The Guide to Petty Revenge
by Lorna Tedder
Fiction · The Payback Archives #1 · Secret Lives of Librarians Universe
Think La Femme Nikita–style covert ops collide with the dark academia spell‑slinging of The Magicians and the snark‑sleuth vibes of Veronica Mars in a surveillance mission that proves payback really is a witch.
Description
Lilah Burns isn’t just an occult librarian; she’s a magical black-ops agent for a secret society. Her latest assignment sends her straight back into the one place she never wanted to see again: the home of her ex-boyfriend, the man who shattered her trust.
The objective: plant surveillance and find proof that his manipulative new wife, a notorious international book thief, is targeting their organization. For Lilah, it’s also a chance for a little cathartic, petty revenge. After all, payback is a witch.
Paired with her stoic and dangerously competent partner, Raven, the simple in-and-out mission spirals into a tense game of cat-and-mouse when the targets return unexpectedly. Forced into hiding, Lilah overhears a secret far more dangerous than stolen books: a plot to expose and blackmail the entire priesthood.
But it’s a different discovery—a single crow feather preserved in a glass vial—that forces her to confront the emotional ghosts she’s been running from. To survive the night, she must rely on Raven, blurring the line between partnership and a tantalizingly slow-burn attraction. Closure is a dish best served cold, but for Lilah, getting even is just the beginning.
A gripping Urban Fantasy Thriller that perfectly blends the covert ops of La Femme Nikita with the snarky wit of Veronica Mars. If you love strong female protagonists, mission-based plots, found family, and a delicious slow-burn romance that builds with every page, you’ll be hooked by the first installment of The Payback Archives.
Genre
Paranormal Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Slow-Burn Romance
Tone
Wry, introspective, emotionally vulnerable, darkly humorous, cathartic
Tropes
- Covert mission with emotional baggage
- Strong female protagonist with trust issues
- Friends to lovers slow burn romance
- Secret society witch and empath partnership
- Revenge romance with emotional healing
- Found family through dangerous missions
- Workplace romance in supernatural setting
- Emotional hurt/comfort between partners
- Protective witch love interest
Why You’ll Love It
Offers vicarious satisfaction for anyone who’s wanted to get back at an ex while exploring the messy, complicated process of healing from betrayal and learning to trust again.
Trigger Warnings
- Past emotional manipulation and betrayal
- References to toxic relationships
- Themes of self-worth after abandonment
Note: Characters process grief and trust issues with non-confrontational closure. No graphic violence or explicit content.
About the Author
Lorna Tedder is a non-denominational minister, volunteer grief counselor, and full-time writer after a long career in public service. She writes fiction that crosses genres — from paranormal thrillers to romantic suspense to speculative women’s fiction — and non-fiction on spirituality, manifestation, grief, and personal growth. She lives in the Florida Panhandle with her family.