Review of Revenge is Sweet by Maria Miller

With the death of Emma, Luke’s world collapsed. After three years without Emma, Luke had become a drunk, lost his job, and had no will to live. Even his home reflects his mental state. Then, while eating, he remembered his promise to Emma, that he’d get revenge on those who had sided with the doctors, refusing to let him take her to an alternative medicine doctor. Finally, revenge pulled him out of his three years of depression. “He could not go on with his future until he had resolved the past.”

Devising a master plan for revenge, Luke starts up a cover business of lawn care, hiring ex-cons for workers. His plan is simple; remove the one thing that everyone in the country is hooked on, that they “can’t” live without. Slowly, his plan begins working, drastically eliminating the quantity available. Like many things during World War II, rationing began, leading to thefts of ration books and black markets. The government officials begin massive investigations, searching for the cause, the why.

Then, a new woman enter’s Luke’s life and he falls in love with her. Luke can’t bring himself to tell her about Emma, keeping it bottled up tightly. Jessica, who works for a law firm, starts digging to uncover Luke’s secret, at first wondering if he is a murderer. Before long, the world is after him and his plot spins wildly out of his control.

As I read the later chapters, I kept saying, “Well, I didn’t see that one coming!” Maria kept me guessing and surprised all the way through the novel. Revenge is Sweet is well written and exciting. My educational background is in science; thus, I found the “plan for revenge” and how Luke carries it out to be unrealistic. But hey, we suspend “belief” in novels, so I give it 5-stars anyway. It will keep you guessing until the last page!