Review of The Trafficking Murders

Post by **AvishaJain_13** » 04 Jan 2022, 12:28

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Trafficking Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]

4 out of 4 stars

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As is clear from the title, The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare is a mystery/thriller novel based on issues that are very real in today's world. The story begins with Chief Inspector Sheehan and his Serious Crimes Unit discovering the body of a beautiful Chinese girl in the garden of an upmarket residence. Sheehan goes on to discover that the murder of the young girl was the result of a chain of events in two interloping sex trafficking rings that are active and thriving in Belfast. The narrative constantly shifts from the detective's point of view to those of the victims and to-be victims of the sex slave industry. Sheehan and his Serious Crimes Unit realise early in the story that apart from solving a murder, they also have multiple lives to save and so the story develops into a gripping tale of modern slavery and its victims.

This book lives up to the standard of its genre in a way that not many mystery/thriller books do, despite there being a large number of them around. There were moments when O'Hare had me holding my breath and gripping the edge of my seat. Despite there being numerous characters there was a sense of togetherness and teamwork in them that seemed very realistically heartwarming. Each character's strengths and weaknesses were made to fit perfectly with the other's which gave a subtle sense of harmony. Where there were damsels in distress, there were also strong, ambitious and powerful female characters. O'Hare sheds light on an extremely serious yet underrated societal issue with his book. The plot seems to be broken and unrelated initially, but all the loose ends tie up nicely as the book progresses. The ending is not too extravagantly shocking but fits perfectly for a cosy murder mystery.

There were no negatives in O'Hare's writing, storytelling or character building. I would go as far as to say that they were flawless but the title and cover of the book make it seem wrongly unappealing. For the readers who judge a book by its cover, this could be a major drawback but they would be missing out on a truly unique story. Should O'Hare keep writing the way he does, nothing is stopping him from being the next Agatha Christie except for his titles which could use a little betterment.

I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars for the author's impeccable imagination and precision to detail which are sure to entrap his readers but if I could, I would give it half a point less for its bland title and unattractive cover which do not do justice to the book in itself. It also seems to be amazingly edited to the point of having not even a misplaced comma.

This book contains mentions of sexual violence and physical and mental abuse so I would not recommend it to those for whom it could be triggering. There is nothing profane or extreme but the mentions of trauma and the victims' beautifully described emotions could be disturbing, hence I advise reader discretion. That said, any mystery fans who can stomach the mild mentions of violence would assuredly be satisfied with this book.

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The Trafficking Murders
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