Retribution

By John Alan Negich

RETRIBUTION is a multi-layered tale about John A. Stanic, who, in 1942, was a member of the first Army Ranger battalion during WWII. He is now ninety years old and spending his last remaining days at a nursing facility in Pennsylvania. John, on the surface, is a dying, vulgar old man who shuns relationships, but has a past that is intriguing, mysterious, as well as fantastic. He spends his days staring out of the window in his room, resigned to his fate and awaiting death. His life is now devoid of highs and lows, with little to look forward to or dream about, until the day he gets an unexpected visitor. He is befriended by SHAWN O'DONNELL; a young and ambitious small town Catholic Priest determined to save his soul from hell's fire and damnation. He is pressuring his reluctant new friend and sinner to give his confession before the old soldier dies. The priest, of course, professes a devout belief, but, because of the hand life has dealt him, John Stanic, is a staunch non-believer. However, since John has done unspeakable things so horrific during and after the war in an attempt to strike down evil of all kinds, he is reluctant to share his dark confession with the young priest. Eventually, after much prodding by Father O'Donnell, John agrees that in lieu of a traditional confession he would memorialize his fantastic life's journey in writing and have the priest receive the manuscript after his death.The novel is his confession, which takes the reader on a voyage from John's tragic childhood in a small coal mining town, to an orphanage and into the horrors of war. His life takes many twists which consist of religious doubts, rebellion, RETRIBUTION, reconciliation and finally redemption. It encompasses the entire life and times of John Stanic, leaving the reader to ponder: Is John Stanic simply a deranged seeker of vengeance and justice, or actually an ordained avenging warrior here to eradicate perpetrators of evil from wherever fate has placed him? The book has a subliminal, supernatural twist with well-developed characters and contains elements of, love, vengeance, faith, a very unlikely friendship and in the end, salvation for both John and the Priest. How does a man of God seeking forgiveness for others and a vigilante seeking vengeance and RETRIBUTION become kindred spirits? The answer lies in the deep recesses of the mind of each man that is only revealed by the uncommon bond they establish with each other. John finds an unexpected peace with his past and the priest finds a true and surprising meaning for his life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 152195139X
• ISBN13: 9781521951392
• Release Date: July 2017
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.6" x 6.0"