In Wolves' Clothing
by Greg Levin
Print Length: 273 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0990402940
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: White Rock Press; 1 edition (October 11, 2017)
ASIN: B075WSMPBT
Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 4.5 0f 5.0
On his best days, Zero Slade is the worst man you can imagine. He has to be. It's the only way to save the Lost Girls.
During his seven years on a team fighting sex trafficking, Zero's become quite good at schmoozing with pimps, getting handcuffed by cops and pretending not to care about the young girls he liberates. But the dangerous sting operations are starting to take a toll on his marriage and sanity. His affinity for prescription painkillers isn't exactly helping matters.
When the youngest girl the team has ever rescued gets abducted from a safe house in Cambodia, Zero decides to risk everything to find her. His only shot is to go rogue, and sink deeper into the bowels of the trafficking world than he's ever sunk.
It's the biggest mission of his life. Trouble is, it's almost certain death.
Review:
Zero’s is an ex military man who has an intense, tough job. He and his team mates pretend to be wealthy men seeking to party with young girls. They are really there with authorities in the wings to capture the pimps and free the young girls who are an unwilling part of the child sex trade industry. The job takes Zero’s team to all parts of the world, from cities in Asia to Central and South America. There is lots of planning and most times things go smoothly; but not always. There is always danger, risk and emotional trauma to be contained.
Zero is already self-medicating from injuries, pain and guilt from his military loses. Between coping (or not) with those memories and trying to minimize the emotions caused during his missions, he is struggling to keep proper communication with his wife, Nina, whom he adores. Problem is, he is gone a lot and even when he is home he is not always connected. Nina loves Zero but knows he needs help and she may have to take drastic steps for him to cooperate.
The team rescues a group of particularly young girls and the youngest clings to Zero. The youngster has touched a place in Zero’s heart and he returns to visit her. Then he gets news that she has been kidnapped from the facility. Zero can’t, or won’t, wait to ask for a team to go in. He chooses to go himself, even with recent injuries, and even though it will risk everything – his career and his marriage. Still, he feels he must rescue Sung before it is too late.
I really liked the writing style which is direct and presents the story in first person through Zero’s voice. His internal thinking is very real and sometimes gritty. There is also a subtle, self-deprecating humor. He is a man with integrity but also plagued with problems and flaws. Mr. Levin presents strong background information on the issues of painkiller addiction and sex trafficking. These are not easy subjects, but they are handled in a manner that makes a point of the devastating trauma and problem.
There is some material that is tough to read as well as some strong foul words. These are (sadly) a natural part of the story that is presented. I do recommend this to readers who like crime fiction suspense and those who may find combating sex trafficking interesting.
Source: NetGalley 2017. This qualifies for my 2018TBR, Take Control, NetGalley and Alphabet Challenges.
