Operation Trafficked

Operation #4

by Helen C. Escott

It is possible to get away with murder if you kill people whose lives are already devalued by society.

A spectacular murder in a downtown hotel of a sixteen-year-old girl brings together seasoned police officers Sgt. Nicholas Myra (Operation Wormwood) and Cpl. Gail McNaughton (Operation Vanished) in a Joint Forces Investigation. They quickly dive into a twisting, turning, breathless race through the $28 billion business of human trafficking.

Myra and McNaughton put together a team of experts who explore this modern-day form of slavery, where women and girls are openly sold on the world’s markets. They discover a sophisticated criminal organization that operates with impunity due to vast corruption and hides in the underground hallways of power. They quickly learn it’s not the oldest profession but the oldest form of oppression. When the team learns a seven-year-old girl is up for sale, they race to find her before she is transported over the border and lost forever.

In her most thrilling novel to date, bestselling, award-winning author Helen C. Escott takes you on a lightning-paced, chillingly current criminal investigation that is surprising at every twist up to its astonishing conclusion.

"Tremendous read! Electrifying and riveting. Time is of the essence. Intense, fast-paced twists and turns transform sensation, horror, and emotions into the final links to solve the puzzles. Winding leads and modern-day policing techniques play crucial roles in the vital protection of these vulnerable women and girls purposed for human trafficking. Escott enthralls readers, revealing chilling real-life accounts of victim encounters. A brilliant, suspenseful read and gripping to the end!” — Chris MacNaughton, Inspector (Retired), RCMP

"Operation Trafficked is thrilling! The reader will have great difficulty putting this book down. Helen Escott shines an eye-opening spotlight on the disturbing world of human trafficking. She gives a voice to the voiceless and brings realistic awareness to this global issue. This book will forever change your view of sex work and the impact on its victims and their families." — S. C. O’Reilly, Superintendent (Retired), Royal Newfoundland Constabulary

324 pages, Paperback

Published August 18, 2021

About the author

Helen C. Escott is an award-winning Canadian author and playwright whose cinematic storytelling and deep insight into the human condition have earned her a distinguished place among contemporary crime writers.

A former senior communications strategist with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, she brings a rare authenticity and precision to her work—translating decades of real-world experience into gripping narratives that pulse with realism, emotional truth, and suspense.

Her bestselling Operation Series—a six-book collection of crime thrillers—has captivated readers across Canada and beyond. The first book in the series was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada’s Best First Crime Novel Award. The entire series has been optioned for television and lauded for its chillingly current investigations, unpredictable twists, and deeply human characters. The series’ success was further recognized with a Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction at the 24th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards and the 2023 Best Atlantic-Published Book Award from the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA).

Helen’s writing is distinguished by its cinematic pace, vivid realism, and emotional resonance. Her works reflect not only the complexities of crime and justice but also the moral and psychological landscapes of those who live within them. Drawing upon her years as a Civilian Member of the RCMP, she weaves intricate plots rooted in authenticity and insight. Her career with the RCMP included leading communications for high-profile national operations—such as the force’s response to the September 11th terrorist attacks—and developing regional strategies to combat organized crime and outlaw biker gangs. She also designed and taught a media relations course delivered across Canada, including at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa, and served as a communications strategist at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Her literary and public contributions have been widely recognized. In 2021, she received the Veterans Ombud Commendation Lifetime Contribution Award for her outstanding work with veterans. Among her other honors are the CLB Governor and Commandants' Medallion (2017) for excellence in volunteering and fundraising, the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (2019), and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Certificate of Recognition (2022) for her advocacy on behalf of veterans.

Published Works
Crime Thriller Series (Flanker Press):
• Operation Wormwood — A top-five finalist for the 2019 Arthur Ellis Awards for Best First Crime Novel.
• The Reckoning — The powerful conclusion to Operation Wormwood, acclaimed for its dark, ingenious plotting.
• Operation Vanished — Winner of the Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction at the 24th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards.
• Operation Trafficked — A lightning-paced and chillingly relevant thriller exploring the global human trafficking network.
• Operation Masonic — A gripping, historically layered mystery set within the secretive world of Freemasonry.
• Operation Betrayed — A haunting exploration of betrayal, justice, and the societal biases that shape investigations.
Standalone Novels:
• We Will Meet Again — A multi-generational story of love, loss, and resilience that spans nearly a century.
• In Search of Adventure: 70 Years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Newfoundland and Labrador — A comprehensive collection of memoirs and personal stories, named one of the top Atlantic Canadian memoirs.
• I Am Funny Like That — A memoir of humorous essays reflecting on motherhood, marriage, and the lighter side of a writer’s life.

Legacy and Media Presence
A frequent guest on television, radio, and literary panels, Helen C. Escott remains an influential voice in Canadian arts and culture. Her background in broadcasting, coupled with her deep understanding of communications, has made her a sought-after speaker for teaching courses on writing, and w

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars Read on my Kindle.
Many thanks to GoodReads friend Matt who alerted me to a new book by acclaimed Newfoundland author Helen C. Escott. I loved her first two Operation Wormwood thrillers featuring Sgt. Nicholas Myra of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. There were unique, mysterious, and unlike anything I had ever read.

Her next book was the police procedural, Operation Vanished. This was a complex investigation operated by the RCMP in the same time frame as Operation Wormwood was being executed. This compelling story featured rooky Mountie, Corporal Gail McNaughtan, who was assigned cold case files involving missing and murdered women in rural Newfoundland that dated back to the 1950s.

Operation Trafficked is gritty, thrilling, intense, fast-paced, and well-researched. It involves young women who have been kidnapped from countries outside of Canada, moved from place to place to be enslaved, tortured, and forced to become sex workers. They learn this is a multi-billion dollar business carried out by biker gangs under the orders of organized crime. It also involves local youngsters often sold on the domestic market through the internet. Sex trafficking is often not investigated as its victims are misunderstood and undervalued, and authority figures usually protect the criminal activity. The victim's story is told with much sympathy and compassion.

After a 16-year-old European girl is found murdered during a convention at a downtown hotel in St. John's, Myra and McNaughtan join forces to investigate women being sold on world markets, moved frequently, abused, tortured, and unable to escape. The joint force is trying to solve the murder at the hotel and free and protect a distraught pregnant woman who wants to escape her torturer, her forced profession, and return home but feels this would put her entire family in danger. Myra, McNaughtan, and colleagues become aware of a 7-year old girl being sold across the border to an American pedophile that her vicious mother met online.

Can they save and free any of the victims of sex trafficking? Will any of those criminally involved, be brought to justice? This was an emotional, gripping, suspenseful, and informative journey into the disturbing world of sex trafficking.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there are many authors who can write police procedurals, Helen C. Escott takes it to a new level, and does so from a Canadian (read: Newfoundland) perspective. Her novels are both well-crafted and very detailed, while keeping the reader hooked with sensational crimes. Escott pulls on her past experience and adds a writing ability like few I have come across, keeping the Canadiana subtle enough that anyone the word over could easily enjoy this book without feeling clueless. I cannot say enough about Helen C. Escott and hope other readers will discover her work, sure to add her to their ‘must read’ list.

When a teenage girl turns up murdered in a downtown St. John’s hotel, all clues point to a victim of human trafficking. Sergeant Nicholas Myra of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Corporal Gail McNaughton of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been working different angles on trafficking across the province and find themselves on a Joint Forces investigation to solve this case and hopefully help neutralise trafficking pathways. Myra and McNaughton are not sure they will be able to stymie this multi-billion dollar business, but they have a victim before them and hopes of bringing closure to her short life.

After having a third officer seconded to them—Constable Colleen Royal— Myra and McNaughton begin trying to piece together where this teen came from and who might have visited her on the evening of her death. While there are some seedy businesses in town, none have women who admit to being trafficked or held against their will. This only makes the investigation all the more difficult, but no one is ready to toss in the towel just yet.

The Joint Task Force uncover a complex system of getting girls from all corners of the globe and bringing them to Canada, where they are brainwashed into thinking that this is a luxurious life, while there are undertones of threats should anyone try to escape or speak out against their captors. Myra and Royal work some angles, as McNaughton seeks to nail the local owners of a massage parlour, who may be a puppet front for bikers and even the Russian mob. All the while, McNaughton has some personal stresses piled onto her already overflowing plate.

At one point, the team is informed that a seven-year-old local girl is being offered up for sale in the United States, with a mother eager to get cash for her offspring. Child pornography, sexual slaves, and horrible abuse, all taking place under the noses of everyday citizens, sicken all three officers, though they cannot relent, for fear that another vulnerable person will fall prey to these horrible men who have recreated a slave industry in the modern world. A chilling story that is sure to leave the reading in awe and yet fixated to learning how things will progress. Escott proves her mettle yet again!

As I mentioned before, there is something about Helen C. Escott’s writing that really pulls me in. It may be her superior ability when it comes to police procedurals, or the Canadian flavouring that I have rarely found when I read this genre, or even the depth to which the topics on hand are discussed. Whatever it is, Escott has a sensational ability to keep the reader on the edge of their seat through the storytelling process. I can only hope others find her work and enjoy the Newfoundland perspective as refreshing as I have.

Escott pulls the reader in from the opening pages with a strong narrative flow. The direction points the reader towards a story that is darker than many, but needs to be to get its point across. Pulling on some strong characters from past novels that many of Escott’s fans will have come to know, the development within the story leaves the reader feeling as though they know McNaughton, Myra, and even Royal a little better. The development of the plot throughout leaves the reader uncomfortable, but in a way that is needed to be impactful. Escott’s past in law enforcement has likely put her in contact with the world of human trafficking, which is why things are so detailed and intense. While the topic is surely one many might shy from, it is this awkwardness that makes reading about it all the more necessary. I love each of Helen C. Escott’s novels for their own merits and al eager to get my hands on her next novel, sure to be just as impactful.

Kudos, Madam Escott, for a look into the dark world of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. I could not put the book down, while also being disgusted by some of the antics portrayed within its pages.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is possible to get away with murder if you kill people whose lives are already devalued by society.

Operation Trafficked was not an easy book to read, nor should it be. Sergeant Nicholas Myra, Corporal Gail McNaughton, and Constable Colleen Royal join forces to dive into the $28 billion dollar business of human trafficking. They quickly learn it’s not the oldest profession but the oldest form of oppression. At one point, they also find out about a seven-year-old local girl being offered up for sale in the United States, by her mother.

Ms. Escott does a superb job at providing insight into the backstories of each child and/or teenager, drawing the reader into the plight of each of the female characters and elevating them to real people deserving of our empathy and support. The story twists and turns to an ending that offers satisfaction but reminds us that victories are small and incomplete in this dark environment.

As I said, not an easy book to read but one that every person alive needs to read!

[TomG · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got to page 50 and just couldn't take the continuous preaching about seemingly all men being bad or evil. A lawyer, a cleric, and a city councilor walk into a sex parlour at lunch under the watch of a task force is more of a bad joke than fodder for a book. Does it happen, of course, but the way it is presented is just bad taste. The author's bias and simplistic look at human trafficking are spouting questionable bordering on sensationalized research material rather than story building and is throwing a dash of pedophilia in there to boot. The characters are one dimensional and this just isn't working for me nor do I truly appreciate them or the job they have to do (which I'm sure in real life is quite difficult because I'm married to a cop). The first 50 pages the characters were talking what was clearly author research at each other. I do understand that there is certain subject matter that must be adhered to for the book but in this case, it wasn't meeting the mark. I skipped ahead to the ending to see if it had gotten better but it didn't. I believe the author is trying to highlight the plight of the oppressed of the sex trade, and kudos for that. However, the manner in which it is done, ivory-toweresk doesn't work for me. I wasn't engaged enough to see if it got better. Sorry, I had hopes for a great read but couldn't continue the male-bashing which took over the scenes. Even poor Sgt. Myra was uncomfortable with it and had to defend himself.

[Harold Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen Escott’s novel Operation Trafficked [Flanker Press] is a disturbing book.

And that’s a good thing, Martha.

Cesar A. Cruz — whoever he might be; an activist of some sort, I believe, is credited with saying, “Art should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.”

Operation Trafficked fits the definition, the latter part to a T. The book’s narrative is a disconcerting story about sex trafficking. In Newfoundland, for frig sake!

Shame on me, this book has been lodged on my read-someday-maybe shelf for a couple of years, since shortly after it was published.

Several mornings ago, I finally selected it from the litter (Missus says that — “Harry, my duck, look at the litter of books in that bookcase.”) of unread books, hove myself down into the comfort of my Lay-Z-Boy and commenced to read.

I was there for the rest of the day. The story enthralled me so much that I even cranked my recliner into an upright position to prevent an afternoon nap from ambushing me, as is often the case.

The more I read the more disturbed I became. B’ys, could this stuff I was reading about really be happening in Newfoundland?

What stuff?

Trafficking of girls and women in the sex trade, for frig sake.

Physical abuse. Torture. Beatings. Murder.

It made me stomach sick.

The story line: Sgt. Nicholas Myra of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and Cpl. Gail McNaughton of the RCMP and their team are investigating the murder of Lena Kaminski, a girl enslaved in the sex trade, a girl murdered during a convention in St. John’s. They are also attempting to prevent the reprehensible Judy Miller from dragging her nine-year-old daughter, Emma, already a victim of child pornography, off to the States where further abuse awaits.

I know it’s fiction, but…

Judy, Emma in tow, attempts to board the Marine Atlantic in Argentia. B’ys, that’s just down the road from our house, a place where Missus and I take relaxing evening drives to look at the boats, sometimes to watch the ferry sail.

Even imagining such cruelty happening so close to home turns my stomach.

Sour stomach notwithstanding, interesting secondary characters in a story settle my roiling guts. In this case Maisie Murphy, the cleaning lady at slimeball Sammy Serpent’s — get this — Happy Endings Adult Massage Parlour. Mind you, Maisie is no fragile hot house flower. She has her thorns — poisonous ones. God love ‘er, thorns and all.

Disturbed as I am regarding the subject matter of this book there is the flip side to consider — art must comfort the disturbed. This novel offers some comfort — albeit small — to the disturbed.

Victims of sex trade trafficking, and their families, should know there are people, law-enforcement personnel, as well as some like the improbable Maisie Murphy, who are doing their level best to protect the innocent and fight the evil sons-a-bitches who prey on vulnerable women.

Operation Trafficking also makes lazybones like me get off their arses, and disturbed or not, wake up to some of the inhumanity festering in our province’s darkest shadows.

So b’ys, keep watchful eyes on your children — your daughters, your granddaughters — and if you see some scumbag yahoo victimizing them — even in the slightest — find yourself a hefty piece of 2 x 4 and give them a good shit-knockin’.

Thank you for reading.

[Mac Moss]

This is her best book yet. Fast-paced, realistic, compelling; hard to put down. 5 Stars!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 excellent book.
Can’t wait for the next one by this author. Loved Operation Wormwood, The Reckoning and Operation Vanished. Well done!

[Linda Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome crime thriller by Helen Escott! This was probably her best!

[Krista (Mrs K Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

September 11,2001 is a day that if you you were alive then you will never forget. While New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania were dealing with a terrorist attack here in Newfoundland we were welcoming 75 planes that carried thousands of passengers. 38 in Gander alone.

This book gives a very detailed and accurate account of how Gander prepared for all of those passengers arriving, when they arrived and afterwards. This is not like Come From Away or any other book detailing the events that took place in Gander on that dreadful day.

I was 19, almost 20 when this horrific event happened. I remember hearing the news and then watching the news regarding the events happening in Gander and in nearby communities. Listening to local officials discussing what was happening there yet after reading this book. There was alot of behind the scenes information I did not know.

If you really want to know the ins and outs of 9/11 and afterwards. As well as learning new things. I suggest reading this book. Max Moss did an incredible job writing this book

[Alicia Thistle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic crime thriller! I loved it! It was so nice to read a local author's work and understand the places in the book. I highly recommend this book, especially if you're an NL'er. I read it in a day and couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading Helen's other books too.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

My full review is in the December edition of the Northeast Avalon Times, and will make its way here eventually. She's getting better with each book, as characters gain some depth. This novel should come with trigger warnings.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Operation Trafficked” is a fast paced, no holds barred thriller that lays bare the seedy underworld of sex trafficking and underaged girls. It is at times difficult and confronting to read. Escott does not tiptoe around the subject – we are presented with cold hard facts yet she puts a face to the statistics, its not just numbers, its not just data. These are daughters, sisters, little girls – and some are never seen again.

When a sixteen-year-old girl is found murdered in a hotel room it sets off a series of events that brings together Sgt. Nicholas Myra (from Operation Wormwood) and Cpl. Gail McNaughton (from Operation Vanished) who join forces to not only capture the killer but to put an end to the shady practices of a local massage parlor, where young girls are brought in and forced into prostitution. Not only that, but there is also a race against time to rescue a 7-year-old girl who, accompanied by a neglectful and abusive mother, is about to be handed over to the mother’s American boyfriend, a pedophile she has met online. As a mother of two girls around those ages, it is truly terrifying and emotionally harrowing.

You will not be able to put this down because you absolutely need to know what the resolution will be. Escott does an unbelievably fantastic job stirring emotion in her readers. There was a lump in my throat and a ball of anxiety in my stomach as I read, knowing that this is so very true to life; fiction out of fact. Relentless in its pursuit of the truth, it is impossible to read this and not have it make a huge impact on how you view the world around you. With “Operation Trafficked” Escott continues to dominate the crime thriller genre.

[Denise Whiffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it quite interesting. It’s so hard to believe that these things are going on EVERYDAY but no ones notices and we just go on day by day. Thank goodness there are people like her characters who care and try to help. The best book yet out of her series. I couldn’t put it down.

[Linda Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have all heard the story of 9/11 and the plane people that landed in Gander, but this book tells us all about the other towns in Newfoundland, as well as Gander , and the unsung heroes who did exemplary acts of kindness for these plane people. . Well done, Mac Moss. A fitting tribute to all these angels.

[Piet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a slow start and almost went to my not worth my time when there is so much other stuff to read.

I'm glad I persisted because it was a good read as the characters developed.

[Colleen Maclennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The investigators were normal people who loved their jobs and were good at it. Human trafficking is so much more prevalent than the general population is aware. Vulnerable young girls are being forced into a life where there is no escape. The author’s love of her province of Newfoundland is evident in her descriptions of this beautiful unique province. The brutality of human trafficking , child abuse , dementia, family life , work life corruption and loss are some of the topics discussed in this book. Depressing as these topics are the author has managed to have many light and funny moments. I definitely will be reading Helen C. Escott’s other books.

[Brittany Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint! I felt every emotion reading this novel. At one point I had to take a break from reading to hug my daughters. Sometimes we don’t know how lucky we are and how quickly everything can change. This book definitely puts things in perspective. Super suspenseful and even sickening at times. I really did not know what to expect. It’s better than the Silent Patient in my opinion.
I wasn’t at all surprised when I found out the author is a former police officer. There are details in the book that had to take real experience to get thought of.

[RJE]

An amazing account of how the most vulnerable people of our society are abducted, lured, abused and trafficked throughout the world. This particular thriller actually utilizes real cases in Newfoundland and provides an eye opening account. This author, of the Operation series continues to provide a look at society that most people refuse to believe exists. Amazing writing. So can’t wait for the next book!! Keep them coming!

[Michelle Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up this book I couldn't put it down. Helen you've kept me on the edge of my seat, page by page, chapter by chapter. It was fabulous. You have a way of letting your audience see and feel not only the victim's point of view...but also law enforcement. You are truly gifted. Thank you for this book

[Gilles Allain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I could not put it down. Author did a great job including the RCMP and the RNC in a joint task force. If the statistics are true, human trafficking is happening right under our noses more often than we know about. Harrowing.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. It really strikes a chord that these things do happen. I felt so much emotions reading this book. You just have to know how it ends and the ending does not disappoint. I can't wait to read other books from this author.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delves into an area of crime that is both local and international. The author has woven in true facts about the issue, thus informing readers who are not aware of this problem. The story is well written, and is both believable and compelling.

[Achim ('akim) Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

» The truth is, It’s possible to get away with murder if you kill people whose lives are already devalued by society «

A great story about worldwide trafficking and the beneficiaries of this modern slavery - no one chooses to be sex-trafficked or to be forced into the slave trade.

[Ramona Chafe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye-opening thriller that takes you into the seedy world of human trafficking. Excellent read!

[Canadian_902 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very scary to know your province is the worst in human trafficking 💔💔

[Shelly Pardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was intense, it taps into the readers emotions and possible knowledge of missing and murdered girls and women victimized by the sex slave trade.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read!

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It was fascinating. Made me cry at the end 😢

[Carla Sheedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true to life story that needs to be told over and over until human traffickers are stopped. Well done for taking this topic and putting it out there for people to read. Highly recommend.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is excellent but this one was the best so far. There were several siblings plots and every one was a page turner. Now on to the last book.