Flesh Trade Paperback – May 31, 2016

Really good story; love all books by this author. Fun to see the return of Mac and Rachel plus two new ladies finding love. The subject matter is awful (the flesh trade) but does not overwhelm the story.

Loved this book! Well written, with a timely topic. Can't wait for more from Maggie Brown.

Overall, I really liked this book. I only had a few small issues1) I lost track of who some of the minor characters are. There was a huge suspense scene at the end, but some of the tension got lost on me because I had no idea what the other person was.2) I figured out who the big-bad was early on. It was so obvious that I kept hoping I was wrong, just because it was so obvious. Nope, I was right.3) Addison isn't very developed as a character. I would have liked to have learned more about her background, what she does, and how she got involved.The romance between Ruth and Addison was well done and believable. The secondary characters fit in well (other than the one who is nothing but a walk-on).

This reads like the first draft of the first novel of a moderately but not highly talented writer. That is, there is some stuff to like here and there, and a brief moment in the middle where I was actually absorbed in the story, but the writing overall is uneven. I did decide to finish it rather than giving up halfway through, but it was a close call. The editor did not do their job.The two things that annoy me the most are 1) Brown's characters are all unstable, and 2) she has too many unnecessarily preachy, didactic passages.1) Her characters have little in the way of understandable or consistent personality. They react unexpectedly and often overly dramatically to situations. Yes, under extreme circumstances people can change how they act, but there's no developed sense of personality for any of the main characters. You could change which character had which line, and you'd never think the line was "out of character".2) Many passages in this book read like a polemic against trafficking. Is that necessary? Like, does anyone thinking trafficking underaged girls for sex slavery is not a bad thing? The traffickers are already the bad guys in the story, and we see them do bad things, so long rants about their badness are superfluous and weird. It's like a WW II movie having a character go on an extended monologue on the moral deficiencies of the Nazis. You're just stopping your story to explain something we already know, and that's demonstrated better by just telling the story.

The topic of this book, sex trafficking, is not for the faint hearted, and, as the statistics show, is a very real problem. Dr. Addison Greenway, a human rights activist, has been asked by the attorney general to investigate, and write a paper on the topic. Set in Brisbane, Australia, Browntakes her readers on a wild ride as a good friend of Addison's is murdered, and a bomb explodes in the same room as she has just held a meeting of her task force. Federal Agent Ruth Davis is ordered by the attorney general to protect Addison. Since Addison has refused protection, Ruth has a plan to stay at Addison's and her sister Holly's home with the story that she is a friend of Holly's. What follows is a search for migrant Asian girls, a betrayal by a good friend, and a growing attraction between Ruth and Addison. Brown does a great job handling the attraction between Ruth and Addison, both totally inexperience in being with a woman, and one just plain totally inexperienced! Both women have a great sense of humor which helps to lighten the serious subject. This is an enjoyable read.

I found this book a really good read. It has a complex plot and a lovely romance. As usual, Ms Brown moves the novel along at a cracking pace , with plenty of clues to test the readers' detecting skills. It tackles the big issue of sex trafficking of migrant women and girls into the country. Dr Addison Greenway is employed by the Attorney General to write a paper on the practice and when her life is threatened, federal agent Ruth Davies is ordered to protect her. The characters from Mackenzie's Beat help battle to uncover the operation and find the traffickers. It is a well written exciting book with plenty of twists and turns. I can certainly recommend this novel as a great read.

The crime plot is brilliant and the love plot didn't overshadow it.It isn't often I neglect chores to finish a book but I was reluctant to put this one down.I love the duo of Rachel and Mac and hope to meet them again. Found the existence of Ruth's healing powers interesting. Would also like to know how the quest for finding the victims of this story is resolved. A truly good read

A good book. A taut thriller set in Brisbane, it moves along at a great pace, with many twists and turns, and a touching romance. Dr Addison Greenway is hired by the Attorney General to write a paper on the sex trade of migrant women into the country. When an attempt is made on her life, agent Ruth Davis is sent to protect her, although Addison objects to the guard detail which complicates things. The plot is involved and exciting as they try to find where the girls are being housed in the country and who is the Mr Big of the organization. It kept me interested until the last page and I can recommend this novel as a great read.