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Hard Lessons
Harry Shaw’s a freelance music critic and language tutor to Latino immigrants in New Jersey.
Nothing in Harry’s life prepared him for the day when he’d suddenly be pulled into his city’s underworld of human trafficking and placed on a collision course with Russian and Cuban gangsters.
But Harry’s not the kind of man who can turn away and pretend he didn’t see something. He plunges in against incredible odds, risking his life to save a dozen women kidnapped from Mexico and sold into prostitution.
Luckily, Harry’s got a friend in the illicit gun business and a smart and beautiful woman at his side while he takes his tour of hell, but even their help may not be enough.
Harry Shaw will be lucky to get through the next few days with his soul intact, let alone his skin. And along the way, he’s going to learn some hard lessons.
Praise for Phil
“What separates Freeman from the analgesic hipster crowd is
unbridled enthusiasm for his subject.” – Jason Pettigrew, Alternative
Press
“Freeman is not shy about calling bullshit on things he thinks are
wrong, nor about naming names of those he thinks responsible.” – John
Kenyon, PopMatters
“[Freeman] is a critic and a reporter all in one.” – Brian Gilmore, JazzTimes
Nothing in Harry’s life prepared him for the day when he’d suddenly be pulled into his city’s underworld of human trafficking and placed on a collision course with Russian and Cuban gangsters.
But Harry’s not the kind of man who can turn away and pretend he didn’t see something. He plunges in against incredible odds, risking his life to save a dozen women kidnapped from Mexico and sold into prostitution.
Luckily, Harry’s got a friend in the illicit gun business and a smart and beautiful woman at his side while he takes his tour of hell, but even their help may not be enough.
Harry Shaw will be lucky to get through the next few days with his soul intact, let alone his skin. And along the way, he’s going to learn some hard lessons.
Praise for Phil
“What separates Freeman from the analgesic hipster crowd is
unbridled enthusiasm for his subject.” – Jason Pettigrew, Alternative
Press
“Freeman is not shy about calling bullshit on things he thinks are
wrong, nor about naming names of those he thinks responsible.” – John
Kenyon, PopMatters
“[Freeman] is a critic and a reporter all in one.” – Brian Gilmore, JazzTimes
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 24, 2011
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 31, 2011
This book had me hooked quickly. Lots of suspense, hard to put down.
I particularly liked it, though, because of its setting — Elizabeth, New Jersey — and the way it portrays that setting. I pass by that city on my daily commute, and it always seemed nothing but a faceless agglomeration to me, fascinating perhaps only in its rawness.
This book makes it come to life.
The protagonist, a lone writer and music enthusiast, gets by as a music critic and giving English lessons to immigrants. (More than a passing resemblance to the author, it seems.) He occasionally drops by at that topless bar a few blocks away. Which is where the trouble begins, as he realizes that some of the girls are not there by their own will. One of them asks him for help.
Now, if there's anything an ordinary person does not want to mess with, it's organized crime, and human trafficking perhaps in particular. The book does a great job of showing, psychologically believable, how the protagonist first shudders at the very thought of getting involved with this, and how he gradually slips into it because, well, he feels he just has to. It's an eerie feeling when you find yourself putting a gun into your waistband, and eerier yet when you realize it is time to pull it out.
A great deal of the suspense in the book derives from the accuracy and believability with which this psychological journey of the protagonist is described — but it is also where the book tends to fall short further down the road. As the fight with the traffickers intensifies, we are switching genres and the book turns into more of an action story, where the chain of events rules and psychological detail, if it exists, is surprisingly shallow. It is thrilling to read no less, but you do miss some of the descriptive qualities that the author demonstrated so convincingly in the beginning.
I particularly liked it, though, because of its setting — Elizabeth, New Jersey — and the way it portrays that setting. I pass by that city on my daily commute, and it always seemed nothing but a faceless agglomeration to me, fascinating perhaps only in its rawness.
This book makes it come to life.
The protagonist, a lone writer and music enthusiast, gets by as a music critic and giving English lessons to immigrants. (More than a passing resemblance to the author, it seems.) He occasionally drops by at that topless bar a few blocks away. Which is where the trouble begins, as he realizes that some of the girls are not there by their own will. One of them asks him for help.
Now, if there's anything an ordinary person does not want to mess with, it's organized crime, and human trafficking perhaps in particular. The book does a great job of showing, psychologically believable, how the protagonist first shudders at the very thought of getting involved with this, and how he gradually slips into it because, well, he feels he just has to. It's an eerie feeling when you find yourself putting a gun into your waistband, and eerier yet when you realize it is time to pull it out.
A great deal of the suspense in the book derives from the accuracy and believability with which this psychological journey of the protagonist is described — but it is also where the book tends to fall short further down the road. As the fight with the traffickers intensifies, we are switching genres and the book turns into more of an action story, where the chain of events rules and psychological detail, if it exists, is surprisingly shallow. It is thrilling to read no less, but you do miss some of the descriptive qualities that the author demonstrated so convincingly in the beginning.
September 5, 2013
I liked everything about this book but his diabetes treatment. The protagonist doesn't seem to know that diabetes is an avoidable and treatable disease through lifestyle changes. The rest is a fun romp of a story plus I detected only one error.
December 26, 2012
Engaging, entertaining, and original (in a really interesting) way, read. Unusual setting and characters contribute to an enjoyable experience.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews