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Ivers & Wilson #2
The Purveyor
After theater professor Adair Wilson unwittingly assists in the abduction of two Pittock students, she sets out on a death-defying quest to rescue the twin girls whose rare anatomical quirk makes them a target for paparazzi and fetishists.
When Adair’s wealthy family refuses to help and the girls’ family denies their existence, Adair must battle an underground prostitution ring protected by corrupt police.
With only her lover, Helen Ivers, at her side, Adair turns a handful of clues into a plan of action that pits her against the world’s most ruthless human trafficker, a woman known only as the Purveyor.
Set in the hidden world of modern slavery where over twenty-five million people are sacrificed to fuel the world’s lust for rare minerals and human flesh, The Purveyor offers a gripping insider portrait of human trafficking from suburban Boston to the legal brothels of Nevada.
Both a blood-pounding thriller and a romance of love, loss, and self-sacrifice, The Purveyor is as insightful as it is terrifying, a tour de force of avant-garde crime writing.
When Adair’s wealthy family refuses to help and the girls’ family denies their existence, Adair must battle an underground prostitution ring protected by corrupt police.
With only her lover, Helen Ivers, at her side, Adair turns a handful of clues into a plan of action that pits her against the world’s most ruthless human trafficker, a woman known only as the Purveyor.
Set in the hidden world of modern slavery where over twenty-five million people are sacrificed to fuel the world’s lust for rare minerals and human flesh, The Purveyor offers a gripping insider portrait of human trafficking from suburban Boston to the legal brothels of Nevada.
Both a blood-pounding thriller and a romance of love, loss, and self-sacrifice, The Purveyor is as insightful as it is terrifying, a tour de force of avant-garde crime writing.
486 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2014
1 person is currently reading
365 people want to read
About the author
Karelia Stetz-Waters
11 books767 followersKarelia Stetz-Waters remembers a time when happy endings romantic love was a holy grail she thought she would never find. Stories about lesbians all ended tragically. At seventeen, she was certain the best she could hope for was to die nobly for the woman she loved (who would never love her back, of course). Four years later, she saw her true love across a crowded room, and they have been together for twenty-plus years.
Knowing that happily-ever-after is possible for everyone, Stetz-Waters has made it her life’s mission to craft happy endings about women finding true love with other women. She is also on a quest to spread “cliteracy” across the country, using her work as a romance writer to teach readers about female sexual anatomy, desire, and pleasure.
When she’s not shopping for model clitorises or writing love stories, she’s teaching writing at a community college in rural Oregon where her students inspire her every day with their bravery, creativity, and perseverance. She also teaches for the Golden Crown Literary Society Writing Academy, a creative writing program for queer women. It’s been her honor to mentor writers who are now her peers and colleagues. Karelia also loves to garden, draw, and play with her pug-mix, Willa Cather.
Karelia has a BA in Comparative Literature from Smith College and an MA in English from the University of Oregon. She is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
Knowing that happily-ever-after is possible for everyone, Stetz-Waters has made it her life’s mission to craft happy endings about women finding true love with other women. She is also on a quest to spread “cliteracy” across the country, using her work as a romance writer to teach readers about female sexual anatomy, desire, and pleasure.
When she’s not shopping for model clitorises or writing love stories, she’s teaching writing at a community college in rural Oregon where her students inspire her every day with their bravery, creativity, and perseverance. She also teaches for the Golden Crown Literary Society Writing Academy, a creative writing program for queer women. It’s been her honor to mentor writers who are now her peers and colleagues. Karelia also loves to garden, draw, and play with her pug-mix, Willa Cather.
Karelia has a BA in Comparative Literature from Smith College and an MA in English from the University of Oregon. She is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 28, 2014
In this convoluted sequel to The Admirer, Adair, the charismatic theater professor, takes center stage. She was a bit of an enigma in the first book. Here, she is laid bare--figuratively and otherwise.
Like the first book, the subject matter is equally dark--sexual slavery. Helen and Adair unwittingly get themselves caught up in the recruitment of a highly-prized target. And take it upon themselves to rescue said target. Misunderstandings, deceptions, betrayals, abductions, killings and conspiracies dot the book, with erotic moments (some bdsm) sprinkled throughout. Did I mention convoluted? Yep, the number of subplots going on is occasionally vertigo inducing. Fortunately, everything is tied-in together fairly well, although sometimes things feel a little too convenient or coincidental.
How does the book fare as a psychological thriller? The author hasn't lost her touch in immersing the reader in her characters' emotions--the desperation of Adair, the dread of Helen, the innocence and confusion of the victims... I was putty in her capable hands. But the complexity of the rambling plot comes at the expense of the taut suspenseful pace of the first book. It does make for a highly unpredictable storyline and ending though so no complains here. And speaking of ending, I love that unexpected twist. Not really a twist, but still, it was audacious.
As a romance, this book also shines. The whirlwind romance from the first book is severely tested here. This is like the break up and make up book. And how it's so well tied into the overall story arch is a testament to the author's skill. It's not an easy read though, as the lead characters seem to lurch from one stupid or reckless mistake to another and occasionally I had to seriously wonder however did Helen become a college president? Aah..Love, what you do to people. And the things people do in your name. :)
Like the first book, the subject matter is equally dark--sexual slavery. Helen and Adair unwittingly get themselves caught up in the recruitment of a highly-prized target. And take it upon themselves to rescue said target. Misunderstandings, deceptions, betrayals, abductions, killings and conspiracies dot the book, with erotic moments (some bdsm) sprinkled throughout. Did I mention convoluted? Yep, the number of subplots going on is occasionally vertigo inducing. Fortunately, everything is tied-in together fairly well, although sometimes things feel a little too convenient or coincidental.
How does the book fare as a psychological thriller? The author hasn't lost her touch in immersing the reader in her characters' emotions--the desperation of Adair, the dread of Helen, the innocence and confusion of the victims... I was putty in her capable hands. But the complexity of the rambling plot comes at the expense of the taut suspenseful pace of the first book. It does make for a highly unpredictable storyline and ending though so no complains here. And speaking of ending, I love that unexpected twist. Not really a twist, but still, it was audacious.
As a romance, this book also shines. The whirlwind romance from the first book is severely tested here. This is like the break up and make up book. And how it's so well tied into the overall story arch is a testament to the author's skill. It's not an easy read though, as the lead characters seem to lurch from one stupid or reckless mistake to another and occasionally I had to seriously wonder however did Helen become a college president? Aah..Love, what you do to people. And the things people do in your name. :)
December 30, 2014
The visuals I came up with while reading this will give shrinks a field day. Very, very nsfw. :D
I didn't get the chance to read this in one sitting but every reading session, I felt myself slipping into their world. I can't filter my reactions, a colleague even asked if I was okay because of I spoke a bit too loud during the first gory scene. The tone suggested emotions ranging from shock to morbid awe.
If this turned into a movie, it'd be just the type I'd love to watch. Gory psychological thriller with very well written characters.
Although I figured out who the Purveyor was early on, it didn't really dampen the mood as more surprises followed. I might have enjoyed this a wee bit more than Dysphoria/The Admirer.
I liked the way things wrapped up for everyone (living or otherwise). Free will and all. No, I won't put any details here.
This will probably be my last 2014 read. hmm..
I didn't get the chance to read this in one sitting but every reading session, I felt myself slipping into their world. I can't filter my reactions, a colleague even asked if I was okay because of I spoke a bit too loud during the first gory scene. The tone suggested emotions ranging from shock to morbid awe.
If this turned into a movie, it'd be just the type I'd love to watch. Gory psychological thriller with very well written characters.
Although I figured out who the Purveyor was early on, it didn't really dampen the mood as more surprises followed. I might have enjoyed this a wee bit more than Dysphoria/The Admirer.
I liked the way things wrapped up for everyone (living or otherwise). Free will and all. No, I won't put any details here.
This will probably be my last 2014 read. hmm..
September 14, 2014
Sequels are usually worse than it's prequels. But I like this second book better than the first.
December 30, 2016
The first book was sooooooo good it made it hard for me to accept the sequel was such a mess. My recommendation is to stay away from this one. Read the first book, which is great, but stay away from the sequel. It's a bad melodrama full of twists and turns that would be hilarious if not for the lost opportunity to write another great thriller/romance. Felt more like a telenovela with bad dubbing than one of Karelia's great novels. I highly recommend Forgive me if I've told you this before and The Admirer, but this one left me frustrated with so many unnecessary devilish characters and absurd plots.
September 24, 2014
This was everything I wanted the sequel to be: heartbreaking, sensual, and suspenseful. I could NOT put it down and ended up finishing it in 3 days. I HAD to know what happened, and the book was paced perfectly! It didn't drag on at all, but it also didn't go through everything at lightning-fast speed. At the end of the book I had a dreamy smile on my face and a hand over my heart. If you enjoyed the prequel, you'll DEFINITELY enjoy this.
May 5, 2017
Thrills, romance and a real world social problem; this book has it all. It's a compelling read and escape from daily life. I recommend it!
August 29, 2014
another fantastic page turner
crap ebook formatting and design
5 stars
crap ebook formatting and design
5 stars
May 22, 2015
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Helen and Wilson have been forcibly separated in the wake of The Admirer's thrilling conclusion. As Wilson suffers from a disorder with no cure, Helen finds herself increasingly lost and uncomfortable, not knowing why Wilson is not returning to her college.
This novel is just as entrancing as the first novel. It is written more from Wilson's perspective which is a refreshing change after Helen's insecure narration in the first novel. At the same time, it is obvious that Wilson suffers from the same insecurities. I felt frustrated that they weren’t communicating well, because surely they should have gotten over it in the first novel? But that is what makes this novel more life-like and less like a fiction.
That being said, the things that go wrong that are really random things that get wrong. How likely is it that these things would happen in real life? The whole hierarchy in Wilson's family seems off, but then again, these atrocities to occur in modern life, and what better way to expose it than in a novel? Her family is seriously interbred and messy, made more so by the questionable sexualities of its members. I wonder how much of this actually goes on...
I had such differing levels of disgust and horror and discomfort all about one person, but I didn't know that they were someone else until it was too late! I didn't feel tricked, instead I felt like I'd had an actual expose go on, just like Wilson feels. It's a clever technique that Karelia uses with expertise in both of her 'Wilson and Helen' novels.
I couldn’t make the final connection for what happened to the girls. They’re basically surrounded by myth the whole time. They’re completely legendary, and remain that way. I’d love to hear more from them. I want to know whether they are both happy, whether they decide to study more, and what the collector wanted from them (if it wasn't sex or religious purposes).
Once again I was left feeling like I'd been walking along hot coals and found myself loving them so much that it felt more painful when it ended. I was pushed along by how things were interconnected and messy and yet not obvious all at the same time. Love, love, loved this novel. Not only did I connect with the characters, the plot didn't miss a beat and kept moving forward with no inconsistencies.
When I interviewed Karelia, she mentioned that many people seem uncomfortable with the sex scenes in her novels. I think that the majority of them are tastefully done, and actually offer insight into the characters. That is particularly the case in this novel. It's certainly not a gratuitous pledge to her readers.
I bought this novel for myself after reading Karelia's other novels, The Admirer, Forgive Me If I've Told You This Before and Something True. Let that be a mark to you that I now proudly own all these novels after buying them with my own cash, and would confidently promote them to everyone.
Helen and Wilson have been forcibly separated in the wake of The Admirer's thrilling conclusion. As Wilson suffers from a disorder with no cure, Helen finds herself increasingly lost and uncomfortable, not knowing why Wilson is not returning to her college.
This novel is just as entrancing as the first novel. It is written more from Wilson's perspective which is a refreshing change after Helen's insecure narration in the first novel. At the same time, it is obvious that Wilson suffers from the same insecurities. I felt frustrated that they weren’t communicating well, because surely they should have gotten over it in the first novel? But that is what makes this novel more life-like and less like a fiction.
That being said, the things that go wrong that are really random things that get wrong. How likely is it that these things would happen in real life? The whole hierarchy in Wilson's family seems off, but then again, these atrocities to occur in modern life, and what better way to expose it than in a novel? Her family is seriously interbred and messy, made more so by the questionable sexualities of its members. I wonder how much of this actually goes on...
I had such differing levels of disgust and horror and discomfort all about one person, but I didn't know that they were someone else until it was too late! I didn't feel tricked, instead I felt like I'd had an actual expose go on, just like Wilson feels. It's a clever technique that Karelia uses with expertise in both of her 'Wilson and Helen' novels.
I couldn’t make the final connection for what happened to the girls. They’re basically surrounded by myth the whole time. They’re completely legendary, and remain that way. I’d love to hear more from them. I want to know whether they are both happy, whether they decide to study more, and what the collector wanted from them (if it wasn't sex or religious purposes).
Once again I was left feeling like I'd been walking along hot coals and found myself loving them so much that it felt more painful when it ended. I was pushed along by how things were interconnected and messy and yet not obvious all at the same time. Love, love, loved this novel. Not only did I connect with the characters, the plot didn't miss a beat and kept moving forward with no inconsistencies.
When I interviewed Karelia, she mentioned that many people seem uncomfortable with the sex scenes in her novels. I think that the majority of them are tastefully done, and actually offer insight into the characters. That is particularly the case in this novel. It's certainly not a gratuitous pledge to her readers.
I bought this novel for myself after reading Karelia's other novels, The Admirer, Forgive Me If I've Told You This Before and Something True. Let that be a mark to you that I now proudly own all these novels after buying them with my own cash, and would confidently promote them to everyone.
July 9, 2018
This was a great page turner and I agree with others that I enjoyed this more than the first...which I also liked. the climax had an unexpected twist that I liked. It has a good blend of relationship and character development with action.
December 8, 2014
I received a copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway. After a slow start, I began to enjoy the book and read the last half of the book in a day. I will definitely read more of this author's work.
November 18, 2014
Great descriptions, however difficult to follow. Not until chapter 38 did I start to figure out what exactly the book was about. Was confused the whole first half of the book.
April 6, 2015
Would go 3.5. It was interesting but bloated. And too many POVs to allow for really connecting with any one character.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews