Vienna: Retribution

Vienna Salvatori #5

by Guy Adams

A brand new three part adventure for glamorous bounty hunter Vienna Salvatori.

“Does the prisoner have any last words?”

Vienna Salvatori used to be a dangerous woman.

Vienna Salvatori used to be an assassin.

Vienna Salvatori has changed her ways.

Hasn’t she?

After setting up a detective agency with her partner Jexie Reagan, Vienna has left her dark past behind her. Together, they bring villains to justice and right wrongs. Together, they are a team. But all that changes when a woman is killed in cold blood and Vienna is charged with the murder.

Vienna is sent to a hellhole of a prison with no hope of parole or release. But not all is what it seems on board the Splinter. With no means to escape, and no idea who she can trust, can Vienna survive life on the inside?

Genres: Doctor Who

Audio CD

First published February 2, 2018

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this one is a little less trying to play non-stop clever puns and silly humor and instead (perhaps) tries to get back to an earlier version of the main character. It’s a little darker than the last couple of adventures. While it’s doesn’t reset the series to the original roots, but it does take some clear steps in that direction. Unfortunately, it seems to little and a bit too late. This was good, and entertaining, and I really enjoyed the format (3-part story arc, instead of 3 or 4 tangentially connected stories) much more than the previous sets that seemed more interested in trying to capitalize on the Doctor Who format than find their own narrative focus style.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vienna is trying to go straight in this standalone 3-hour story. This makes her more emotionally vulnerable than she has been in the previous multi-episodes "series" which may, or may not, be something that a given listener would approve of. Otherwise, however, there's plenty of the usual action and thrills and a story about mental manipulation - although memories are only tangentially affected in this one.

It opens in media res with Vienna being accused of murdering her partner. Much of the first hour is taken up by an interview with a smug prosecutor in which we see flashbacks to the events leading up to the opening scene as Vienna tries to piece together who the real murderer might be. (And this does, of course, mean that Samantha Béart is in it as Trexie). The remainder is taken up by a prison drama set on an asteroid, as strange things start happening that may have a connection with the original killing.

This being Vienna, not everything is as it seems, and there are some twists in the plot. One of them I spotted quite a long way in advance, but another I didn't really see coming at all, so I'll count that as a success. There are some good guest characters, too, notably a couple of the other prisoners who take Vienna under their wing. It's not the strongest of story in the series, but it's still pretty good, with the usual themes about free will entwined with a decent mystery story, and some elements of humour provided by Vienna's ever-cheerful computer.

[GB Rogo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Vienna. She so bad. 😣

I liked the three episode arc we had here, and the format fits the character well. But the ultimate reveal of the villain is pretty lame. He is too mustache twirly. Obviously this is Doctor Who, so Mustache twirly villains are nothing new, but given that what works about Vienna is how morally ambiguous she ends, having her fight a comically evil supervillain undermines the grit that the arc had begun with

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it is basically a big action blockbuster in audio form. Nothing really deep and not a revelation. But it is very well done, the story is exciting and gripping and the characters, especially the inmates Rats and Mother are great. I really enjoyed this.
If you are looking for some light entertainment, grab some popcorn, pop the earphones in and get ready for some action!

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vienna is accused of killing her partner and sent to a maxium security prison. Can she figure out who framed her.