Trafficked: A Mex Anderson Novel

By: Peg Brantley

Narrated by: Sandra Murphy

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sex trafficking.

Not Thailand. Or the Philippines. Or Russia. 

America.

Rich or poor, black or white, girls disappear across this country every day, pulled into the nightmarish world of prostitution and drugs.

Mex Anderson is back, tasked with finding three missing girls before it's too late. Three girls. Three girls who could live in your town, your neighborhood, or in your own home.

Jayla Imani Thomas is 15. A smart kid from a poor part of town who has to fend for herself. Jayla is headed for college and a better life than her mother had.

Alexis Emily Halston is 17. Money provides everything she wants or needs except functional parents. Alexis has the world by the tail and she knows it.

Olivia Emma Campbell is 12. She's a middle child who dreams of being a veterinarian when she grows up. But right now "Livvy" just wants someone to notice her, maybe even to love her.

Caught up in a cruel system fueled by lust and money, all three young women must find the courage within themselves to survive. And Mex must come to terms with his own loss and face his demons head on - or he might not have the strength to save them.

©2017 Peg Brantley (P)2018 Peg Brantley

Fiction based on hard reality...

This is a tuff one. Well written book. Hard story to listen to. Good to know that it's fiction. Horrible knowing that this book is based on reality and it happens every day.
With a title like TRAFFICKED it's pretty obvious that this book is about human trafficking. This is about young girls (and some boys) taken from their homes, neighborhoods and friends right here in the US. With the publisher's description and the other reviews I won't recap the actual story.
What I will say is I think the author did a wonderful job. She tells a story about trafficking for sex but the book doesn't get too descriptive. One thing I really liked is that through out the book the author adds what could be footnotes at the beginning on many chapters. I found myself writing these down and looking them up (Examples: Stockholm Syndrome in the Pimp-Victim Relationship By NATALIE KITROEFF , Selling Atlanta's children: What has and hasn't changed
By Jane O. Hansen, Special to CNN ). I think by weaving actual articles into the book increases credibility. Not that it's not believable because it is.
I think a different narrator would have been a good thing.
I paid for this book and did not get it for free. It's worth the credit.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book however for some this may prove to be a difficult read.
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Thank You.

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

A painful novel about child sex trafficking

The Advocate series by Teresa Burrell pulls at the heartstrings as attorney Sabre Brown deals exclusively with cases involving abused children. Trafficked deals with young girls kidnapped and sold into prostitution and drug abuse. Author Peg Brantley has written a brutally honest novel about child sex trafficking that follows the cases of three girls. Listening to the descriptions of what the girls are forced to do is painful, but the problem is real and massive in scope. Every parent should listen to this novel.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Poignant, heart-rending, and painful

My original Trafficked audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Trafficked by Peg Brantley brings home some very disturbing facts about trafficking – specifically young children (7 – 15). Brantley reminds us that America is just as vile as Thailand, Russia and other countries are known for human trafficking. It is the men and women – some are survivors themselves of trafficking – that dedicate their life to rescuing these victims.

Following the enslaving of several children – Alexis, Jayla, Olivia – we have front row seats to their journey of horror. Sold, some for mere dollars, to the highest bidder these children are bought and turned out into the streets as prostitutes.

Olivia just wanted someone to love her; Jayla was staying with a friend who had financial problems – he solved them by selling her; and, Alexis made a mistake.

Mex is the man who tries to rescue as many children as he can – entering the deadly underworld of human trafficking as a “John.” He is the only one these children can depend on to rescue them and return them home. But Mex is a man with a past and lots of pain. He must make sure that pain and his loss doesn’t get in the way of his rescues!

Brantley presents the horrible facts of human trafficking in the US at the beginning of each chapter. It was unsettling to learn that each fact she shared happened in the US. This is not a book one can hear without nightmares and it is not one that can be listened to and forgotten. The importance of hearing this book and discussing the practice is vital - it is real.

Sandra Murphy gives an excellent performance, giving each girl her own voice. One can hear the fear, longing and finally despair of each character. One cannot help but feel overwhelming pain for these children. The longing to help grows with each passing chapter and Murphy's performance moves the story forward. The disbelief that this happens in the US is there and hard to believe but one cannot dispute it given the cited sources. So much horror – makes one not trust ANYONE!

As a mother of two and grandmother of seven, this book is difficult to hear. It has made me more afraid of what could happen than any other book I have heard. Poignant, heart-rending, and painful but one that needs to be heard!

The story flows well, transitions are smooth, character development is spot on.

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

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fiction that Reads like Fact

'Trafficked' is about a problem so horrific, so brutal and difficult to think about, I'd almost call this a horror story. 'Trafficked' confronts the reality of human trafficking on American soil while exploring how victims can be manipulated and snatched with such unexpected ease. The three girls who fall prey in this story feel all too real, feel like people I've personally known. I would not suggest reading this book if you're sensitive to child abuse.

The characters in this story were absolute gold. Peg Brantly does a wonderful job of creating a diverse group of people that range from loathsome to righteous, from wealthy to impoverished, from lovable to despicable and across racial barriers as well. She also weaves suspense like a master while Sandra Murphy delivers a performance that isn't to be soon forgotten. With her expertise, I was immediately sucked into the story and her acting brought a level of emotionality to the tense moments that elevated the experience to a whole other level. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a thriller about a real savage problem in this country (and around the world) and who isn't super sensitive to child abuse.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A Disturbing Tale of Sex Slavery

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This is a book that really got me thinking. We become so complacent in our daily lives and are often unaware of the great tragedies that develop often right next door. In this sordid world of child sex trafficking the human race shows itself in its darkest and ugliest face. The psychological deterioration of these children forced into a situation too hard to accept with eyes wide open, is painstakingly unveiled until it lays heavy in your heart.
An incredible account of a situation that its too real, using fictional characters that become part of a dark reality.
If I felt disturbed by it, I was also happy that the author uncovered this uncomfortable truth and opened the eyes of her audience.
Both writing and narration are exceptional. You definitely will want to read or listen to this book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Mex Anderson/Peg Brantley Has A New Fan

This is a gritty account of 3 girls who are taken in different circumstances, but the lives as they know it are over. Mex Anderson looks for these girls who are assumed to be sold into the sex industry.

This book shows a real look at what happens to these 3 girls, who could be someone you know, sold to the highest bidders for the buyers fantasies or as a commodity. Peg Brantley writes about this subject, the sex trade/human trafficking, in a way that the reader understands the position each girl is in without being graphic.

Sandra Murphy is a really good voice performer. She gave each character his or her own voice, cadence and style. 4 exceptional stars

*I received this book at no fee in exchange for posting my unbiased review. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the subject. It is a perfect mix of information with the story to boot. The notes and statistics at the beginning of each chapter are horrifying & interesting at the same time.

I have added THE SACRIFICE – the only other Mex Anderson novel available on Audible at this time – to my wish list.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I invite you to follow me on Audible for more. If you found my review 'helpful' please select the button below.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Hard subject that makes you think.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend kindle version of this book to my friends. (Second such book this week.) The story is very thought provoking and makes you think. It makes you see the underbelly of the country, the side that we typically refuse to acknowledge, thinking such things happen only in 3rd world countries, when in reality it might be happening in your backyard. You feel personally invested in the story and the events happening the characters' lives. You love them, you prey for them and you wish things will get better. So, a thumbs up for that.

But due to some narration issues detailed below, I think reading the book would've been a better option, rather than listening.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narration didn't quite matched the mood of this book. Grave situations didn't sound grave and at places, even insignificant sequences were overdone. Pacing was sorta off. Throughout the runtime of the book, the voice kept bugging me somehow. It's not that the voice is shrill or anything. The voice is alright, but didn't quite jell with the story. A different narrator might've done something different.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook for free from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Opened my eyes

wow, this book is good, a little scary to hear, it will open your eyes to somethings. The story was scary, but very good.! I would recommend this book!

Sandra did a great job reading this story to me!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Ripped From The Headlines!

Ripped from the headlines--quite literally; each chapter heading includes actual headline stories showing the issue is increasingly putting our children at risk. We are essentially given three case studies, written as fiction, in a gripping and terrifying drama which crosses borders with no regard for age, gender, and socio-economic strata. Compellingly read by Sandra Murphy [AUDIO].

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Nasty Glimpse into the World of Sex Trafficking

I was glad to see this book came out because I think America is barely noticing the silent epidemic of sex trafficking. I was pleased the author made the victims from all walks of life as many assume they all must be runaways or just want to be there. The story exposes how some are seduced by supposed boyfriends into slavery and others are simply sold or kidnapped. I wished the story would have dug deeper into the psychological damage of its victims. Also, I would have liked more time spent on the police investigation.

In all, the story barely scratched the surface of these fictional characters but the peppering in of actual statistics helped the gravity of the situation. I think there were too many characters in the story which made it a bit diluted. I had to look past the narrator because I wanted to know more about the story. The narrator was the weakest part of the story as the book had many dire moments and she didn’t convey that.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

So very good

This is so good, it's a story that needs to be told. Very true to life, very heartbreaking real. Something that I feel strongly about. I have a lot of books on my kindle, including this now on this subject,
So very well written, great details you can tell the author has done her homework on this subject,
Narratives bySandra Murphy who was was truly outstanding, gave it her all. Beautifully read.
To me it's a story that needs to be told. It happens everywhere, nowhere is this subject safe.

Gritty Fiction

Not a story for the faint-hearted. This audiobook is about human trafficking and follows the story of three young girls. They are all different ages and from different backgrounds, but all suffer at the hands of their captors, plus they have to deal with the knowledge of the betrayal by someone they trusted.
Mex is the man who is drawn into the case by the wealthy family to investigate the disappearance of their daughter. He soon realises there are other missing girls and makes it his goal to get them back.
Overall I enjoyed the way the story was told and the narrator did a good job. I felt the male character voices could have been a little more masculine, especially Mex. But it didn't put me off continuing. Well worth a listen.
I was given a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.