Accountable to None by Ashley Fontainne was an excellent read, even if the overall subject of the book was exacting revenge against someone who betrayed you, robbing you of the joy in your soul and the spring in your step.

The book opens with a woman being violently raped, afterwards swearing to get retribution on her abuser and those who stood by and let it happen.

It then proceeds to introduce us to the major players, or characters, showing the kind of character, or lack thereof, each member of her so-called professional team possesses – similar to creating character profiles – but the end result is brilliant.

Accountable to None is an excellent title for this book because, for each of the major players, they figured their actions and words were above suspect, that they would never face accountability. Living with such a perceived existence, it was humbling and downright beautiful to witness the downfall of one man, in particular, who believed he was beyond reproach.

In society, we come across people who fit this profile. They may not rape or sexually abuse others but they exercise control in other ways, often belittling others to the point the victims feel of little worth. When blackmail enters the picture, it could very well seem like life is over for people who feel too afraid to call the blackmailer’s bluff.

Personally speaking, throughout my managerial career, I’ve been placed in various positions of power and authority. I’ve witnessed, firsthand, how people in authority can speak to people in their employ like they’re a piece of crap, an insect to be trampled underfoot. It has never made sense to me – a person who detests hearing even foul language in the workplace, whether or not behind closed doors.

I’ve held conversations in which an employee was too scared to say anything about a manager's behaviour. These conversations didn't take place because I work in Human Resources. Instead, they occurred because I knew how to listen.

I remember one acting manager, in particular, who yelled at me the same as though scolding a five-year-old child. Thinking back, I remember the lingering embarrassment I felt because, to make matters worse, other people were in attendance – and they seemed to be equally embarrassed by having to witness such a debacle.

In our professional and personal worlds, we are bound to deal with conflicting personalities but, at the end of the day, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could actually accept “no” for an answer and attempt to communicate effectively instead of destroying the light in another’s eyes?

Ashley Fontainne has done a wonderful job with her debut novel, Accountable to None. Read the author interview and, if you wish to purchase this title and begin reading the series yourself, please visit the book's page on Amazon.

I read Accountable to None by Ashley Fontainne and became immersed in the story from the beginning. Awaiting her sequel, Zero Balance, I became introduced to several new Indie authors and came across some fantastic storytellers.

However, after reading the review Sandy Wolters wrote about Fontainne's title, Adjusting Journal Entries, I knew I had to go back to revisit this author, this series in particular.

Though it had been over a year since reading Accountable to None, I knew exactly where the story ended without needing a reminder.

I read Zero Balance within a couple of days, glued to every page, wondering where this thriller-suspense story would take me. Immediately, I turned the last page of that book and went into the third, Adjusting Journal Entries. What a ride! The pace is incredible and the twists and turns are enough to leave you breathless, even reeling after the last page has been read.

There were definitely a few moral lessons interwoven between the pages of these books, one being the importance of forgiveness or, at the very least, not to live one's life pursuing revenge.

In these pages we see firsthand the carnage such pursuit can bring and, even with the villains, we are provided enough insight into their lives to feel sorry for them, wishing they had not had to endure the experiences which brought them to such pivotal points in their lives.

I would invite you to read the author interview I had with Ashley Fontainne. If you wish to purchase either of these titles, please visit their respective pages on Amazon: Zero Balance and Adjusting Journal Entries.