James Thompson
James Thompson's incomparable Inspector Vaara is back in a new chilling Nordic mystery.
An Estonian woman begs Inspector Kari Vaara to find her daughter, Loviise, a young woman with Down syndrome who was promised work and a better life in Finland… and has since disappeared.
One more missing girl is a drop in the barrel for a police department that is understaffed and overburdened, but for Kari, the case is personal: it’s a chance for redemption, to help the victims his failed black-ops unit was intended to save, and to prove to his estranged wife, Kate, that he’s still the man he once was.
His search will lead him from the glittering world of Helsinki’s high-class clubs to the darkest circles of Finland’s underground trade in trafficked women and straight into the path of Loviise’s captors, who may be some of the most untouchable people in the country.
Erin on Goodreads wrote:Inspector Kari Vaara is having a bad year. Still recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor and injuries from his last case, he now has to deal with corrupt higher-ups, relatives of some of the deceased Kari and his cohorts eliminated, his wife's trauma from her part in the last case which caused her to leave their baby with Kari and return to the U.S., and now person or persons unknown have targeted his family and friends. In hopes of proving to his wife that he can do more than mindless murder, Kari takes a missing person case. The mother of a young woman with Down syndrome has been kidnapped by men involved in the sex trade. Kari's investigation leads to the Russian Embassy and again he is stepping on more toes than a stumbling ball room dancer. Names and events from the previous book may make it difficult for the reader to follow so it might be best to read HELSINKI WHITE first. As in previous books, Sweetness and Milo provide extra muscle and technical savvy to deal with the unsavory who will stop at nothing to wreak havoc and vengeance. Kari is one cop who walks a thin tightrope, but readers will cheer the outcome. Another great installment in the Kari Vaara series.
Kari Vaara, recovering from injury, is approached by a woman asking him to find her daughter. Her daughter, who has Down Syndrome, was promised a job in Finland and has disappeared. The police do not seem to be able to take on the case because they already have too many cases to deal with. Kari looks at this case as a great opportunity to gain back his estranged wife, and to help deal with the many victims on a prior case. Can Kari find the girl with the help of a few friends?
An action packed thriller that has the reader engaged until the very last page. The author did a great job with character development. Enough background of the other prior books were included that I didn't feel like I was missing a lot, being that this is the first book in the series that I have read. I really enjoyed Kari's character, how he is constantly looking for a better alternative than taking a human life. I also like how he remains committed to his estranged wife while she is coming back from going off the deep end. The book was really hard to put down. Each end of a chapter left you wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
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