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Deadly Traffic
A job in the United States is a strong lure for citizens of third world countries, and predatory organizations are eager to assure their entry. Girls are disappearing from Standard High while the local sex trade flourishes. Their absences are barely noticed in the worst school in Arbor City, CA, where turnover and truancy are facts of life. Kendra Desola, the only faculty member likely to care, is on a leave of absence. After a student’s lifeless body turns up in a seedy part of town, an immigrant community leader contacts Kendra. What does she know about the missing students’ activities, their families’ illegal status? Searching for the missing girls, Kendra enters a dark world where passports and flesh are currency, and knowledge can be fatal.
242 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2011
About the author
Mickey Hoffman
4 books20 followersMickey Hoffman was born in Chicago, and attended public schools where she acquired the strong suspicion that some of her teachers might be human. She wasn't able to prove this fanciful thinking until much later, when she became a high school teacher herself.
Before landing in the halls of academia, she worked in a variety of jobs, including computer typesetting and wholesale frozen fish sales.
The author is also a printmaker and painter. She resides on the West Coast with her long suffering mate, eight marine aquariums and a very large cat.
Mickey is the author of School of Lies, the first Kendra Desola mystery, and Deadly Traffic book two in the series.
Before landing in the halls of academia, she worked in a variety of jobs, including computer typesetting and wholesale frozen fish sales.
The author is also a printmaker and painter. She resides on the West Coast with her long suffering mate, eight marine aquariums and a very large cat.
Mickey is the author of School of Lies, the first Kendra Desola mystery, and Deadly Traffic book two in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 18, 2016
There are more than two sides to every story, and Mickey Hoffman’s Deadly Traffic invites readers to see a third side of the immigration debate—not jobs and salaries lost to illegal applicants, not the desperately poor taking desperate measures to survive, but instead those who’ve done their best to do right, and had wrong done to them.
Of course, that’s the plight of many citizens too, especially in a flawed inner-city society. Kendra Desola’s brother was a fine young man until the cops misused him. Later she taught the dropouts of Arbor City, California, but when crime invaded her school, cops mistreated her too. Now, walking wayward dogs instead of teaching wayward children, Kendra keeps as far from the authorities as she can. But it’s hard when the dead young woman on TV is a child she used to know.
Readers don’t need to have read School of Lies to enjoy this book. Enough of the background becomes clear through Kendra’s relationships with other characters, and Kendra is a pleasingly natural and well-intentioned investigator, as well as a convincing teacher, lover of animals, and sufferer from Lasik complications.
The story’s told through a range of points of view, with interconnections that grow clearer and sometimes surprise as the tale progresses. Kendra believes, mistakenly or otherwise, that “cops... always want to pin the crime on the first one they see.” Win is building a new life while missing his father, sister, hope and security. Elias threatens evil at every turn. Add a worried mother, rebellious teen, corruption, lawyers and more... All these characters will hide secrets from each other and themselves, and all might learn there are even more sides to trouble than they’d imagined.
Deadly Traffic shines a dim light on the underbelly of big cities, corruption, enticement and wrong intentions. Throughout it all, Kendra remains a woman of good intention with a heart that stays clear, even though her mind is frequently clouded. The twists and turns are enough to keep a reader turning the pages. The character’s strong enough to leave me hoping there’ll be more. And the underlying topic is darkly, sadly real.
Disclosure: I was given a free copy and I offer my honest review.
Of course, that’s the plight of many citizens too, especially in a flawed inner-city society. Kendra Desola’s brother was a fine young man until the cops misused him. Later she taught the dropouts of Arbor City, California, but when crime invaded her school, cops mistreated her too. Now, walking wayward dogs instead of teaching wayward children, Kendra keeps as far from the authorities as she can. But it’s hard when the dead young woman on TV is a child she used to know.
Readers don’t need to have read School of Lies to enjoy this book. Enough of the background becomes clear through Kendra’s relationships with other characters, and Kendra is a pleasingly natural and well-intentioned investigator, as well as a convincing teacher, lover of animals, and sufferer from Lasik complications.
The story’s told through a range of points of view, with interconnections that grow clearer and sometimes surprise as the tale progresses. Kendra believes, mistakenly or otherwise, that “cops... always want to pin the crime on the first one they see.” Win is building a new life while missing his father, sister, hope and security. Elias threatens evil at every turn. Add a worried mother, rebellious teen, corruption, lawyers and more... All these characters will hide secrets from each other and themselves, and all might learn there are even more sides to trouble than they’d imagined.
Deadly Traffic shines a dim light on the underbelly of big cities, corruption, enticement and wrong intentions. Throughout it all, Kendra remains a woman of good intention with a heart that stays clear, even though her mind is frequently clouded. The twists and turns are enough to keep a reader turning the pages. The character’s strong enough to leave me hoping there’ll be more. And the underlying topic is darkly, sadly real.
Disclosure: I was given a free copy and I offer my honest review.
January 20, 2012
Kendra DeSola is back and ready for action! Sort of. After the previous year's debacle at Standard High (School of Lies) she's taken time off from her teaching job. Complications with eye surgery have isolated her even more. Needing an income, she starts a dog walking business.
Enter Roger Rhus. Slick, handsome, charming and rich, Roger seems like the perfect client. Impressed with Kendra, he hires her to walk his Labrador, Jackson.
Kendra has gone so far as to move and change her number to get away from her stalking ex-boyfriend, Brian. Her new house isn't in the best neighborhood, but she likes it well enough until someone puts a rock through her backdoor. Rushing out to investigate, she literally runs into her new neighbor, Win Ni. Also handsome and charming, Kendra finds herself attracted to a much younger man.
These two chance meetings lure Kendra into another mystery. The accidental discovery of a dead body once more puts her at odds with her police detective adversaries, Detectives Howard and Tapia. And as before, Standard High plays a role in the complex action.
Kendra DeSola is curious to a fault. Scrupulous and trustworthy, she always seems to be getting herself into dangerous situations. Her distrust of the police keeps her from going to the authorities with what she's learned.
Maretta Edwards, Kendra's closest friend, joins her for some of her investigative jaunts. Though she says she hates to be involved, she's right there in the thick of things.
Deadly Traffic is an exciting sequel to School of Lies. Hoffman's characters are engaging, their actions skillfully pulling the reader into the suspenseful plot. I highly recommend Deadly Traffic to anyone who loves a great mystery.
Enter Roger Rhus. Slick, handsome, charming and rich, Roger seems like the perfect client. Impressed with Kendra, he hires her to walk his Labrador, Jackson.
Kendra has gone so far as to move and change her number to get away from her stalking ex-boyfriend, Brian. Her new house isn't in the best neighborhood, but she likes it well enough until someone puts a rock through her backdoor. Rushing out to investigate, she literally runs into her new neighbor, Win Ni. Also handsome and charming, Kendra finds herself attracted to a much younger man.
These two chance meetings lure Kendra into another mystery. The accidental discovery of a dead body once more puts her at odds with her police detective adversaries, Detectives Howard and Tapia. And as before, Standard High plays a role in the complex action.
Kendra DeSola is curious to a fault. Scrupulous and trustworthy, she always seems to be getting herself into dangerous situations. Her distrust of the police keeps her from going to the authorities with what she's learned.
Maretta Edwards, Kendra's closest friend, joins her for some of her investigative jaunts. Though she says she hates to be involved, she's right there in the thick of things.
Deadly Traffic is an exciting sequel to School of Lies. Hoffman's characters are engaging, their actions skillfully pulling the reader into the suspenseful plot. I highly recommend Deadly Traffic to anyone who loves a great mystery.
November 20, 2012
DEADLY TRAFFIC MICKEY HOFFMAN
DEADLY TRAFFIC MICKEY HOFFMAN
Kendra DeSola is knee deep in a bad situation. While off on stress leave from her teaching job at Standard high she manages to get involved when some teenage girls go missing. Kendra has set up a dog walking service and one of her clients is in the thick of an immigration scam. They are used and disposed of for the convenience of the greedy. The bodies start to pile up and Kendra is getting sucked into a seamier view of life.
Ms. Hoffman has brought the problem of immigration scams and human trafficking to the surface in this riveting story. We see the problem from the point of view of a teacher who deals with disadvantaged children and those who can't defend themselves against those out to exploit them. Immigrants are used and thrown away at the whims of those out for themselves. With a few interesting surprises in the story things are summed up nicely and good prevails over evil at least until Kendra gets herself into another mess.
I highly recommend DEADLY TRAFFIC to those who loved SCHOOL OF LIES. I look forward to further Kendra DeSolo mysteries. It is poignantly written with a great amount of action and suspense. A definite 5 star read.
DEADLY TRAFFIC MICKEY HOFFMAN
Kendra DeSola is knee deep in a bad situation. While off on stress leave from her teaching job at Standard high she manages to get involved when some teenage girls go missing. Kendra has set up a dog walking service and one of her clients is in the thick of an immigration scam. They are used and disposed of for the convenience of the greedy. The bodies start to pile up and Kendra is getting sucked into a seamier view of life.
Ms. Hoffman has brought the problem of immigration scams and human trafficking to the surface in this riveting story. We see the problem from the point of view of a teacher who deals with disadvantaged children and those who can't defend themselves against those out to exploit them. Immigrants are used and thrown away at the whims of those out for themselves. With a few interesting surprises in the story things are summed up nicely and good prevails over evil at least until Kendra gets herself into another mess.
I highly recommend DEADLY TRAFFIC to those who loved SCHOOL OF LIES. I look forward to further Kendra DeSolo mysteries. It is poignantly written with a great amount of action and suspense. A definite 5 star read.
January 13, 2012
To citizens of third world countries, the promise of a job in the United States is a strong incentive to ignore laws that get in the way.
Girls are disappearing from Standard High while the local sex trade flourishes. Their absences are barely noticed in the worst school in Arbor City, CA, where turnover and truancy are facts of life. Kendra Desola, the only faculty member likely to care, is on a leave of absence.
After a student’s lifeless body turns up in a seedy part of town, an immigrant community leader contacts Kendra. What does she know about her missing students’ activities, their families’ illegal status?
Yes, I wrote this. Therefore, I read it and read it and read it again. I'm proud of the final result and hope you like it also.
Girls are disappearing from Standard High while the local sex trade flourishes. Their absences are barely noticed in the worst school in Arbor City, CA, where turnover and truancy are facts of life. Kendra Desola, the only faculty member likely to care, is on a leave of absence.
After a student’s lifeless body turns up in a seedy part of town, an immigrant community leader contacts Kendra. What does she know about her missing students’ activities, their families’ illegal status?
Yes, I wrote this. Therefore, I read it and read it and read it again. I'm proud of the final result and hope you like it also.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews