Review of The Trafficking Murders
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Jah Thomas
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Review of The Trafficking Murders
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Trafficking Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
The Trafficking Murders by Brian O’Hare is Book 5 of The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries. This novel revolves around human trafficking and tells the stories of young and naive individuals who were promised a better life but were instead exploited in the sex trade industry. Cheung Mingzu and her friend Lin Hui, on a scholarship program from China, were lured into escorting by The Shadow, while Alina, along with others from poor families in Romania, was transported on a steamer to Belfast while being raped and abused for "training" for prostitution. After the body of an Asian girl was found in the garden of a prominent businessman named James Gifford, Hui was on the run in fear of her own life. Is there any link between Mingzu and Alina? Can Sheehan and his team solve the mystery of the dead body before there are any other victims and also find The Shadow?
Reading this novel gave me the feeling that I was watching a crime series on TV. It was filled with action, suspense, and unexpected plot twists. I liked the fact that the beginning of each chapter was date-stamped so the reader could follow a timeline. The novel took me on a whirlwind of speculation about who The Shadow was, and I found myself talking out loud to the book as if I was watching television. My favorite character was Sergeant Denise Stewart, Sheehan’s detective partner. Her character showed genuine compassion and dedication to her work and the lives she swore to protect.
The love story within this crime novel fascinated me. Alina and Matei, both slaves for different reasons, found comfort in each other in the most difficult times of their lives. Their attraction started on the steamer that brought them both to Belfast. She was a damsel in distress whom he couldn’t resist helping. He risked his life for hers in unbelievable ways.
Though this book was a part of a series, I caught on quite well and had no problems as a first-time reader who had never read any other book in the series. I appreciated that, while the book told two different stories that intertwined and went back and forth between each other, it was not confusing and was easy to follow. The book was also professionally edited and written with no errors.
Brian O’Hare did an excellent job of depicting the different aspects of human trafficking for sex work, an existential crisis in our society. On one hand, the grim side is where poor individuals are beaten and forced into low-end prostitution and are treated poorly; on the other hand, individuals are recruited and given this glamorous life in high-end prostitution, also known as escorts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend The Trafficking Murders to any reader that likes crime, suspense, and thriller novels.
******
The Trafficking Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Trafficking Murders by Brian O’Hare is Book 5 of The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries. This novel revolves around human trafficking and tells the stories of young and naive individuals who were promised a better life but were instead exploited in the sex trade industry. Cheung Mingzu and her friend Lin Hui, on a scholarship program from China, were lured into escorting by The Shadow, while Alina, along with others from poor families in Romania, was transported on a steamer to Belfast while being raped and abused for "training" for prostitution. After the body of an Asian girl was found in the garden of a prominent businessman named James Gifford, Hui was on the run in fear of her own life. Is there any link between Mingzu and Alina? Can Sheehan and his team solve the mystery of the dead body before there are any other victims and also find The Shadow?
Reading this novel gave me the feeling that I was watching a crime series on TV. It was filled with action, suspense, and unexpected plot twists. I liked the fact that the beginning of each chapter was date-stamped so the reader could follow a timeline. The novel took me on a whirlwind of speculation about who The Shadow was, and I found myself talking out loud to the book as if I was watching television. My favorite character was Sergeant Denise Stewart, Sheehan’s detective partner. Her character showed genuine compassion and dedication to her work and the lives she swore to protect.
The love story within this crime novel fascinated me. Alina and Matei, both slaves for different reasons, found comfort in each other in the most difficult times of their lives. Their attraction started on the steamer that brought them both to Belfast. She was a damsel in distress whom he couldn’t resist helping. He risked his life for hers in unbelievable ways.
Though this book was a part of a series, I caught on quite well and had no problems as a first-time reader who had never read any other book in the series. I appreciated that, while the book told two different stories that intertwined and went back and forth between each other, it was not confusing and was easy to follow. The book was also professionally edited and written with no errors.
Brian O’Hare did an excellent job of depicting the different aspects of human trafficking for sex work, an existential crisis in our society. On one hand, the grim side is where poor individuals are beaten and forced into low-end prostitution and are treated poorly; on the other hand, individuals are recruited and given this glamorous life in high-end prostitution, also known as escorts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend The Trafficking Murders to any reader that likes crime, suspense, and thriller novels.
******
The Trafficking Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Phobia Relief by Kalliope Barlis
