Eye of the Hawk by Neal Sutton
A significant sex trafficking operation doesn't go to plan in the heart of Amsterdam, and the cross-border authorities must work together to retrace their steps.
British international Liaison Officer Ted Chester finds himself teaming up with Europol and various European cross-country forces to track down the organised crime group behind the exploitation of young women under operation Hawk. Ted must figure out how to be one step ahead of the criminals when they seem to know the authorities' next move as both sides have undercover operatives. Meanwhile, Mabel and her friend set on a journey backpacking around Europe, realising their journey would turn into their worst nightmare as they become engulfed in the dark underworld of sex trafficking.
In Eye of the Hawk by Neal R. Sutton, we experience a fast-paced pursuit across the continent as authorities race against time to bring the organised criminals to justice and save those in danger before they are lost forever.
Review
Aided by his Dutch team, Ted’s quest for justice takes him on a frantic chase through the continent to Romania and all points in between.
Told from the viewpoints of both Ted and one of the abductees Mabel, this two-fold approach allows a glimpse into the processes followed by the law enforcement agencies and the frightening conditions endured by victims of the criminal gangs.
Ted needs to catch those responsible whilst also protecting his undercover source and ensuring that the missing girls are returned safely to their families. A difficult enough task that is only made harder when the presence of a mole in his department is detected.
I love the concept of an investigation team able to cross country borders and use the resources from the cities they pass through. I would’ve liked to see more character development for the main members of Ted’s team so that they don’t just seem like a list of names in the squad. A bit of background ramps up the emotional response when characters that you have become familiar with get involved in dangerous situations rather than giving the reader the impression that they are the new guy in the Star Trek landing party that is the first to get bumped off.
Some background is drip fed throughout the book about Ted regarding his family and career and I assume this will be built on as the series progresses.
I found that the story held my attention throughout and kept my interest as I wanted to know the eventual outcome. The premise for the series and the character of Ted show promise for further titles in the series.
In summary, I felt this was a great concept with a fast moving plot that was only let down by the minimal amount of characterization for the main players that limited the emotional impact as the situation unfolded. Some tightening of the dialog and reduction on the repetition on certain key words particularly at the beginning would improve the overall reading experience but this is still definitely worth a read.
Author
Twitter @NealRSutton
Facebook Neal R Sutton
Neal R. Sutton was born in Billinge, UK, and before he started writing fictional crime novels on the side, Neal received a graduate degree in Sports and Physical Education at Liverpool Hope University, whilst contributing to the International Journal of Social Sciences Studies. Graduating, he then taught primary aged children, Sport and Physical Education. He enjoys a pint of beer among friends or watching his favourite football team. He enjoys listening to a wide range of music and reading Michael Connolly. He lives in England with his partner, Son and Cat, and Eye of the Hawk is his first novel.
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