The book and movie Death Wish is not based on a specific real-life event. However, it is rooted in the social climate of its time.

The 1972 novel Death Wish by veteran serviceman U.S. Army Brian Garfield is entirely fictional. Garfield (1939-2018) wrote it as a critique of vigilante imaginations, not as a retelling of a real case.

The 1974 Film

The Charles Bronson movie is loosely adapted from Garfield’s novel. It follows the same fictional character, Paul Kersey, an architect who becomes a vigilante after his family is attacked.

The film is not based on a real person or a real crime. However, it reflects the fear and frustration surrounding rising crime rates in 1970s New York.

Why do people think it might be real?

The story feels plausible because it taps into real social anxieties about crime and ineffective policing.

Over the years, some real-life vigilante cases have been compared to Death Wish, which fuels the misconception. But the original story itself was not drawn from any one real incident.

Real-life Death Wish stories

There are documentaries and videos discussing people who acted like vigilantes after the movie came out. These are inspired by the film, not the other way around.

Retribution

LEFT: Retribution a trail-blazing city vigilante thriller. Click the picture for insider information.

However, the gripping novel, Retribution by African traveller Michael Walsh, draws largely on the award-winning author’s personal experiences.

A reader said that Michael Walsh’s Retribution is written in the style of spymaster John le Carre.

It is considered a far better and more believable read than Brian Garfield’s Death Wish.

The Beatles era novel Retribution is truly gripping. It takes the reader from one nail-biting account to another. Its path winds through the labyrinths of the Maritime City’s underworld. This is a movie or TV series waiting to be discovered. It will be

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RETRIBUTION, MICHAEL WALSH. Based on real life is described as the most exciting city vigilante thriller ever. Set in Liverpool, this mercenary killer chiller-thriller is predicted to be the best crime novel in 2026. https://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-walsh/retribution/paperback/product-yvnm9vz.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4