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The Story
She escaped the traffickers. Now the real chase begins.
When Vân throws herself into Stuart Henderson's car on an ordinary evening in Guildford, she drags him into a world he never knew existed: hidden networks, bought police officers, and men who make people disappear.
Now the men who owned her want her back. And they will hurt anyone who stands in their way.
Outmatched and unprepared, Stuart, his husband Martin, anxious IT consultant John, and sharp-tongued seventy-three-year-old Barbara refuse to abandon her. As the night spirals into violence, this unlikely group discovers that courage doesn't always look like heroism. Sometimes it simply looks like showing up when it matters.
Literary crime thrillerHuman traffickingFound family
This thriller pulled me in fast with its dual timelines and intense pacing. I found myself much more connected to the past timeline - the way Vân’s story unfolded kept me emotionally invested and curious about how it all tied back to the present. That connection made the book hard to put down, even when parts of the writing pulled …This thriller pulled me in fast with its dual timelines and intense pacing. I found myself much more connected to the past timeline - the way Vân’s story unfolded kept me emotionally invested and curious about how it all tied back to the present. That connection made the book hard to put down, even when parts of the writing pulled me out of the flow.
One thing I noticed was Vân’s English in the present tense felt a bit fragmented and broken, while her past tense narration came through in more complete, smoother sentences. It was interesting, but at times it made the transitions feel uneven for me.
I also appreciated how the dual timelines revealed pieces of Vân’s past in ways that built tension and kept me guessing. While I loved the setup and momentum, I did feel the ending came a bit abruptly.
Overall, this is a gripping read if you enjoy psychological thrillers with layered timelines and emotional depth. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while.
Perfect for readers who enjoy: twisty thrillers and character-driven mysteries.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
'"I'm going to keep changing, because that's how I survive this. So, you need to decide if you can love the person I'm becoming, or if you're only capable of loving the person I used to be."' The Other Lotus Girl promises a thrilling ride. On his way to the supermarket to buy some tea for his delightful (NOT) mother-in-law, …'"I'm going to keep changing, because that's how I survive this. So, you need to decide if you can love the person I'm becoming, or if you're only capable of loving the person I used to be."'
The Other Lotus Girl promises a thrilling ride. On his way to the supermarket to buy some tea for his delightful (NOT) mother-in-law, Stuart is surprised by a Vietnamese girl jumping into his car and telling him to move quickly. It soon turns out that Van is being chased by the trafficking goons she escaped from. Together with his husband Martin, their neighbour John, and his mother-in-law (sort of), Stuart goes on a wild adventure to keep Van out of the hands of her captors. In the secondary timeline, we learn what has happened to Van over the last twenty months. You may think you can imagine what this storyline is like.... you can't. It's awful.
Now, this had the makings of a great story. But I felt a strong disconnect between the present timeline, which, while moving along fast-paced, was gimmicky and overly convenient at times, and the story of Van and her sister Mai as they were moved from Vietnam, through China, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France, and ultimately the UK, which was dark, gruesome and hopeless. I think perhaps I would have liked to spend more time on the latter timeline, filling some of the plotholes (what happened between Minh and Van in Germany??!) and skipped the maffia-style chase.
Moreover, I found some of the characters to be odd and their actions even stranger (or just plain unbelievable), and found some of the story to be repetitive (I had to check whether I hadn't accidentally hit the back button on my kindle a couple of times). Ultimately, the writing style didn't work for me either, but I think it did help the feeling of wanting to know what happens next. Now... while I am annoyed that I am supposed to read another book to have answers to some of the questions raised in The Other Lotus Girl, I don't think I will be picking it up.
Note that there are many others who have loved reading this story, so clearly this is a matter of taste. If you are looking for a fast-moving chase story with a gruesome backdrop and some education on human trafficking, give this a try. I don't think there are many others like this out there.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for providing a Digital Copy of the book. This review is entirely my own.
I found the two parts of the story too incongruous to fully appreciate this novel. If I was just reading the chapters from the past, I would accept it as a tragic story. Whereas if I was just reading the chapters from the present, I would accept it as a humorous story. I simply could not cope with a character's …I found the two parts of the story too incongruous to fully appreciate this novel. If I was just reading the chapters from the past, I would accept it as a tragic story. Whereas if I was just reading the chapters from the present, I would accept it as a humorous story. I simply could not cope with a character's tragic past being transformed into a slapstick chase scene.
Added to this, I found the writing stilted and lacking finesse.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Human Trafficking FictionFound Family ThrillerLGBTQ+ ProtagonistsKitchen Sink Realism Meets Crime ThrillerRoad Trip ThrillerBritish Crime FictionDark Humour in Crime FictionVietnamese ProtagonistOrdinary People in Extraordinary Danger
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