Searching for Pilar

by Patricia Hunt Holmes

AMAZON BEST SELLER IN SUSPENSEAMAZON BEST SELLER IN URBAN LIFEPilar, an innocent young wife and mother, is abducted during a fake job interview in Mexico City and forced into sex slavery in Houston. Can she survive the horrors of a world--one which many Americans don't see or ignore--long enough for her brother Diego to find her?Searching for Pilar breaks open the secretive and dangerous world of sex trafficking, while exploring human nature and our connections to each another. Diego's guilt transforms him from a rudderless youth into a man of purpose, and courage. While he searches, Pilar finds a strength that could save herself and a young girl who needs her. The themes of family, love, faith and the law intertwine in this action-packed tale of the Bayou City.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2018

Reviews

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping, but too depressing for five stars. This well-researched book centers on the horrors of sex trafficking. Pilar, is happily married to her childhood sweetheart, Alejandro, and has a young daughter. When her husband loses his job, painting pottery, because the factory is closed and cannot find employment, Pilar secretly goes to a job interview in Mexico City seeking a more lucrative job. Sadly, the ad she was given is a ruse to lure unsuspecting women into the hands of sex traffickers. The details of Pilar's enslavement are explicit and brutal as she is smuggled from Mexico City to Houston, where her johns are initially businessmen and eventually rough men from the local barrio, with an attendant rise in violence. Despite these circumstances, Pilar shows courage, resilience, and sympathy for her fellow victims, especially Josefina. Holmes integrates the story of Pilar's brother, Diego, whose guilt for taking her to Mexico City is enormous and who never gives up his search for her. He dedicates himself to becoming a soccer star, first joining a leading club in Mexico City to continue his search, and then joining the MLS team in Houston, where he thinks Pilar ends up. Diego connects with distant relatives, a local PI, and the team owner's daughter, to try to find Pilar and to bring her captors to justice .

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating 4.25 stars
5 stars for most of the story, 3 stars for the rest.

This is a difficult book to rate. I found the beginning somewhat hard to get through, despite knowing it was going to be a dark read.

**The following could be seen as a potential spoiler so consider yourself warned, but I feel readers need to be aware this story contains on page rape of minors (13 & 14), not a lot but enough to disturb sensitive readers.**

With that said, I found the story hard put down - until around the 80% mark. After that, I found a few things hard to buy. I can't say what without spoiling the outcome, which I'm reluctant to do.

If you don't mind dark content, and want an insight into human trafficking and the devastating effect it has on not only the victims but their families as well, you can't go wrong by picking up a copy of "Searching for Pilar."

Copy obtained as Read Now, via NetGalley

[Debra Oliva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was touched and troubled by this book. Once you read about the horrors that young girls from other countries are exposed to in the US, you cannot help but feel that something must be done now!
Pilar’s story ends well but how many other young women are currently suffering?
I read the book in one evening because it is impossible to put down. Do yourself a favor and buy and read it ASAP! It will open your eyes and your hearts.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book group for allowing me to read an advance edition in return for an honest review.

[Phyllis Krall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searching for Pilar deals with cross border sex trafficking among young women, which is a difficult subject to read about. I was totally shocked by the subject and made aware of its atrocities. It definitely a book that we all should read.

Pilar is a young Mexican woman, who is happily married and lives with her husband and baby in a small village. She is faced with finding a better job when her husband loses his. She answers an ad for what seems to be a dream job in Mexico City. Telling no one where she is going, When Pilar goes for the interview, she is kidnapped and forced into a world of sex trafficking . Eventually she is taken to Houston, Texas, which has a big sex trafficking industry. For four years, her brother, Diego searches for her and never gives up his hopes of finding her. Pilar’s strength and love for her family gives her the will to fight for her life.

I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I certainly was not aware of the horrors of sex trafficking and realize that it is a subject that can’t be ignored. Highly recommended !

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure what to say about this book, other than it was an excellent read and found it hard to put down until i had finished. Sadly sex/human trafficking is not just happening in the US, but in other parts of the World including the UK. Although this was the work of fiction, one could tell that the author had put a lot of work into research.

I wouldn't say that this novel is suitable for all due to the topic, but i do highly recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, freely given.

[Lynn (Smile24k) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Searching for Pilar is the story of a young woman who is kidnapped and then sex trafficked. Her brother, Diego, who feels responsible for her disappearance, devotes himself to finding her. The story switches between Pilar's story of captivity and the story of Diego's search for his sister.

Overall, the story kept me interested all the way to the end and was "enjoyable" given the subject matter. I enjoyed the early chapters of the book learning a little about the Mexican culture and the various struggles. The author did a good job of capturing the voice of the characters. At first the writing and dialogue may seem off or elementary in a way, but I thought this gave the book a very real feel of someone for whom English is a second language. It read like a story that may have been written in Spanish and then translated into English...in a good way.

I did have a hard time deciding how to rate this book. Ideally I would have given it 3.5 stars since it was a good solid read, but with a couple of things I did not like. The writing/editing of the book is pretty well done for about the first half of the book and then it gets a little sloppy. Not enough to significantly impact the readability of the book, but enough to be noticeable. For example, there is a dinner scene where on one page it mentions that one of the characters is eating pecan pie and then the very next page, dessert (pecan pie) is brought to the table to be served to everyone. So either this was a missed edit, or one character started his dessert early. There was another instance later in the book where the wrong name was used (e.g. Pilar and Rosa, should have read Pilar and Josefina). But, again these errors did not keep the book from being enjoyable, but they were noticed and felt like the editor got tired halfway through. Also, I thought the romance subplot in the book was not necessary. It felt like an afterthought and like it was put in to try to have a happily ever after ending. In my opinion it had little development other than physical attraction.

The last thing I think worth noting is that the book is definitely more of a fictional novel with a sex trafficking plot. Anyone thinking of reading the book should be aware that while this book will make you aware that sex trafficking is a real issue, it but does not read like an expose on sex trafficking. For example, while I know that sex trafficking is an issue, the book read like any other, good/solid, crime mystery (girl gets abducted...will her family be able to find her in time). I don't think that this is a flaw or issue, since the story was enjoyable, but for someone looking for a heavy look into sex trafficking, this isn't it.

Good solid read. Held my interest.

[Sally I · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. There were parts that were hard to get through because they painted the true story of what is done to these young girls. It really opened up my eyes to what is happening in Houston and how more needs to be done to stop this. The story and characters are well developed as the book goes along and you are on pins and needles as to whether Pilar makes it out alive. I enjoyed also that the majority of the book takes place in Houston and the setting and places are very familiar to anyone who has lived in Houston. It is an excellent book to read and even though the characters are factious the story is not. Can you imagine this happening to your daughter or grand daughter? Read this Book and then get active in having the laws changed in Texas to put these evil people away for life.

[Lorilei Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holmes was shocked to find that many of her friends were unaware of the fact that Houston is the hub of human trafficking in the U.S. She started writing this book about five years ago, before human trafficking was covered in the media regularly. Despite the lapse in time, this story is still relevant and disturbing. Women and children from all over the world continue to be exploited and it makes my stomach hurt to know that so much of these terrible activities are filtered through my city. It disgusts me that predators from all around visit the city under the guise of watching professional sports.

Although a little farfetched, it is the sports tie which allows Diego, Pilar's big brother, the luxury to come to Houston to find his sister. The fact that rich and powerful men, including sports stars, have access to underground men's clubs, makes it plausible that Diego could find clues about his sister's whereabouts. And while I like the clues used to find Pilar, I thought that Holmes sometimes hit the readers on the nose to make sure they don't miss anything. I would have liked a little more subtlety in the descriptive passages and less exposition in the dialogue.

Holmes' knowledge of the city of Houston is intricate and the description of the area is vivid. In fact, her description of the places in Mexico are so well written, it made me wonder if she traveled to any of them for inspiration. I could imagine myself in Pilar's small village and felt myself tense up as she entered Mexico City. It was in those moments of great writing that I completely forgot that Holmes was a lawyer before becoming a writer. Oftentimes, lawyers turned writers tend to write dry, almost clinical novels, but Holmes' ear for dialogue and eye for description sets her apart from those writers.

Thankfully, for a book about sex trafficking, the gory details are not in every chapter. I appreciated that Holmes seemed to keep the disturbing descriptions to one chapter. It was difficult to read and probably even more difficult to write. But I believe the chapter serves a purpose and Holmes executes it as tastefully as possible. It gives readers a peek at the horrors that these women and girls go through. One chapter was enough for my eyes, so I couldn't begin to imagine living that life all day, every day for years.

I don't want to give anything away because this story really was an exciting thriller. Much like the debates that some of the novel's characters have, I hope that this book starts a dialogue among people who have hard opinions about topics like illegal aliens and prostitution. I hope that people will see that bad guys won't have a business if "good" guys would just stop buying the product.

I recommend this book to just about any adult reader, but I especially want the people who mock the mugshots of busted sex workers to open their world up a little bit. Maybe a little awareness will lead to actions that result in big changes.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Searching for Pilar is a four star book solely because of the fact that it sheds light on the important topic of sex slavery. Other than that, the writing and story line were pretty mediocre.

The book follows essentially two main characters, Pilar, a 21 year old living in Mexico with her small child and husband and Diego, her older brother. Pilar is falsely lured to Mexico City in hopes of landing a higher paying secretarial job. Before she realizes what is happening to her she is drugged and sold into sex slavery by the cartel. Diego, her brother, feels responsible for Pilar's disappearance and sets off across two countries in hopes of bringing her home to her family.

I found the writing style to be very strange when I first started the book. The characters spoke in such a simple fashion it was distracting. For example instead of the dialogue just flowing between two characters, they were constantly addressing each other by name as if the reader was going to forget that they were talking to each other. Ex:
"I'm doing well today, Pilar. How are you?"
"I'm well too, Diego."
"That's great, Pilar."
Once I realized this book was going to be a very simple read, I tried to focus on the fact that the author's intent was to shed light on the sex trade industry. There were parts of the book that were hard to read for obvious reasons and my heart broke for the women in the story. I can't imagine anything worse than being forced to sell your body to numerous men a day for years on end with death being the only end in sight.

Pilar's story isn't one that will stick with me because she was a memorable character, but because her story is a reality for so many women right now and something needs to change. I hope this book opens the eyes of some of the privileged and makes them realize what is going on in some of our own backyards. It's disgusting and devastating to know there's even a market for this. I was shocked to read the author's Q&A at the end of the book. My sister used to frequently travel to El Paso and Monterrey for business and reading that these two cities are well known for human trafficking was a scary realization. It also made me realize that there is so little many of us know about the sex trade. So much of it happens right under our noses and it's despicable. I also found it appalling to read how readily available young girls and boys are to predators by use of the internet.

This whole book was eye opening and infuriating at the same time. I hope others choose to read it and hopefully with more knowledge we can spread awareness and work toward eradicating human trafficking.

I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway so thank you to Patricia Hunt Holmes and River Grove Books for my copy of Searching for Pilar.

[Lynn (Smile24k) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Searching for Pilar is the story of a young woman who is kidnapped and then sex trafficked. Her brother, Diego, who feels responsible for her disappearance, devotes himself to finding her. The story switches between Pilar's story of captivity and the story of Diego's search for his sister.

Overall, the story kept me interested all the way to the end and was "enjoyable" given the subject matter. I enjoyed the early chapters of the book learning a little about the Mexican culture and the various struggles. The author did a good job of capturing the voice of the characters. At first the writing and dialogue may seem off or elementary in a way, but I thought this gave the book a very real feel of someone for whom English is a second language. It read like a story that may have been written in Spanish and then translated into English...in a good way.

I did have a hard time deciding how to rate this book. Ideally I would have given it 3.5 stars since it was a good solid read, but with a couple of things I did not like. The writing/editing of the book is pretty well done for about the first half of the book and then it gets a little sloppy. Not enough to significantly impact the readability of the book, but enough to be noticeable. For example, there is a dinner scene where on one page it mentions that one of the characters is eating pecan pie and then the very next page, dessert (pecan pie) is brought to the table to be served to everyone. So either this was a missed edit, or one character started his dessert early. There was another instance later in the book where the wrong name was used (e.g. Pilar and Rosa, should have read Pilar and Josefina). But, again these errors did not keep the book from being enjoyable, but they were noticed and felt like the editor got tired halfway through. Also, I thought the romance subplot in the book was not necessary. It felt like an afterthought and like it was put in to try to have a happily ever after ending. In my opinion it had little development other than physical attraction.

The last thing I think worth noting is that the book is definitely more of a fictional novel with a sex trafficking plot. Anyone thinking of reading the book should be aware that while this book will make you aware that sex trafficking is a real issue, it but does not read like an expose on sex trafficking. For example, while I know that sex trafficking is an issue, the book read like any other, good/solid, crime mystery (girl gets abducted...will her family be able to find her in time). I don't think that this is a flaw or issue, since the story was enjoyable, but for someone looking for a heavy look into sex trafficking, this isn't it.

Good solid read. Held my interest,

[Jenn Belden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, this was a tough book to start because the subject matter is so awful, and there are some truly difficult scenes at the start. (A trigger warning for rape in a book about sex trafficking seems obvious, but here it is.) Once I got past that first scene though, I felt pretty committed to seeing where the author would take it, and it quickly became hard to put down.

Searching For Pilar was a powerful, terrible look into the world of sex trafficking as it follows a young mother abducted and forced into this world. I tip my hat to author Patricia Hunt Holmes simply on the amount of research that needed to go into this book, as I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it was to process what these women endure.

The variety of ways that she and the other girls abducted with her in Mexico is an eye opener. As she is taken from Mexico to Houston, we see where trafficking coexists alongside impressive sky scrapers, and money, and businessmen, and the horror of this reality is shocking.


The pain, brutality and inhumanity of Pilar’s situation is balanced by the near herculean efforts of her brother Diego to locate her. The path he takes, and the unrelentless searching is a testament to the ties that bind family.

The book brings to light so many other issues related to sex trafficking – how the girls are treated should they escape (and well as their ability to cope with all they have been through), the way that these girls are looked at wrongly, when they are truly victims of circumstance.

The strength of Searching For Pilar is in the author’s characterizations – she does a wondrous job of bringing the characters to life. Where the bad guys could easily becomes cartoonish in stereotype, she makes them terrifyingly real. There were a few scenes that were difficult to read, and the description felt a bit awkward in the first rape scene – but I can’t imagine how difficult it was to write, so I quickly moved past it.
The book sets a steady pace and despite the difficult subject I found it hard to put down.

I was provided a copy of the book for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

[Tangled in Text · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original Post at: https://www.tangledintext.com/single-...

The first thing that comes to mind after finishing a book like Searching for Pilar, is the word disgusting. It's weird because I have never used that word in admiration, but in this scenario it could not be a bigger compliment. I would find it disgraceful if this was light and fluffy, because that would be a disservice to the subject matter.

Patricia Hunt Holmes captures a piece of our world that people are unaware of or might have blinders towards. She captures the vile nature of this topic, without going into so much detail you have to stop reading. Searching for Pilar is an intriguing story line that brings to light some serious matter, but does so in an entertaining way. 

Searching for Pilar to me reads as a narrative nonfiction. This could easily represent so many young girls, that it was good to hear the victims' voices and thoughts to bring a heart and a soul to this tragedy. I have never read a book about this subject and I was beyond thrilled to find Searching for Pilar. Thank you for writing a book like this. Patricia put a lot of time and effort into this book and it shows, you become invested in the characters while becoming aware of unsettling real issues. It was a sensitive subject that was beautifully captured.

[Joana Gimeno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well researched book about sex trafficking. Pilar and her family are in economic hardship so she makes her brother drive her all the way to Mexico City to a job interview. This interview ended up being a trap and Pilar gets trafficked through the US border into Texas. The book is pretty hard to read due to the topic. The story follows the points of view of both Pilar and her brother, who goes on a pretty dangerous journey to find his sister.
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I really enjoyed how well the situation is described by the author. The feelings Pilar is having, fear, depression, disgust, sadness, and even shame, are so well explained that even you are a reader are not experiencing the same, you 100% understand what she feels and why she acts the way she does.
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I think the author did a great job describing the scenarios, I could clearly see the allies of Mexico City, the open fields in Texas Pilar is taken to; as well as the strong Mexican culture around the importance of family. I won't spoil the ending, but one part of the ending seemed pretty far fetched to me. After reaching that point, the author won me again addressing the legality of the issue, including criminal investigations and the entire judicial flaws about the topic.

[Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book an obvious work of devotion by the author who's background as an attorney added too the believability of the book by never dramatizing more the characters or nature of the events beyond what the slowly evolving pattern of the story line detailed. In other words no high speed chases, no arch type characters, no going low on shock or over doing the sexual parts. It was what it was but the reader never lingered on any one aspect and there were multiple perspectives of different people it really was a story about the search for this woman. What her brother had to go through and the people he met how this changed him how all the main characters in this changed by the course of the events I wouldn't say it was uplifting but the ending was happier than most of the books I've read lately. Excellent work Ms. Holmes good book.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely graphic and emotional, but details important problems regarding sex trafficking. Not only does it emphasize the remarkable pain and endurance of Pilar, Josefina, and the other young women, but it also aims to bring awareness about the pervasiveness of this issue in urban and rural areas worldwide. Some areas of dialogue I could have done without, such as the cheesy romances trickled throughout. Some details were a little too convenient to believe. Hard to get into in the beginning since I knew what was going to happen but I was glad I stuck with it to the end.

[Bookworm LLC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give Searching For Pilar 5* but there were a few things in this story that made me stop at 4*.
This story is about young girls being kidnapped and put in the sex trafficking trade. It is about their struggles, how they soon came to see themselves and what happens to them if or when they are rescued.
This is such a heartbreaking subject and I love that authors are writing about it.

I think Ms. Holmes wrote a great story and did a lot of research to make sure she captured the real struggles of this topic. I loved that she used English as well as Spanish as well.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Searching for Pilar" by Patricia Hunt Holmes, is a MUST READ! This is a very difficult book to read, as it details Sex Trafficking, how it happens, what happens, the horror that young abducted children endure. I had no idea about these kind of events that go on in our world, and in our country. This is a topic we all need to know about and get on board with to eliminate this kind of evil in the world.

This is a NOVEL about the topic, well researched and well written.

I won a copy of this book in a "Goodreads Giveaway.

[Cindy O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to the Ms Holmes in writing a book about a subject that most people and the media tend to ignore. Sex trafficking of underage girls and women is so horrible that one tends to want to turn the other way as it assaults our sensibilities. Yet, I feel this is an important story that should be read. There are a few websites that the author encourages the reader to visit at the end of the book. The author pulls no punches in Pilar’s story from the kidnapping and subsequent life as a sex slave.

[Jessica Palminteri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful story

This book engrossed me from the start as we follow Pilar through the terrible underworld of sex trafficking. Although fictional, the author incorporates facts and real details to bring the story to life. I couldn’t put it down.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book about a serious sex trafficking problem and important for others, including teenage girls, to read to not only understand the horrific situations of the victims, but the difficulty in stopping it.

[Teresa Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC, enjoyed this as it was a new author for me. I can't believe this kind of stuff really happens in the world. Thought Pillar was a very strong person, couldn't have gone through what she did.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating story, hard to put down! Even though the subject is difficult, I am SO GLAD that I read it. I hope to see more from Ms. Holmes😊

[Josie H. Krieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Read

I really enjoyed this book. I have visited Houston many times and was. Unaware of the city's reputation in the trafficking arena. A good year jerker.😢

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is perhaps the okayest book I have ever read. The plot is decent, the writing is okay.

[Lone Star Literary Life]

Average rating 4.8 for the Lone Star Book Blog Tours team.

[Barbara Shaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read. It is so well written that the reader actually feels like they are Pilar. I couldn’t put it down. Hope it becomes a movie!

[Deena · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a few parts that were hard to read due to the graphic nature. However, the storyline was very informative of sex trafficking.

[Diana Corson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important story. Well written and compelling tale that informs the reader of the devastating social issue of sex trafficking. A thrilling must read!

[Kira Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn’t very well written, but it’s worth reading for the story which is incredible.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

With gritty subject matter – sex trafficking – at the heart of this novel, it was by no means an easy read, and I’m hesitant to say that I liked it, because, in terms of what Pilar suffered, I didn’t like it at all.

However, the fact that I even had to pause and think about what I was liking is testament to author Patricia Hunt Holmes’s talent as a storyteller. She create such a strong character in Pilar, and such a vibrant and rich (if often sinister and cold) world for her to occupy, that the story itself was gripping, and I stayed up far too late to read to the end, because I couldn’t let the story go unfinished.

What I really liked about Searching for Pilar was the author’s sense of place. Mexico scenes felt like Mexico, and Houston felt like Houston. That level of detail really made the novel feel real – too real, in places – but these are stories we need to hear, this is an awareness we need to have.

Author Holmes gives us a compelling, ultimately brilliant story about a horrible practice, but she does it with care and grace and considerable talent.

Goes well with a chicken quesadilla with mango salsa, and a margarita on the rocks.