Kinley E. Roby, Death's Other Kingdom

The Guatemalan woman was abducted in Mexico and brought to Florida by human traffickers to sell her, but something goes wrong in Avola, Florida; two of her kidnappers are killed and she apparently escaped. The police and Salvamento director Sonadora Asturias ask private investigator Harry Brock to find the missing female before she runs into more trouble and to investigate a local crime ring that has apparently changed its mission from drugs to young girls.

At Hammock where he lives Harry is worried about his best friend neighbor Tucker, who is very ill having been attacked by wild pigs and is concerned about his teenage daughter Minna is emotionally shattered having been sexually assaulted while Harry must deal with knowing he pathetically still loves her mom, his ex-wife Katherine.

The continual escapdes of Harry Brock in Florida (see NOW COMES DEATH and TWO IN THE CHURCHYARD LIE) is a solid entry filled with sleuthing and personal twists; however newcomers will find it difficult to fully grasp the hero's family crisis without having read how he got to that point. Though lacking the humor brought to FEAR DEATH BY WATER by Tucker's sidekicks (Harry's older daughter brought a pregnant pause to the tale), the Death's Other Kingdom story line is fast-paced whether the subplot focuses on the troubles of Harry's family (know wonder he hides in Florida), his neighbor's health, or the dark sinister human trafficking.

Harriet Klausner