Review by Sarah_Draper -- The Trafficking Murders

[Sarah_Draper]

[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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‘The Trafficking Murders’ by Brian O’Hare is the fifth instalment of O’Hare’s ‘The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries’. Three people have been murdered with no signs of struggle, seemingly in connection with one another in Belfast. Attractive female Chinese students at Queen’s University Belfast are coming into money and withdrawing from their social circles. Young impoverished Romanians are being smuggled into the country. A villainous yet elusive figure known as The Shadow stalks the streets of Belfast. Inspector Sheehan and his police force undergo a race against time to solve the murders, and discover the true identity of The Shadow.

Subtle, and unpredictable, O’Hare’s storytelling ensnares the reader in a tense, emotional journey through the lives of the underground members of society, creating surprising and distressing twists as the characters become increasingly intertwined with one another within a world where everyone is a suspect, leaving one guessing as to who the murderer is right until the final pages.

I was immersed in this book from the start and raced through it in just three days. I loved the fact that O’Hare does not shy away from the brutal reality of the sex slavery industry, and managed to create a visceral immediacy which caused me to feel an intense desperation for these women. I thought the contrast between the opposing ends of the sex slavery scale was an extremely clever social comment. Whether it was O’Hare’s intention to challenge the reader’s internal prejudices or not, I believe this book will certainly manage to serve as as reminder that highly paid victims of grooming and sex slavery are just as much victims as victims of low class human trafficking and rough slavery.

I think this book, whilst undoubtably upsetting and challenging to read, should be classed as an essential read. Human slavery is an issue which is far too often ignored, and I seriously believe that this book may be able to serve as an aid for many to open their eyes to the suffering and abuse happening around them. It is also refreshing to see a book with such a diverse cast in terms of race, class, and sexuality. I can confidently say that this book has been exceptionally well edited as I spotted no errors in the text.

One element I would comment on which did disappoint me slightly was O’Hare’s use of the word “Chinaman” in the latter third of the novel. Throughout the book, O’Hare had maintained a tangible sensitivity towards his characters from all walks of life regardless of gender, race, or sexual conduct, so to have the usage of a derogatory slur as an adjective felt off-tone.

Another point I would make is that whilst I can see the merit in O’Hare forming romantic pairings in unlikely places, I don’t think they necessarily added anything to the story, and for me, risked cheapening a brilliant crime thriller.

That being said, I would proudly recommend this book to anyone, therefore I must award ‘The Trafficking Murders’ 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Trafficking Murders
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[Amynwankwo_]

Wow, what a detailed review. I’m very impressed by this. Thank you, you did justice to this review