Will did it again

Will Patching is without exaggeration one of the best authors I know.
His writing skills are exceptional, his novels have psychological depth and always bring in some mostly unknown well-researched facts and are incredibly suspenseful.

The Hack was Will Patching's first novel. Since I read it nearly two years ago I've been waiting for the sequel.

In the meantime Will published his Remorseless Trilogy - three outstanding thrillers about psychopaths - that made the waiting bearable.

Finally Will send me an ARC of The Hunter!

Yes, this book is as explosive as dynamite! All his books are full of action, but this one tops them all. It left me breathless.

Hunter is a dangerous but fascinating man. Kate is a journalist seeking the truth investigating on an island in Thailand where slavery and human trafficking thrive and billionaires act like they own the world.

Yes, it's a novel and the fruit of Will's unstoppable imagination, but the disturbing thing about this novel is that these things happen in the world we live in. There still is slavery and humans are sold like objects. I highly recommend visiting Will Patching's blog thehacknovel to learn more about the inspiration for this story and to read The Hack - it's for free for a short period.

Child abuse and human trafficking

Good comtemporary fiction reflects the world we live in. And this world is not perfect. It is a fallen world. One of the ugliest things in this world is child abuse and human trafficking.

Since I startet reviewing I've read some impressive books about that issue. Reports and statistics can't touch you as can a good story with characters you can relate to.

The two best of all those books until recently were the thriller "The Hack" by Will Patching (author's page) and the autobiography of Barbara Amaya Nobody's Girl (author's page).

Now I discovered another excellent novel about this incredibly evil reality.

My review on goodreads

This excellently written book is suspenseful, entertaining, hurtful, moving, thrilling....and true.

The book compares Zoey's situation with Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Uncle Tom. The methods have changed but slavery still exists.

In the back of the ebook there are some shocking statistcs, reviews from readers who have been victims, information about organisation and an interview with the author Christopher Stollar who talks about his three years of research for this book and about his faith.

Yes, this is a christian book, but unlike other christian novels it doesn't shy away from graphic descriptions of the cruelties. The language isn't "clean" and although there is one christian secondary character it's not at all preachy or evangelistic.



In the interview Christopher Stollar quotes C.S. Lewis:

"The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature."

Christopher Stollar does just that.

We live in this world and we can't close our eyes. This author not only writes about it but is donating 10 percent of the earnings of this book to organizations that battle modern slavery.

A disturbing read

I usually avoid reading autobiographies, well, not consciously, but I really don't read them very often and mostly don't like them very much, sometimes due to the lack of writing skills, sometimes because they are implying that you should just do what they did and everything will be fine or they are shouting "Look what a terrible life I had".

But the one I read this week was an exception.  It will be available in about six weeks, but I got an ARC from NetGalley.

My review on goodreads

 
 I wish it was just a novel, but it's very real.

Sexual child abuse, teenage runaways, human trafficking, drug abuse, heroin addiction, imprisonment, marriage with an alcoholic, divorce, cancer - the list is long and disturbing.

But this courageous well-written autobiography isn't trying to shock by graphic descriptions nor does it seek pitty.

It is written with a purpose, it is part of Barbara Amayas fight against human trafficking.

Maybe it isn't as intense and thrilling as some novels about the same issue, but to know that it isn't fiction makes a difference.

Of course I knew that all these things exist. It's no secret that society isn't as it should be.

The fact that it took her decades to understand that she was only the victim was astonishing for me.

Now I have a better understanding of the bond between the victims and the traffickers.

I appreciate that instead of complaining and blaming her parents, her pimp, the customers, the system or the society as a whole she is giving helpful advice to parents, to teachers, to law enforcement, to doctors and nurses, to young adults and of course to victims.

An enlightening important book that doesn't stop at the tragedy but shows that there is hope.