- Lisa Harris, Dangerous Passage
It's been a while since I have read a GOOD mystery novel, and I was excited when I was assigned to read this for the radio station! That's right! This is the first book I reviewed for WTBF-AM/FM in Troy, Ala. I wrote a shorter version of my review for the radio to cover a three minute spot! Am I famous? No, not by a long shot, but it sure feel like it, so I'll take it!
*Clears throat* Okay, now on to the book..
Detective Avery North has just embarked on her next case: two Jane Does are dead. At first it seemed like two different murder cases until Avery noticed that they had something in common. They both had a tattoo of a magnolia on their shoulder. Instantly, Avery began to think that she was now dealing with a serial killer. She had to move quickly to track this guy down, figure out his plot, and stop him from killing any girls like this.
Avery was very sensitive to these cases. She has a daughter; what if it had been her? Those thoughts are the very drive she needs to stop these criminals from continuing their actions. She realizes how much of a risk her job is, and after losing her husband, Ethan, she knows that she needs to be extra careful because her daughter doesn't need to lose another parent. Especially after Micheal's death. Micheal was Avery's brother, and died on the job. Although the job is dangerous, it's worth it to Avery to stop the evil in the world one case at a time.
Since Ethan's death, Avery hasn't even thought about beginning another relationship. Well, not until she partnered with Jackson Bryant, a medical examiner, for this case. It was just so easy with him, she couldn't NOT think about him! Somehow every date they tried to go on would get interrupted by the case they were working on, but that didn't make any of the time they spent together any less special. Every new day, Avery fell for Jackson more and more. Even though she tried to put it in the back of her mind, it would always push its way back to the forefront.
Eventually Avery and Jackson solved the case and their relationship. I won't give away the ending, you know I never do! Don't worry!
This book was a great read! If I wasn't completely buried in school work, I would have finished it much faster! I would laugh out loud and some parts, and others I would be wiping my tears away. The mystery in the book was really good, as well! There were times I would be reading, my heart pounding, and I would jump at the sound of the ice maker in my kitchen! Silly, right? I was just so into the book!
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This book deals with the topic of human trafficking, which is something that the Lord has given me a passion for here recently. Did you know that there are more slaves in the world today than ever before? Did you know that the sex trafficking industry is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world? This book is set in Atlanta, Georgia which is a hotspot of sex trafficking in the United States. YES, it happens right here in America, and not just in Atlanta.
I am on the leadership team for Troy's Stella's Voice on Campus.
Stella's Voice is an organization that prevents sex trafficking.While Stella's Voice focuses mostly on the country of Moldova, sex trafficking is a serious issue all over the world. Stella's Voice has created houses for boys and girls that have been trafficked. There is an incredible number of orphans in Moldova. When these orphans turn 16, they are tossed on the street with nothing more than a bus ticket and $30. This gets these kids nowhere. Most of them are abducted and sold into sex slavery, with no one missing them or looking for them. They simply disappear.
It's up to us to stop this. For more information on Stella's Voice, visit www.stellasvoice.org to see how you can begin a chapter in your area or give a donation. You can also contact me if you have any questions as well.
I'm so glad that Lisa Harris incorporated this into her novel so that people may realize how serious this issue is! This book is not only a great story, it has truth in it. Book 2 of the Southern Crime series, Fatal Exchange, releases in May, and is available for pre-order NOW!
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