Began in an interesting way but I lost interest half way thru the novel. Disappointing. ( )

Synopsis: John Knox is working to provide for his disabled brother, but rather than being able to continue as an importer, he is drawn into the world of espionage. In this case he is trying to shut down a sweatshop using young girls to make rugs. As soon as these girls hit puberty they are sold to the sex trade. Grace takes care of the technology end of the caper and Dulwich enters as back-up.
Review: The narration is presented in present tense which renders the reading rather stilted. The ending two pages are lack-luster. ( )

My first Ridley Pearson book but it will not be my last. Filled with action from beginning to end. Now I'm waiting for first book it this new series ( )

Importer-exporter and sometimes field operative John Knox and forensic accountant (and aspiring field operative) Grace Chu, accepting an assignment from private security company Rutherford Risk to investigate a child-labor sweatshop, find themselves trying to solve a difficult puzzle amid escalating violence in an unfamiliar city. Aided by their handler, damaged Army veteran David Dulwich, and by a wealthy client, they chase clues and suspects through Amsterdam, gathering an ad hoc group of collaborators and informants while dodging both the subjects of their investigation and the Dutch police.

Avoiding the stock characters and tropes of the action/thriller genre, the author delivers complex, striving characters, highly moral but driven by thrills more than congealed obligations. (The conservative political sermons common to this genre are, thankfully, absent.) Snappy, believable dialog reveals them struggling to cooperate with people they need and like but don’t completely trust while fighting off their own demons. Cleverly, the narrative is written in the present tense (”Both Grace and Dulwich are standing. Grace is packing up.”) which increases the urgency and seems to accelerate the pace of the action, but we’re given a little relief as the three main characters pause occasionally to reflect and plan.

This is the second in a series — I haven’t read the first but I’m picking it up later today and am eager for the third.

This is a very good thriller. ( )

I really wanted to like this one. The premise seemed interesting. A murder involving sex worker from Eastern Europe. The protagonists seemed interesting enough. An Asian woman both sexy and smart and her male counterpart undertaking missions to support his handicapped brother. Unfortunately the writing crippled this one. Stock full of cliches and clunky writing. A thrill ride turned into a trek across the desert. Painful. ( )