Mike Papantonio is a senior partner of Levin Papantonio, one of the country’s largest plaintiffs’ law firms, and was one of the youngest inductees into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. He has aggressively taken on Big Pharma, tobacco, weapon manufacturers, and the automobile industry, among other strongholds of corporate greed, and uses his own cases as springboards for his novels. Papantonio is also a well-known media presence as host of America’s Lawyer and co-host of the syndicated radio show Ring of Fire.

Alan Russell is the #1 bestselling author of seventeen mystery and suspense novels, including “Burning Man,” “Shame,” “St. Nick,” and “A Cold War.” Russell’s novels have been nominated for most of the major awards in crime fiction, and he has won a Lefty award for best comedic mystery, a USA Today Critics’ Choice Award, multiple San Diego Book Awards, and the Odin Award for Lifetime Achievement from the San Diego Writers/Editor Guild.

In their new novel “Inhuman Trafficking: A Legal Thriller,” while taking on a human trafficking case, the past comes calling with word that Nick “Deke” Deketomis’ fifteen-year-old goddaughter, Lily Reyes, is missing.

“Inhuman Trafficking” begins with Lily Reyes being set up by her boyfriend Carlos Navarro and handed off to a strange man who calls himself ‘Tío Leo’ as collateral for a planned score gone bad. Seven days after Lily disappears, her mother Sylvia contacts Deke for help in bringing her home safely. This is a sideline from his current case with Welcome Mat Hospitality.

For Deke, going head to head with some of the most dangerous cases has long been a way of life. His target this time is Welcome Mat Hospitality, a firm known for its truck stops and lodging throughout the United States. What Welcome Mat does not advertise is the human trafficking—for sex work and slave labor—going on at many of its properties. For the sake of better profits, Welcome Mat’s ownership has turned a blind eye to this lucrative enterprise. When Deke learns that Lily has fallen prey to a notorious trafficker, his personal and professional worlds converge when Lily comes in contact with Karina, a Russian woman who is one of the many victims of a madwoman’s human trafficking operations. For his goddaughter to survive, Deke must prevail not only in the legal arena but outside of it.

Mike Papantonio is the author of the Nick “Deke” Deketomis series of legal and courtroom thrillers including “Law and Addiction,” “Law and Disorder,” and “Law and Vengeance.” Even though “Inhuman Trafficking” is not a “Law and..” titled book, Deke is back in action trying to save the world from man’s inhumanity to man, in this case, human trafficking, which includes slave labor and sex traffickers.

There is not as much courtroom drama as in Papantonio’s previous books, but Deke and his team shine as they work incessantly to find Lily while trying to identify Karina and bring down the system that is taking advantage of her and countless others. The language is down to earth, easy to understand and expressive at times “Colors shimmered, appearing and disappearing like will-o’-the-wisps.”

With action that flows easily through the pages, one of the highlights is the heart-pounding action when Karina finally gets the nerve to call Deke’s office for help while looking over her shoulder to make sure no one sees her. Some of the details of human trafficking, including Lily’s survival mechanisms, are hard to read but are not overly graphic. The main takeaway is that everyone has had their challenges but nevertheless survived and are stronger because of them. Filled with relatable and well-developed characters, investigative action, and unpredictable developments, “Inhuman Trafficking” is a fast-paced thriller recommended for John Grisham fans who root for the little guy.

“Deke knew the ‘damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead’ look in Gina’s eyes. As she opened her mouth to reply, Deke surreptitiously banged the side of her chair. Gina turned his way, took a read of his eyes, and swallowed her commentary.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Read an excerpt:

Book excerpt: ‘Inhuman Trafficking’ by Mike Papantonio and Alan Russell