The Orchid Tattoo

By: Carla Damron

Narrated by: Stacey Lind

Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Crime fiction that makes a difference: in The Orchid Tattoo, award-winning author Carla Damron delves into the disturbing world of human trafficking.

Social worker Georgia Thayer can balance her own mental illness with the demands of an impossible job. Mostly. But when her sister vanishes in the dead of night, her desperate quest to find Peyton takes her into the tentacles of a human trafficking network - where she encounters a young victim called "Kitten."

Kitten is determined to escape. She won't be trapped like the others. She won't sell her soul like Lillian, victim-turned-madam, feeding the dark appetites of international business moguls and government leaders. But the Estate won't let her out of its lethal grip, and her attempts at freedom threaten her very life.

Aided by Kitten and, at times, by the voices in her head, Georgia maneuvers to bring down the kingpin of Estate and expose its dark secrets, but her efforts place her-and the few people she allows to get close - in grave danger.

©2022 Carla Damron (P)2024 Carla Damron

Never a Dull Moment

Carla Damron sheds light on the underbelly of a criminal world many of us hear about but don’t know. With deft storytelling skills, Damron walks us through it and we absorb the fear and complexity through the many twists and surprises. Well done!

Haunting, Unique Style

Georgia Thayer, is an independent strong woman with an impossible and demanding job as a social worker struggling with mental illness. Her sister, Peyton, with a perfect life, is missing! The family she believed she knew is not what they seemed, and the voices in her head are compelling her to unravel the mystery of her sister’s involvement in human trafficking and her death.

Carla Damron, the author, has a unique writing style when it comes to this topic. A majority of authors tend to go into great detail regarding the horrible acts the victims must endure and the who, what, when, where, and why of the villains. Damron, instead, focuses on the victims themselves – who they are as a person and their drive to survive. This allows the listener to become deeply immersed in the narrative by seeing those involved as humans. Her writing style is fascinating and uniquely fresh. The dialogue both internal and external was realistic and engaging. Each character was fully developed and suited to their role in the narrative. The plot twists were exciting and edge-of-your-chair thrills.

The narrator, Stacey Lind, did a great job! She gave voice and energy to each scene and character which further enhanced the storyline. Her delivery was well-paced and deliberate. She brought energy to the narrative that immersed the listener.

This is a fascinating book with a few major plot twists that are completely unexpected! You will be unable to pause this book until you finish it! I highly recommend this audiobook and this team!

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Ripped From The Headlines

I recently had the opportunity to listen to The Orchid Tattoo by Carla Damron, and I must say, it was quite an unexpected journey. Before I delve into my thoughts, I want to give a heads-up to listeners that this book deals with some heavy themes, centered around human trafficking and all that entails, which may be triggering for some.

This was my first experience with Damron's work, and I was immediately struck by her writing style and storytelling prowess. From the very beginning, she drew me in with her vivid descriptions and compelling narrative. One of the standout elements for me was her ability to develop characters, not just individually, but their interpersonal struggles along with starting to wind that thread of connection between them. Georgia, the main character, felt incredibly real and flawed, making the story all the more immersive. The things she was dealing with, both in her own head and as a social worker really shaped her as a person.

As the story unfolded, I found myself fascinated by each new character Damron introduced. Whether they were on the side of abuse or safety, each one was complex and multidimensional -- they all felt like they belonged in the story at that point (even if you were hoping things would be okay for some of them). I was particularly impressed by how Damron handled the darker elements of the story, alluding to them without delving too deeply into graphic detail. However, I must caution listeners again that the content, including violence and the ages of the characters involved, may be distressing to some.

Without giving too much away, there was a moment in the book that genuinely shocked me. I found myself saying, "Oh god, no way..." as certain revelations came to light. Despite its darkness, "The Orchid Tattoo" was a gripping read that felt ripped from the headlines.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by Damron's storytelling and will certainly be keeping an eye out for her future works. While this book may not be for everyone due to its intense subject matter, for those willing to delve into its depths, it is a truly compelling read. Add in the great performance by Stacey Lind and you've got one of the most interesting audiobooks I've read in 2024. Damron's ability to keep everything interconnected mixed with Lind's performance made this dark thriller easy to blow through.