Paoletta: An Eye for an eye
by J.R. Powell
Exiled to a Caribbean island, Paoletta Cadoville and her family cling to the hope of one day returning to their Parisian home. But in a single, devastating moment, that dream is shattered. Alone and horrifically scarred, Paoletta embarks on a perilous quest to uncover the truth behind her family’s tragic fate, only to become entangled in a web of political intrigue, secret societies, and dangerous alliances.
In a Paris overshadowed by the guillotine, Paoletta must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to sacrifice in pursuit of vengeance. Will she achieve justice for her family or lose herself to the darkness that threatens to consume her?
Paoletta – An Eye for an Eye is a gripping historical thriller set during the French Revolution and a stark reminder that in times of upheaval, innocence is the first to fall, and revenge demands a price paid in blood.
Praise for Paoletta – an Eye for an Eye:
"A haunting tale of vengeance, survival and revolution - Powell's heroine grips you by the throat and never lets go"
~ Chris Riches, Daily Express
"Vivid, visceral, unforgettable. Powell's masterful storytelling plunges us into the heart of revolutionary Paris"
~ Will Barker, The Sun
Who is Paoletta Cadoville?
Paoletta Cadoville was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1773 to a local father and a Venetian mother. Though not of a noble lineage, she was raised in a manner not dissimilar to that of her aristocratic counterparts. Her family, an esteemed Swiss line of financiers, followed her father to Paris when he established an exclusive auction house dealing in objets d’art and other luxuries coveted by Europe’s royalty and social elite. Her childhood was marked by warmth, comfort, and refinement…for a while.
In 1789, France descended into turmoil as its people turned on the entrenched powers of the clergy and the aristocracy. The months after the fall of the Bastille brought waves of violence, riots, and an epidemic of paranoia. Amid the upheaval, and with the borders closed, the Cadoville family fled to Île de Domaine, a French Caribbean colony east of Dominica, and that’s where we first meet Paoletta.
Paoletta was educated in letters and numeracy and, like many of her peers, had often entertained thoughts of marriage and family. Before the revolution, her aspirations had been lofty, but exile forced her to bend her expectations. She surveyed the island for potential suitors, attempting to rebuild a sense of normalcy. But when her parents and older brother were viciously murdered before her eyes, in an attack that left her wounded and scarred, life would forever be different.
While recovering, Paoletta’s grief hardens into a restless need for answers. Who would want her family dead? Her world until then had been small and orderly, her adventures domestic, her responsibilities mild. Yet the quiet hunger for truth refused to be silenced. Convinced her injuries had earned her the right to know the truth, she stowed away on a ship to France, and ultimately to Paris, where her problems had begun.
What Paoletta uncovers there will transform her irrevocably. Paris emerges as a city ruled by violence and pitiless ambition, where morality kneels to cruel necessity and trust has become folklore. What she endures in pursuit of the truth tests her endurance and strips away her illusions of honour. As her hunger for vengeance deepens, it exacts a steep price from her conscience. Retribution becomes her compass, and choices once unthinkable lose their sting. In a city so merciless, will she end up becoming indistinguishable from those she hunts?
Paoletta challenges the reader to dig deep, put themselves in Paoletta’s shoes, and ask whether they would fall victim to obsession or break.
J.R. Powell
Originally from the UK, J.R. Powell lives in Germany, where he works as a translator and editor. His debut novel was published in 2024, marking the first instalment of a new historical thriller series.
Paoletta – an Eye for an Eye follows Paoletta Cadoville, a young woman driven by vengeance after the murder of her family during the French Revolution. Drawing inspiration from his time living in Paris, Powell immersed himself in the city’s rich and brutal history to craft a story that brings a lesser-explored period to life with the momentum and intensity of a gritty, modern thriller.
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