Faith McMann comes home to a 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.
I think this is one of the first times that I haven't known right off what rating I want to give.
I'm feeling a little bit....wait for it
FURIOUS!!
Oh my, how cliche. Can a person feel "a little bit" furious?
So this is book #1 in the Faith McMann Series. I will say that this time on NG it did say that it was going to be part of a series. This is the first T.R. Ragan book that I've read. I guess she's known for cliff-hangers and this book had one heck of a cliff-hanger.
Faith McMann is off to the store to pick up some supplies for her son's upcoming birthday party but realizes she forgot her list. She goes back into the house to get it and walks into a nightmare. Her husband and children are tied up and gagged and masked men are wanting to know where "it" is. She attempts to run for help but is caught and tied up as well. She watches helplessly as they kill her husband right before her eyes. They attempt to kill her too but by some miracle she survives. However, on top of ruthlessly murdering her husband, they have also taken her children.
After realizing the police can only do so much Faith pulls out a strength she never knew she had. She knows she has to find her children. With her family supporting her as well as some new found friends and allies, Faith is determined to find her kids.
The story is told from multiple points of view and flows well. There is a lot of subject matter that can be very hard to read about. Some of the issues such as human trafficking, rape, child abuse are pretty graphic, but for the most part the author seemed to try to keep those parts brief. I was able to skim over those parts without missing important parts of the story. However, for some it may be too much.
Faith McMann is a really great character. I also really enjoyed many of the other characters in the book. I loved Faith's father, and Beast and Rage are awesome characters! I enjoyed the back stories of many of the characters and while there was a lot going on, it was all pretty interesting.
I've always wondered if it is fair to rate a book lower because you don't like the ending? If you read and didn't really have any complaints about the rest of the book? This book doesn't have a lot of reviews yet but the ones that are there are very positive. It is definitely an in your face book with an interesting story-line and great characters. I just hated the cliff-hanger ending!
I know that not all books are wrapped up with a nice bow on top at the end but was just left so frustrated! But you know what? I probably will read book two so I guess it worked.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy of Furious by T.R. Ragan through NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank NetGalley and T.R. Ragan for the opportunity.
Oh, Momma! This was an in-your-face, kicking in high gear, shake the jelly out of you, book.
All is not well in the seemingly quiet suburbs of Sacramento. The McMann family have become victims to a heinous and unspeakable crime. The two children, Lara and Hudson, have been kidnapped. Their father, Craig, has been murdered right before his wife's eyes. And she has been left for dead.
The human vermin who did this have no idea that the mother of these two children is quite alive. Faith McMann is a survivor to the nth degree. There's no doubt (nor will there ever be) that she truly emulates her name: Faith/Furious. Any momma bears out there know whereof I speak. This conjures up images of Sally Field in "Not Without My Daughter".
Please know that this book deals with some pretty heavy subject matter. The related crimes of human trafficking are as real as it gets. And T.R. Ragan has done her research. This is a journey into a very, very dark side of humanity where the innocent are exploited to such a degree that you will experience inner rage at the thought of it. The procurers are from everyday life. The author readily opens your eyes to this.
Faith attempts to go it alone in her search for her children. The police and FBI are inundated with similar cases, but her own children will not be subjected to or relegated to a case number within the thousands of missing. Faith has the strength of her family and some unexpected backup as she searches the streets, back alleys, and truck stops for clues and information. T.R. Ragan makes you feel her frustration and uncontrollable anger. You run alongside her until you are breathless.
In truth, I see some comparatives with Janet Evanovich's characters. The character of Beast somewhat resembles the character of Ranger who goes it alone. Beast is not as fine-tuned as Ranger, but the crime ridding nature is there. Faith's family, out of necessity, turn out to be some hardcore vigilantes. There is a transformation taking place here.....and we are standing on our chairs cheering until we are hoarse.
Note: This book is going on to be the first in the Faith McMann Series. Although I don't necessarily like cliffhangers, I think that it is appropriate here. So stay locked and loaded and ready for a continuation in this heavy-handed telling of the underbelly of crimes that permeate throughout national and international channels. A carefully wrapped package that must be pried open layer upon layer.
T.R. Ragan brings to us her brand new series featuring the gutsy and likeable character of Faith McCann. Whether you have read and enjoyed Ragan's Lizzy Gardner series or not, this book comes recommended with a big tick for a fast-paced, interesting and engaging read with one bit fat cliffhanger to keep you wanting for more.
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.
There are some really harrowing scenes in this book and the book really made me think about what the main character of Faith McCann was feeling and experiencing. What she goes through is just horrific but instead of curling up in a corner to cry she turns all her anger, pain and fear into sheer gutsy determination to find her children and seek justice.
With a plot that grabs you quickly and does not let go I found this a really exciting read. The book brings to light the terrible plight of children who get tangled up in the sex trafficking trade and the men and women who perpetuate it. Around the world today billions are made from the trafficking of human beings against their will and it's an issue none of us should have our eyes closed to. I liked the way the author tackled the subject a lot in this book.
A book that just has an awful lot going for it and I LOVED Faith as a character as well as her brilliant friends that she teams up with in this novel. I am super keen to read the next book in this series and T.R. Ragan is one of my favourite writers. Her novels have never let me down. 5 stars for Furious!
I received a copy of this book to read and review with many thanks from the publisher via NetGalley.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, author interviews and features come over to join me for book fun at: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
I received Furious in e-galley format from Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for my honest opinion and thank them both sincerely for this privilege.
Within the first few pages of Furious you know that this book is not going to be pretty. I’m certain none of us condone violence to children but if this violence is something you cannot read about, Furious is not for you.
Faith McMann arrives home after picking her children up from school. She has some errands that will be faster to run alone so sends the kids in to spend some time with their dad who is home early from work. As she is about to leave she realizes she has left her shopping list on the frig. On entering the house, Faith McMann walks into a nightmare. A home invasion. It’s incomprehensible. She finds her husband and children with their hands, feet and mouth duct-taped. It makes no sense. Her husband is killed in a horrific way, Faith is left for dead, and her two children; Lara and Hudson are taken away. It’s quickly apparent that they haven’t been kidnapped for ransom nor are the police making much headway in finding them. Like a mother bear whose cubs are in danger, Faith McMann feels it’s her job as protector to find them and bring them home. With the help of her family and some newfound friends she has met in an anger management class, her determination and fierceness drives the rest of this novel.
Furious is fast paced, heartbreaking, brutal and is certain to evoke a variety of emotions while speaking to just how far we will go to save our children.
This is the second fictional book with a theme of human trafficking I have read this year. In each case though the story was good, there were things that didn’t work for me. Perhaps it’s purely and simply that this is fiction. It is impossible to tell how realistic T.R. Ragan’s dark world of human trafficking is portrayed. I can only imagine the author has done her research so why do I feel there is something missing?
Without giving too much away there is a choice the author made that I applauded. This decision made what could have been an interesting, though somewhat predictable story, superior. I wondered if Ragan made this decision for the reason I thought or with some other motive in mind. After some research I had my answer. If I had done my homework I would have known. Truly, there’s no one to blame but myself for this. I've decided to stick with my original opinion or I'd just be annoyed. I know this is very vague and doesn’t help you much to decide whether you’ll read Furious or not.
I think this reader needs to read an investigative, non-fiction book about this topic to make a better judgment.
With that said I’m still confident that Furious will be a winner.
As a huge fan of this author's Lizzy Gardner series, I couldn't wait to read the first of her new series featuring Faith McCann. I figured if it was even half as good as the others, it would still be a good read. I was not disappointed ... this is a series I can sink my teeth into.
Faith is happily married to a great guy, and they have two young children. She has a great life .. until it all comes crashing down around her.
There comes the day she walks into her house to find her husband tied and gagged and laying on the floor. her kids are tied and gagged sitting on the sofa. And there are 2 strangers in her home demanding to know where 'it' is. The next thing she knows she is also on the floor staring into her husband's eyes when one of the men cuts his throat ... attempts to cut her throat .. and they take the children with them.
So begins a new journey for Faith. She will do anything .. anything at all .. to find her children and bring them home. But she has no idea of where to start ..and who does she trust .. and what is "it"? She clashes with the detectives who don't seem to really care. Attending mandatory anger management classes, she meets other people who are willing to jump in and help her. Meet Beast and Rage. She hears from other mothers who have children that were taken that have never been seen again.
All these characters are terrific! The reader gets the backstory .. and it's not always pretty. There are segments of the book that deal with human trafficking. Again ..not pretty.
The suspense is palpable starting with the first chapter until the very, very end. Be warned... there is a cliff-hanger. Keeping my fingers crossed that the next book will be out soon. This is one series I do not want to miss.
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Przykład literatury gatunkowej, która serwuje czytelnikowi nie tylko porywającą opowieść, ale porusza też ważny temat, który trafia głęboko do serca czytelnika.
T.R. Ragan stworzyła opowieść o Faith, by przybliżyć temat, o którym nie mówi się wystarczająco głośno – temat współczesnego niewolnictwa i handlu ludźmi. Nie jest to fabuła filmu, nie jest to jedynie fikcja. Te zatrważające procedery kojarzą się raczej z krajami tzw. trzeciego świata, z wszelkiego rodzaju mafią czy uliczną prostytucją. Jednak niewiele osób wie, że do porwań i uprowadzeń tego typu dochodzi często w biały dzień w metropoliach największych i najbogatszych krajów, w miejscach, które uchodzą za bezpieczne lub neutralne, jak parkingi galerii handlowych czy sklepy. Ofiarami owych porwań natomiast najczęściej padają dzieci, także te najmłodsze.
"Gniew matki" przez fikcyjną opowieść podnosi świadomość społeczną, przybliża statystyki i pokazuje, jak wygląda z bliska handel żywym towarem. T.R. Ragan z jednej strony uwrażliwia czytelnika, a z drugiej wciąga w opowieść, od której nie sposób się oderwać. Śledzimy przemianę bohaterki, jej rodzącą się siłę i kibicujemy, by na końcu tej przerażającej drogi odnalazła odpowiedzi i ukojenie.
"Gniew matki" to doskonały przykład literatury gatunkowej, która poza świetną fabułą daje coś jeszcze i trafia głęboko do czytelnika. Nie pozostaje nic innego, jak czekać na kolejny tom o Faith i jej walce o sprawiedliwość.
Love this author. read her Lizzy Gardner series,now onto a new character faith family kidnapping,her children missing not getting the help from the police to find them goes on her own mission as leaves you wanting to find out more from the ending of this book,great writing.great crime writer.
This was such a good mystery book and now I can't wait to dive into the next one!!
Warning: some spoilers ahead.
Furious is about a mom who has just lost her entire world. Faith comes home one day with her kids to find out what her husband is all tied up and people are in her house that want to cause them harm. She tries to run once she realizes her kids are tied up as well. However, that doesn't happen.
In a matter of seconds, her kids are taken away, her husbands dies right in front of her eyes, and she woke up in the hospital wondering what the fuck just happened. I was distraught as well.. because hot damn, a ton of shit hit the fan pretty quickly in this book. It blew my mind.. and then this whole book had so many twists and turns - such a page turner.
Her kids have been separated. They each go through their own sucky experience and the entire time you keep hoping and praying that all the kids would band together and escape. Unfortunately, her kids never do. Or at least that’s what we’ve been told. One girl does escape though and she helps faith and her family get closer and closer to finding out what has happened to them.
Again, so many twist and turns. Throw in some betrayal and it’s a good mystery game of guess who? If I could change one thing, it would be the ending. I really wanted faith to have a happy family reunion and to get her kids back. I’m sad that I didn’t but I’m also really intrigued to dive into the next book.
Furious is the first book in a new series by the creator of the Lizzy Gardner series. If like me, you loved that series you will devour Furious. It's action-packed and full of characters who will evoke emotions, some you'll love, some you'll hate, some might bring tears to your eyes. All the characters are absolutely terrific. I loved Beast and Rage with their harrowing backstories as well as Furious'/Faith's close-knit family. The story focuses on human trafficking and underage sex workers, and as such is hard-hitting and rather horrifying. It is told from multiple perspectives including some of the children involved. It's raw and heartbreaking to read but I thought it was handled in an appropriate manner. As with other T.R. Ragan books, the plot pulls you in from the first page and won't let you go until you reach the final page. Being the start of a series, there is obviously no conclusion and while there was no huge cliffhanger, having to wait what will seem like an eternity for part 2 is the obvious disadvantage to this. Nevertheless, this is definitely another winner for T.R. Ragan and another exciting series to follow! I loved it! Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and T.R. Ragan for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
This certainly isn't the most pleasant book I've ever read, and I caution that those who are disturbed by the subject of sex trafficking of children may want to steer clear of it. I'll also point out that as the description points out, this is the first in a trilogy; and for better or worse, it ends with a mother of all cliffhangers. If you want to find out how the story continues, you'll have to read the next one (which, for the record, is titled Outrage, set for release Sept. 20, 2016).
This one begins as schoolteacher Faith McMann comes home to find that her husband and two young children have been taken captive by a couple of very nasty guys. When the men don't get the answer to the question they pose, they slit both her and her husband's throats. He doesn't make it, but in his haste to get away one of the killers botches her murder and she survives. What happened to the children, though, is a mystery; Faith knows only that they are missing. She's understandably devastated, but when the police don't seem to be taking the kidnapping as seriously as she thinks they should, she gets, well, furious, and decides to take matters into her own hands.
Along the way, she gets help from her parents, her brother, her very pregnant sister and her sister's husband. And when she's forced to attend an anger management class in lieu of jail time after she bashed a detective over the head with a computer keyboard in frustration when he failed to pay sufficient attention to her children's disappearance, Faith meets a couple of oddball folks who share her fervor and jump into what quickly turns into a dangerous fray.
Chapters shift between Faith's relentless efforts to find her kids and what's going on in the lives of the baddies and captured children. Slowly, the two scenes converge as more pieces of the puzzle are revealed. Interspersed are Faith's recollections of scenes from their once idyllic family life (they're printed in italics). Honestly, I never quite got the point of those, except perhaps to suspect they're intended to show a more "normal" side of an otherwise totally overwrought woman who has become incapable of thinking, speaking or doing anything that doesn't involve the search for her kids.
In the end, I agree that sex trafficking is a serious issue that needs more attention. And I've personally witnessed what happens when parents become obsessed over something awful that's happened to their children; watching what they went through wasn't pretty, nor is it here. My concern, though, is that in several places the author ventures into preachy territory. Mind you, that's not a fatal flaw - the likes of John Grisham and Brad Thor have done the same on more than one occasion and they both remain on my list of favorite authors. But no matter who's guilty of over-politicizing, it is to me a detriment to any book as a whole (prompting my rating in this case of 4 stars rather than 5). Still, it's a solid effort, and I thank the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I love a good crime thriller, especially one that leans a bit to the dark side. Furious is all that and more. I know that you never get between a mother and her kids, Momma Bear comes to life.
To say that Faith McMann had a bad day is a massive understatement. Ragan starts this story off with a bang, and keeps the good times rolling. I was pulled into Faith McMann’s life and needed her to have her vengeance.
Ragan tackles some pretty heavy issues in Furious. I felt the frustration of a parent with law enforcement’s inability to get results; the underfunding and budget cuts for our police forces may not seem like a big problem, until you need their help. Reading Furious, I learned more about human trafficking than I ever wanted to know. It’s one of those things we all know happens, but we bury our heads in the sand; it only happens to other people. Well, Ragan shoved it in my face. These are issues that we need to address and fix.
I felt dragged through the wringer along with Faith McMann. Her character was average and normal, she could be anyone – your friend, neighbor, co-worker. This helps me to build a connection to the character, she is not some unfathomable, unrealistic person. The supporting cast was awesome, they complemented Faith and illuminated her many sides. When Furious, Rage and Beast began their rampage, I thought I was in a J.R. Ward book.
I have finished Furious, but Faith McMann’s story is not over. In the end, I enjoyed T.R. Ragan’s writing, but I don’t feel the urgency to jump into the next book in the series.
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley).
This was an intense (and at times horrifying) novel, involving a subject that's difficult to read about. (Child trafficking.) What mother wouldn't take matters into her own hands?? Frustrated by the law's seeming lack of effort, she, along with her new friends Rage and Beast, take action to rescue Faith's children. By the end of the book, I found myself surprised by how much I liked it. The ending is open-ended, of course, since this is a trilogy.
A happy family living a dream life turns into a nightmare when three men break into their home murdering the father, kidnapping the two young children and leaving the mother for dead. When the mother heals physically she starts to attend a grief help group where she meets two people that say they may be able to help her find her children. The three of them start to uncover a child selling ring with far reaching capabilities. They have no idea how far this ring goes up the chain of the upper echelon and are making certain people very nervous. I probably won't continue with the series but did enjoy this book. It is not a stand alone, most of the story is not tied up.
"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."
The first in a new series (Faith McMann Series) this book was a heartbreaker, disturbing, and kick ass. I loved Faith and her family. The way they all stood with her and helped. I ADORED Beast and Rage. Everything about this book was just awesome from beginning to end.
The only thing I wasn't crazy about was this ended in a cliffhanger of sorts. I wanted some sort of resolution, but I can see why it was left the way it was. I haven't read anything from this author before, but I will for sure be checking out more of this author's work.
2,5⭐️ Gdybym wiedziała przed zaczęciem, że to jest seria a nie jednotomówka to bym po nią nie sięgała 🙈 niesamowicie jestem sfrustrowana że nie wiem jak się ta historia kończy, a nie za bardzo mam ochotę czytać kolejne tomy 🥵
A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
T.R. Ragan returns with her new series following her Lizzy Gardner series, with a kick ass heroine, leaving readers glued to the pages, with some highly charged topics for a suspense crime thriller.
FURIOUS by T.R. Ragan dedicates her new Faith McMann series to the heroes and people who work tirelessly to raise awareness and increase understanding—supplying services and help survivors of human trafficking.
A violation of human rights. Those most affected are children who come from places of instability, abuse, and homelessness, making them easy targets for gangs and traffickers, often forced or manipulated into street prostitution. they are trapped in an endless cycle of poverty and exploitation.
Faith McMann is a fourth-grade teacher in the quiet suburbs of Sacramento. An unspeakable crime. Faith is pregnant. She arrives home to a nightmare. Her husband, Craig is on the floor, bound and gagged. Lara and Hudson are covered in duck tape. Time stops. She has to figure out what to do. Grab a knife or run to get help. Two men. She turned and ran. They want to know where it is. Where what is? This cannot be happening. They grab her.
They murder her husband before her eyes, and kidnap her children. She is suffocating on her own blood. Leaving her for dead, she survives, barely. After being brought out of a drug induced coma, the heartache was numbing. Craig was gone forever and her kids were missing.
The misery and despair touched her very core: blinding, deafening, debilitating. Grief. Slowly she decides her children need her. She is angry and she wants vengeance. She will fight.
She remembered a tattoo on the guy’s neck. In her fight, she uncovers the under belly of human trafficking. A mother who will stop at nothing to try and save her children, when the cops are not doing their best.
Wow, what a perfect name for Faith. Furious, Fearless, and Smart. With highly charged topics, the author takes us on an intense journey to the dark side, of human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery.
Some edgy and great characters ---A fan of the Lizzy Gardner series (have read them all)-- Faith McCann is an exciting new series with a suspenseful cliffhanger, leaving readers anxiously awaiting the next in the series!
Fans of Karin Slaughter and Chris Bohjalian's The Guest Room will enjoy.
Just finished Furious and I must say that I have rarely had such a strong visceral reaction to a book. Ragan does a superb job of creating the impact and emotion that the mom, as well as those around her, experience when her husband is killed and her nine and ten year old children are snatched by three unknown men (these facts are not spoilers - I don't do spoilers).
Ragan further does a wonderful job of showing the broad impact of such an event by shifting back and forth between the mom, her daughter and her son, as each experiences the horror of child abduction and human trafficking in a different setting, the kids having been separated.
Furious paints the most complete clear picture of human trafficking, from both parent's and child's pespective that I have encountered.
There are some flaws which I am duty bound, as a semi-reliable Goodreads Reviewer, to highlight. The ending is not very realistic or satisfying. Although I understand that there are two further books in this series, I would have the ending in this one substantially rewritten as it is just too implausible. In addition, Ragan should do a bit more research in areas with which she is unfamiliar, such as firearms and their use. Although calling a shotgun, a rifle is not an egregious mistake, such things are distractions making the author seem ill-informed, and easily eliminated.
Nonetheless, this is a very fine book that I have no compunction about recommending to other Goodreads readers.
This is a great read and sucks you in immediately and doesn’t let up. No way to be bored when you are always moving and thinking. Faith is a force to be reckoned with after her husband is killed in front of her and her children are kidnapped.
Warning: the book deals with the dark and perverted side of child tracking. The scenes aren’t horrendous, but it deals with the lowest of the low, character-wise.
Tired of how seemingly little the police and FBI are handling her case she takes matters into her own hands. Luckily, she is not alone as she has family and others who have information to help her. More than anything she keeps the case very public. Faith never stops fighting to find her children and in doing so she helps others. I admired her courageous spirit and the brute force with which she fought. She was determined to find her children all on her own, but she had friends and family whom were willing to fight with her to do the right thing. I fell in love with her partners in crime, Rage and Beast and later, Little Vinnie. Her family was also relentless.
The open-ended, ending, I didn’t like too much. I don’t feel the need to rush off to book #2 right away and it will be there for me when I am.
I highly recommend this book as it really has it all. It reminds me of the Lizzy Gardner series, also by Reagan and Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine.
Wow, this was one kick butte book. This mother was not letting anyone keep her away from her children. I loved it and her. The police thought she was crazy, I thought "you go girl". This was one action packed book with one huge let down. It's a cliffhanger. Ugh!!!
That's okay. I enjoyed reading this one so much, I will be glad to wait and see what happens in the next one. Because even though I'm not crazy about cliffhangers, this mom is so crazy, it will be interesting to see what she does in the next book. She got mad at the detective in this one and hit him over the head with his keyboard because he didn't remember her daughter's name. That's just part of the craziness that goes on in this book. I definitely recommend it! I was thoroughly entertained while reading this. I think I may have even sad up a few times and air fist pumped. Okay, yeah I did.
Thanks Thomas and Mercer for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is centred on the very sickening topic of human trafficking, especially that of children. Faith McCann's life quickly comes unstuck when intruders take her husband and children from her. Through a series of events she becomes involved in a whole dark side of society. The very frightening thing about this book is that this really does happen.
I loved Ragan's Lizzy Gardner series, but was disappointed by Jessie Cole, so I was so happy that I loved Faith McMann and this storyline. Faith's husband is murdered and her children are kidnapped, and she's going after them a la Peppermint (though less violent). I love stories of badass women getting revenge and T.R. Ragan is great at writing these women.
I read and listened to this book and it kept my attention in both formats. While I couldn't put it down, some of the content with child trafficking is a bit rough; however, it's inspiring me to do more research into this horrific global and national problem. I look forward to finishing this trilogy.
The writing here is well done and this story starts out with a bang! When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I would like the main protag, Faith and therefore really not liking the story. A few chapters in and that all changed and I was then easily engaged with the plot and cared very much about what the characters were going through and what their outcome would be. Towards the middle of the book is where everything picked up and even though there is an open ending to this story, I feel its a bit realistic and I am OK with the Rage ending the way it did. I am lucky though as I have Outrage, the 2nd Faith McMann, here to read right away. I just hope there is more closure at the end of Outrage. I also hope Faith and her family get more fleshed out so there is more to know them better. T.R. Ragan has been on my radar for awhile and I was glad to finally get a chance to read one of her books. I definitely plan on reading Abducted, (Lizzy Gardner Series, Book 1).
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. To start, I didn't buy into the initial premise of this book. If the bad guys were looking for something, would they have taken the time and trouble to kidnap the children? But overlooking that, I enjoyed the book. It's got a fast moving plot. It's not always a comfortable book to read, given the basis is the sex trafficking of children. Ragan does a good job of weaving the facts of sex trafficking into the story line. All the main characters are interesting and well fleshed out. I especially liked Rage and Beast, whom Faith meets at an anger management class. This is the first in a series so there are story lines left hanging.
A schoolteacher comes home to see her husband murdered and her two children abducted. She is seriously injured herself but after superficially recovering begins her odyssey to find and recover her children. She discounts the police because they appear, to her, to be ineffectual and begins to search on her own. She links up with two people she meets in Anger Management Class and begins to look into the trafficking of children. I won't go any further because it would be a spoiler, but this book, the introduction to a new series, is well done and worth reading. I am anxiously awaiting the next edition. Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC for an honest review.
This is one of those really difficult to read about subjects, but the plot and characterization was really well-done. If you can't stomach reading about human trafficking, this book isn't for you. Faith goes home to find her husband being held by intruders. Within only a matter of minutes her whole world is destroyed when they kill her husband and kidnap her two children, ages 9 (the next day) and 10. She is brutally beaten as well but survives.
She sets out to find her children with what seems like little help or at the very least pretty apathetic help from the detectives in charge of the case. Eventually she learns that her children very well might have been trafficked.
What was fun for me to read is that I know of and have been to every city mentioned, the freeways they traveled and more. For example, I am only a ten minute drive from Stockton, California, and the 99N is the freeway I would take to get there and the 99 is the main freeway here where I live. Other cities mentioned that are literally right next door are Elk Grove, Lodi, Sacramento, and some others. I felt like it was really happening nearby. What was really frightening is it mentioned that Sacramento is "ranked number two for sex trafficking in the United States." I haven't looked online to verify that, but it sounds sadly accurate. As we say here where I live, "trafficking is in our own backyard," and with having 10 granddaughters it truly is scary to think how bad things have gotten in the U.S. because sex trafficking doesn't only happen in other countries.
Faith McMann struggles to find purpose following the murder of her husband and abduction of her children. The cops don't seem to be doing anything, so she starts an investigation herself. She begins to believe that her children might be victims of human traffickers. Aided by some new friends from anger management class, she starts to interfere with their business as she searches for her kids.
I thought this book was very well done. It is awful - well, the subject matter is awful - using kids as sex slaves isn't nice. The writing was well done. The characters were well developed - I felt empathy towards Faith (and Miranda). You could sense her desperation and anger as she learns more about human trafficking and why her family was targeted. The plot was well paced and had plenty of action as the mystery unfolds. Things are not completely resolved at the end, so I'll have to read on to find out what happens to Faith and her family.
The night Faith McMann’s husband is murdered, her two children are kidnapped, and she is left to bleed to death on the floor, she assumes it is a home invasion gone wrong. But there is no definitive reason as to why they took her children. She and her husband had no enemies, no criminal activity; so, what happened and where are her children? Left with an ugly scar across her neck and scattered memories of that night, Faith is frustrated that the police have no leads and the FBI is not sharing with her. As the days pass with no results, her confusion and heartache are replaced by anger. She decides to take things into her own hands, seek vengeance, and find her children. To do that, she must first become Furious.
This book is not for everyone. The subject of sex trafficking, specifically children, is the main focus of this novel. If you have trouble reading books that contain the abuse, rape, sexual abuse, and neglect of children, then this book is definitely not for you. There were moments I found myself cringing and had to put down the book to take a deep breath. The scenes are brief but graphic and leave you sickened that monsters like the johns and criminals depicted in this book do actually exist. This reality makes reading Furious even harder, especially when one of the characters tells Faith how pervasive this horror is and that the only way it can be eradicated is “one criminal at a time”.
Faith’s new nickname, Furious, fits her perfectly. She learns to shoot a gun, she delves into the seedier side of town looking for tips, she breaks into houses, and she teams up with a former drug addict named Rage and a bounty hunter named Beast. With her loving family to support her, and with Rage and Beast at her back, Faith makes immense progress in the case.
Blending Faith’s narrative with that of her children and other characters, the book tells a well-rounded story. And it’s skillfully done so the reader is not jarred by the appearance of another voice. Unfortunately, especially when it comes to the children, some of the other narratives are nightmarish and shocking.
It’s hard to say I “enjoyed” or was “entertained” by the book, but I did find Furious, the character, so compelling that she made me want to keep going. I wanted her to destroy the bad guys. I wanted Beast to pound the crap out of them. I wanted Rage to make them sorry. I wanted her to find her children. And that leads me to one of major complaints I had about the book: it is a cliffhanger in a series. My other major complaint is I don’t know how many times I yelled at the characters to call the damn police. So many missed opportunities because someone didn’t pick up a phone and dial 911 and that really frustrated me.
So, it’s an intense novel but, thank God, the author gives the reader a couple of times to come up for air and enjoy Faith’s family or her unusual new friends. And, from what I have read so far, there is some kickass in her kids. I want to know how it all turns out in the end so I will read the next novel when it come it hits the stores.
OK, so my daughter has been bugging me for almost a year to read this trilogy but I kept putting it off until now. It was a very good story but I have a hard time with stories on human trafficking to begin with but it’s even harder when it’s children.
This first book was about Faith, whose husband was killed right in front of her and her throat was cut too but she survived and her two children were taken by the bad guys. It was about her attack on the detective that didn’t get her daughter’s name right and she was sentenced to anger management classes where she met Rage and Beast, nicknames because no one used their real names, Faith was called Furious. It was about how she and her friends kept looking for clues as to who might have taken her kids and of the head man whose life she was making miserable.
It was about the raid that her friends and family made on the place that had been holding her daughter, only to have her taken away that morning, but they did save 13 other children.
It really was good and I can’t wait to read the other two books to see how Faith finally gets her kids back.
Nothing sexual went on and the F-bomb was used 23 times.
As to the narration: Love, love, love Kate Rudd. She does a great job with voices and emotions.