German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge.” In author Lawrence Burke’s novel The Harem, a young woman who undergoes a childhood of injustice uses seduction to deal out her own brand of justice.

Young Vivian has held onto the concept of revenge after a series of shortcomings on behalf of her parents, who all but abandoned her in their own ways. Vivian then experiences love and loss in a short amount of time, and soon learns that promises broken can be the motivation for changing her worldview altogether. Growing into a woman, she soon discovers a way to make the users of the world pay, taking a path of seduction that will allow her to deal justice to those who think themselves above others.

This intense thriller sets up a world that showcases the lies, deceit and injustice many people, especially young women, endure from men in life, and the events that shape people who seek revenge. Using charm and their wits to outthink and outsmart their prey, the path of revenge is set upon by Vivian and others like her in order to get revenge for a long lost promise broken to a fragile young girl, and in the process a series of violent, backroom dealing and shocking events bring the cast of characters to a head.

This short yet exhilarating read is perfect for fans of revenge stories, thrillers that see women using their natural charm to flip the script so to speak, and see men in power faced with the possibility of losing it all. The author does an amazing job of setting up a narrative which could easily carry over into a series.

A brilliant read full of fast-paced thrill action, a great cast of characters full of complexity, and a great story that sets up a possible series, this is a book to watch out for. If you haven’t yet, grab your copy of author Lawrence Burke’s The Harem upon its release.