Speechless by Stephen Puleston

334 Pages
Publisher: Stephen Puleston, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: October 31, 2014

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Wales, Poland, Trafficking, Police Procedural

The body of a man is found in the Taff River in Cardiff, Wales. When the forensic team is collecting evidence, they find his tongue has been removed. More bizarre is a tongue is in his pocket. This is just the beginning. It seems someone is attacking the Eastern European workers but more specifically, the Polish workers. During the investigation, Detective Inspector John Marco along with his partner, Detective Sergeant Boyd Pierce find themselves looking at a sex trafficking operation. The detectives think Frankie Prince, the local thug, is behind everything but they have no proof.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. John is a flawed individual. He wants/needs to please so many people that he fails in every relationship. If you like police procedurals, you will enjoy this one.

Packed with action and many elements such as human trafficking and murder, this was a page turner. Well written.
Many thanks to IBPA and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars. Throughly enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the first page and I didn't want to put it down. Would definitely recommend this book.

It's a quiet Sunday morning for Inspector John Marco when he gets a routine call about a body in the river. Things change abruptly when he discovers something amputated from the corpse. John is an Italian cop that has been plunged into the tight-knit, secretive Polish community when he finds evidence that points to gangsters from Poland. No one is talking and the death count is stacking up.

Speechless is the first in a series of police investigation novels. Being Italian, I have an affinity for Italian characters and John Marco is an Italian man, struggling in almost every aspect of his life. He is out of shape, making unhealthy choices, struggling with his relationships and is now trying to investigate a crime that no one wants to talk about. The story stuttered for a moment and seemed to lose momentum, but Puleston created several unexpected twists that sparked my need to follow Inspector Marco on this dangerous journey to it's end. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series.