Savaged Innocence by Freddie P. Peters is an intriguing thriller featuring Nancy Wu’s fight against child brainwashing and human trafficking, balancing tension-filled plots with compelling characters and urgent themes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Nancy finished her cup of coffee and considered her next move. She already had one case that required her attention but perhaps she now had two.
Savaged Innocence, Freddie P. Peters, ARC copy. pg. 26
Freddie P. Peters is the author of Henry Crowne Paying the Price and the Nancy Wu Crime Thriller series. She uses her experience as a lawyer and investment banker to add depth and insight to her novels. Although French by birth, she is comfortable writing in English after living in London for 30 years.
There are currently six books in the Henry Crowne series, while Savaged Innocence is the third book in the Nancy Wu series. It is available for pre-order and will go live on Amazon on 5 July 2024.
Savaged Innocence – Summary
The Russian Federation is capturing young children living near the newly annexed Crimea border – they aim to brainwash them into the Russian way of thinking. But one grandmother (Olga) travels to Crimea to face off against the Russians and retrieve her grandchild, Nikita.
Nancy Wu, previously a barrister and Queen’s Council, is now a hands-on investigator for the Internal Criminal Court. Nancy, Anya (an investigator with Save Ukraine), and Iryna Chumak (her contact at the United Nations) plan to use Nikita’s testimony to add this issue to the UN Security Council.
On her flight to New York, she talks to a young girl. Cassie Malville is flying to New York to start her modelling career. But her recounting of a wealthy sponsor flying her and her two friends to New York sounds suspicious to Nancy. She gives the girl her card and asks her to call if she gets in trouble.
When she does, Nancy comes to her aid while balancing her case with the UN, never realising the danger she puts herself in.
Nancy Wu once again gets more than she bargained on, puts her life at risk to save the three girls, and barely makes it in time for an important meeting regarding her UN case.
My thoughs on Savaged Innocence
Book Cover
The book cover of Savaged Innocence is similar to that of Blood Dragon. Both feature a silhouette against the backdrop of a building relevant to the novel’s milieu, creating continuity throughout the series.
Characters in Savaged Innocence
Readers will remember various characters from the previous Nancy Wu books, Blood Dragon: DCI Jonathan Pole, who continues his relationship with Nancy; MI6 Agent Steve Harris; FBI Agent Jack Shield; and DS Andy Todd.
My favourite character in this book is Cassie Malville. Although exquisitely beautiful, she is still young and naive, falling for charming Jeffrey Johnson’s ploy. Still, she is clever and courageous. Despite the consequences should she get caught, she explores the villa at night to find a phone to contact Nancy when she realises Jeffrey’s evil intent with her and her friends.
When Cassie realises they are running out of time, she encourages Anne to escape from the villa to meet with Nancy and volunteers to help Nancy recover as much evidence against Johnson as possible.
Plot & Pace
Nancy is used to dealing with people in high places. Still, when she suspects the influential millionaire Jeffrey Johnson is involved in human trafficking, she knows she has to tread lightly even more since he is a regular contributor to various charities and US political parties.
However, while Nancy is investigating Johnson’s involvement with Cassie Malville and her friends, she still has to keep up with her case with the UN Security Council. She and Iryna reached out to their various contacts, hoping to find an influential supporter for their cause so that they could get it on the UN Security Council’s agenda.
Tension & Suspense in Savaged Innocence
Freddie P. Peters uses various stylistic devices to create tension and suspense in the narrative. When she writes from Nancy’s perspective, it gives the reader a broad view of all the storylines, while using the perspectives of the other characters enables her to zoom in on the more specific details of a particular storyline.
The author also uses conflict to create tension, especially how Jeffrey Johnson manipulates Cassie and her friends into joining him for a possible modelling career and eventually obeying all his commands without using much violence.
Nancy races against time to rescue Cassie and get back to the British Embassy to meet with a prominent figure about her case before the UN Security Council, adding to the tension in this thriller.
The reader also experiences emotional tension through Cassie’s thoughts and feelings when she starts to suspect and eventually realise that Jeffrey Johnson doesn’t have her best interests at heart.
Themes
The dual storyline in Savaged Innocence raises two main themes. Firstly, the forcible transfer of children with the intent to erase cultural, religious, and national identities is an act of genocide and a crime against humanity.
Secondly, Jeffrey Johnson’s manipulation of Cassie Malville and her friends – promising them a modelling career while planning to exploit them sexually – is an act of human trafficking.
However, a secondary theme emerges: We also see the courage of people who will keep fighting to stop these horrible crimes.
Should you read Savaged Innocence?
Savaged Innocence is an intriguing thriller. Her inborn sense of justice once again compels Nancy Wu to pursue a dangerous criminal without regard for her safety.
Although this is an extraordinary story, we should remember that the events in it are often the reality for some people and destroy the lives of many. Thus, we should step out and get involved to prevent these types of horrible crimes from happening.
Please also read my review of the Nancy Wu books – Blood Dragon and Son and Crusader. Or the Henry Crowne books Red Renegade and Impostor in Chief – also by Freddie P. Peters
What are your thoughts on the intersection of personal risk and professional duty in Nancy Wu’s actions? We would love to hear from you. Please share with us in the comments.
Book Info
Language:
English
Print Length:
314 pg
Publication Date:
5 July 2o24
Text-to-Speech | Screen Reader | Enhanced Typesetting | Word Wise | Sticky Notes on Kindle Scribe
Categories: Kidnapping Crime Fiction | Vigilante Justice | Vigilante Justice Thrillers
Trigger Warnings: Violence | Death | Genocide | Human Trafficking | Kidnapping
Follow Freddie P. Peters
Website |Facebook |Bookbub |Goodreads | Amazon
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I have started reading at the age of four. I can remember how I often read under the covers with a flashlight when I was supposed to sleep.
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