Review by raluca_mihaila -- The Trafficking Murders
Posted: 15 Jan 2021, 13:06
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Trafficking Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
The Trafficking Murders is an engaging mystery thriller that happens in Northern Ireland. The book is the fifth installment of a series, but it works just fine as a standalone. The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series presents different cases solved by The Serious Crime Unit; the team of detectives led by Chief Inspector Sheehan must deal with a distinct serial killer in each book.
Alina Balauru, a poor farm girl from Romania, can't believe how lucky she is! An elegant and rich man appears out of nowhere and promises her a good job in Ireland to help her family. However, she ends up on a steamship, in a container, together with other unfortunate girls. During her voyage, she meets Matei, another victim, a bright young man that does his best to encourage her to stay positive. In the meantime, the police find an Asian Jane Doe killed and thrown in a back yard. Besides, more victims appear during the investigations; Chef Inspector Sheehan and his team relentlessly chase Shadow, a mysterious villain that seems to be involved in every murder.
My favorite thing about this book was the educational side. The author presents various tactics used by the trafficking industry to lure girls, boys, women, and men. The victims are not necessarily poor or uneducated; sometimes, the promise of a better life looks like an acceptable solution for any desperate person. The author did a great job with the foreward that presented the modern slavery and people trafficking industry; that created an excellent set-up for the novel.
I also loved the writing style and the banter between colleagues that managed to insert humor despite the serious theme. The characters are well developed, and the reader gets just enough information about the possible suspects. I felt like I was part of the investigation team, and I appreciated that I could formulate my own theories about the obscure Shadow. If the reader gets confused by too many characters, the provided list of the names is handy.
The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare deserves a full rating of four out of four stars. There is nothing I disliked about this book, and I enjoyed it immensely. I recommend the novel to any thrillers, crime mystery, or police investigation enthusiasts. I would also advise teen parents to read it to find more about the methods used by the traffickers. The book serves as a cautionary tale, so young people should not avoid it. However, a delicate audience should be aware there are sensitive topics like sexual abuse or violence; however, the acts are not explicit.
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The Trafficking Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Trafficking Murders is an engaging mystery thriller that happens in Northern Ireland. The book is the fifth installment of a series, but it works just fine as a standalone. The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series presents different cases solved by The Serious Crime Unit; the team of detectives led by Chief Inspector Sheehan must deal with a distinct serial killer in each book.
Alina Balauru, a poor farm girl from Romania, can't believe how lucky she is! An elegant and rich man appears out of nowhere and promises her a good job in Ireland to help her family. However, she ends up on a steamship, in a container, together with other unfortunate girls. During her voyage, she meets Matei, another victim, a bright young man that does his best to encourage her to stay positive. In the meantime, the police find an Asian Jane Doe killed and thrown in a back yard. Besides, more victims appear during the investigations; Chef Inspector Sheehan and his team relentlessly chase Shadow, a mysterious villain that seems to be involved in every murder.
My favorite thing about this book was the educational side. The author presents various tactics used by the trafficking industry to lure girls, boys, women, and men. The victims are not necessarily poor or uneducated; sometimes, the promise of a better life looks like an acceptable solution for any desperate person. The author did a great job with the foreward that presented the modern slavery and people trafficking industry; that created an excellent set-up for the novel.
I also loved the writing style and the banter between colleagues that managed to insert humor despite the serious theme. The characters are well developed, and the reader gets just enough information about the possible suspects. I felt like I was part of the investigation team, and I appreciated that I could formulate my own theories about the obscure Shadow. If the reader gets confused by too many characters, the provided list of the names is handy.
The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare deserves a full rating of four out of four stars. There is nothing I disliked about this book, and I enjoyed it immensely. I recommend the novel to any thrillers, crime mystery, or police investigation enthusiasts. I would also advise teen parents to read it to find more about the methods used by the traffickers. The book serves as a cautionary tale, so young people should not avoid it. However, a delicate audience should be aware there are sensitive topics like sexual abuse or violence; however, the acts are not explicit.
******
The Trafficking Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon