a series of characters all entangled in a web of revenge. Though it’s impossible to say more without spoilers, the plot is a brilliantly executed series of switchbacks and surprises, culminating in a suspenseful confrontation. Beyond the scaffold of a well-designed plot, McTiernan peoples her story with vividly evoked characters with relevant backstories, all without slowing the pace or relaxing the tension.
There seems to be a rise in revenge stories lately, often involving victims of sexual assaults who are betrayed by the system, going on to seek justice through other means. Here, the dish isn’t served cold, it’s both spicy and subtle. McTiernan, who debuted with a well-received Irish-set procedural series, has a knack for moral ambiguity and deep psychological motivations that complicate issues of justice and the pursuit of truth. Reasons for Revenge, her third stand-alone novel, is a knockout.