Monday, April 25, 2016

Review: Furious

Summary: Faith McMann comes home to a nightmare: her husband is killed and her son and daughter are taken. Although the intruders leave her for dead, she survives. Crippling grief and fear for her children make life unbearable. Until her anguish turns to anger…and she trades victimhood for vengeance.

Frustrated with the law’s efforts, she takes action to rescue her children—and wreaks havoc on the brutal criminals who tore them from her. With her family and newfound allies at her side, Faith descends into the hellish underworld of human trafficking, determined to make those who prey on the innocent pray for mercy.

The forces she’s up against have already proven that their ruthlessness knows no bounds. And there’s nothing they won’t do to turn Faith’s crusade into a suicide mission. But they’re about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a mother fighting for her children—especially one who’s earned the nickname Furious. -- Thomas Mercer

Truth be told, the description of the novel FURIOUS by T.R. Ragan is pretty gruesome. It's like a mother's worst nightmare, and I wasn't entirely sure I even wanted to read this novel. Faith McMann arrives home to find her house in total disarray. Her husband is brutally murdered, and her throat is cut and she's left for dead. To make matters even worse, the men take her children and leave no clues!

Faith's recovery is difficult, but the guilt she's left with is all-consuming. Totally unsatisfied with what the police are doing (or not doing), she decides to take matters into her own hands. With the help of her family and the friends she meets at her anger management course, she discovers the nightmarish world of human trafficking.

Faith is not only furious, but she's also relentless, in her pursuit of finding her children. What she uncovers is both disturbing and unbelievable!

I can't really say that I enjoyed FURIOUS, but there were aspects of the story that I appreciated. It's a book that was extremely difficult for me to read, and there were scenes that made me almost put down the book. Believe me when I say that this book is very graphic, and I definitely don't recommend it for the faint of heart (or even new moms!) However, I do think fans of suspense novels might find the story of a vigilante mom somewhat intriguing.

I definitely have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, I found it a little hard to believe that Faith recovered from the attack quickly enough to track down the killers on her own. I totally understand a mother wanting revenge, and I understand even more not being able to just sit back and wait for someone for find my kids. However, Faith went crazy! There were parts of the story that just didn't ring true for me, but it was those very same parts that made the novel exciting.

On the other hand, I definitely appreciated the plot points that focused on child trafficking. I can honestly say that I had no idea that this was really a problem in the United States, and I was appalled by the idea of kids being taken from their homes and thrown into this horrible life. I admit that it's difficult for me to grasp that something like this can happen, and it's definitely a scary premise for a novel.

I shouldn't have been surprised by the ending of the book. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that everything wasn't wrapped up neatly with a bow. FURIOUS is the first book in a new trilogy, and I think we'll be seeing a lot more of an angry Faith. Faith now has a purpose and she's not going to stop until she gets to the bottom of seeking justice for human traffickers.

Overall, FURIOUS is an action-packed book chock full of graphic scenes and difficult subject matter. Recommended for fans of edgy thrillers and actions books with female protagonists.

Thanks to Saichek Publicity for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

1 comment:

bermudaonion said...

Oh my gosh, that does sound gruesome! I've been reading more and more about human trafficking so this sounds like a very relevant book.