Exotic, explosive, and exhilarating, Gary D. McGugan’s latest Multima installment, Furtive Retribution, packs the most powerful punch yet. Immediately pulling you into his world of corporate subterfuge, McGugan gets the adrenaline racing from the very first page. Fans of previous Multima books will enjoy a sense of familiarity as they quickly encounter key players—like Suzanne Simpson, Multima’s CEO, and her long-time colleague, James Fitzgerald—as well as scintillating new characters who keep the plot fresh and engaging. Picking up shortly after When Power Fails left off, Furtive Retribution wastes no time in setting Suzanne and her team up for a new series of struggles. As with the rest of the series, McGugan is a master at creating characters you can’t help but root for. Co-captaining this latest adventure with Multima’s CEO is her Head of Security and romantic partner, Serge Boisvert. Together, the pair is an intellectual force to be reckoned with, but they’re also a desirable target for a new mysterious enemy, known only as A, who seeks to infiltrate their company. McGugan crafts beguiling, relentless villains. No matter how many times the protagonists outsmart various criminals, another one always seems to be waiting just around the corner. This novel takes readers on an international journey—including stops in Japan, Mexico, Paris, Canada, and the U.S.—where the forces working against Multima are determined and far-reaching. Like a real-life Hydra, for every foe Suzanne and Serge outmanoeuvre, two more take its place. The result is a nail-biting thriller you can’t put down. The stakes have never been higher than in Furtive Retribution, where every character is embroiled in their own life-threatening crisis. Set over Christmas time, Furtive Retribution sees criminals delivering less-than-traditional presents to several Multima employees—in the form of kidnapping, blackmail, and attempted murder—quickly making it clear that this is literally the nightmare before Christmas. Despite being a nightmare for the Multima team, Furtive Retribution is a delightful gift for readers. Fans of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Ethan Hunt will relish the thrill of the chase, the challenge of unravelling the cause behind the chaos, and the enthralling tingle of tension that spikes on page one and simply doesn’t let up. —CANREADS BOOK REVIEW