Justice Delivered

A modeling agent stalks young girls for a sex trafficking ring in this heart-pounding tale from Bradley (Justice Delayed). Carly Smith was kidnapped and sold to sex traffickers at age 17. After six miserable years, she escaped, but her parents don’t believe her story. Then her sister is killed. A few years later, in the story’s present, Carly’s niece Lexi is kidnapped, and Carly, believing she was taken by the same person who kidnapped her, sets out to save Lexi. Her deep distrust of law enforcement makes her leery of accepting the help of her policeman ex-boyfriend, Logan Donovan, but a threat on her life forces her to work with him. The tension ratchets up with every phone call, gunshot, and memory Carly has of being trafficked. Bradley convincingly portrays the ugly realities of human slavery, the emotional and spiritual havoc it plays on victims, and the sheer terror that parents experience when a child is abducted. Characters also wrestle with their faith credibly as Bradley explores the relationship between forgiveness and healing. Though the love story falls a bit flat, secondary characters bring depth and color to this intense page-turner. (Apr.)