Review of The Trafficking Murders

[Leonie Vermaak]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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“According to the International Labour Organisation, an estimated 4.8 million women and girls are in forced sexual exploitation worldwide. In the UK alone, there are around 136,000 victims of ‘modern’ slavery”, Brian O’Hare.

Lin Hui and Cheung Mingzhu receive a scholarship to study at the Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Alina Balauru is offered employment in Northern Ireland, and with the hope that she will earn more than enough to send money to her struggling parents in Romania, she accepts the offer. Hyped with the idea that their dreams will finally materialize, they unknowingly head into a life-changing tragedy.

A man discovers the body of a young Chinese girl in his garden and he informs the authorities. When Inspector Sheehan and his Serious Crimes Unit arrive at the scene, they only find an empty syringe close to the body and no identification of whom the girl might be.

After a news broadcast about the dead Chinese girl, Lin Hui is immediately alarmed and risks leaving her hiding place to go to the mortuary. As she arrives at the morgue, Dr. Jones the Deputy Medical Forensic Pathologist, advises her to go to the police if she has any information as she’s not allowed inside. Trusting no one, Lin Hui leaves in a hurry.

As the investigation progresses they find two more bodies and an exhausted list of possible suspects, this leads them in two different directions, which leaves them with speculations but no concrete evidence to link any of the suspects to the three murders. The team gets word of an infamous character, The Shadow, someone that is known but never seen.

The questions remain whether The Shadow had anything to do with these murders, or might it be one of the other dodgy characters they already interviewed, and will they be in time to save Lin Hui from the same fate as Cheung?

The Trafficking Murderers is the fifth novel in The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series, by Brian O'Hare. This novel is an eye-opener of the vile and heartbreaking trade of Human trafficking and the horror of rape, abuse and manipulation that the victims endure. It is the frightening realization that although this is a fiction novel, it is based on facts that the author found during his excessive research. These predators will go to extreme lengths to make their victims believe the far-fetched promises. This book is a perfect example of the idiom; “if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.”

One of the things that I like about this novel is the way the dates of the chapters are dedicated to either the process of the investigation or to the different characters and what they experienced at that particular moment. The fact that you know the next move of both; the perpetrators and Inspector Sheehan with his team adds to the suspense. The plot is well-planned and written with an easy flow, and the author has the brilliance in creating high-strung situations which leave the reader spellbound and eager to see what happens next. All the characters are well fleshed out and there is no void in who they are, where they come from, or what their future aspirations were or are. I do suggest that the foreword and the notice must be read before starting with the novel as it helps with the abbreviations of the police department ranks and it gives a background to the story.

I truly have nothing negative to say about this novel however; there is quite a lot of profanity and scenes that might be disturbing to sensitive readers. Without these parts, the effect and the severity of this trade would not be portrayed correctly in my opinion. I have found no obvious errors in typing or grammar while reading, which makes it a well-edited novel.

My rating for this novel is 4 out of 4 stars, not only because of the positive aspects I have mentioned but also because to me, Brian O’Hare is one phenomenal storyteller and definitely in the same league as Stephen King and James Patterson. It's a spine-tingling and gripping novel and as soon as you think you know who the guilty party is, the story twists in another direction with a new suspect that makes it impossible to solve. I found another favorite author to add to my list and will be digging into the previous four novels soon.

I would recommend it to readers who like suspense, mystery and crime novels. It’s not suitable for young readers, the faint-hearted, or those who find profanity offensive.

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The Trafficking Murders
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[Kavita Shah]

A mystery investigation and a secret trafficking case. I would like to read this book. Good review!

[Ibunyi]

This seems to be a well crafted mystery and investigation novel depicting a serious threat to human rights in our today's society. Thanks for recommending this book.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I would normally pass on a novel about sex trafficking, however, your book review contains such high praise for the author and his work. So now I feel compelled to read the book. Outstanding book review!