This is a quiet little book that is full of surprising twists. The sex slave bit is completely implausible but what the heck, I liked the rest of it.

I received a review copy of "The Teller" by Jonathan Stone (Thomas and Mercer) through NetGalley.com. ( )

The Teller was a fast moving thriller that kept me reading till done. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and it made me think that the choices we make can change the course of our lives. ( )

This book is a mixed bag: poor writing but an interesting, if implausible*, plot.

The idea of a bank teller "simply" altering a financial transaction to benefit herself but then unconsciously putting her life in danger and exposing a huge money laundering scheme is intriguing. But for every insightful observation that the writer makes (noting, for example, the methods of human traffickers to remove all personal identifiers from their victims, "reducing them to bodies...their body becomes their only value, their only currency"), there are plenty of long winded passages about criminal motive and Catholic guilt.

The tipping point for me, however, which catapults this book into "not recommended" territory, is the author's insensitive portrayal of human trafficking. He starts by calling it "white slavery," then admits that the phrase is inaccurate and also disrespectful to people of color who were slaves in the past and continue to be in the present--and then he continues to use this phrase! Calling this horrific crime simply "slavery" or "human trafficking" would be more accurate and less insensitive. Another clueless term that the author uses is "devirginated" when "raped" is the actual word for what happens to the protagonist. This plot line about nonconsensual sex work is as important to the story as the banking fraud, but the author seems to have barely researched it.

*One of the main plot twists involves a smartphone, and I had a very hard time believing that its high powered owner would leave it unattended without password protection. Also, how can a hooded, handcuffed prisoner remove his hood, with a "sense of ceremony" to boot?

Not recommended. For a far more interesting, and sensitively told, mystery about human trafficking and nonconsensual sex work, try Behind Closed Doors by Elizabeth Haynes. ( )

Elaine Kelly had an opportunity and took it. Being a trusted teller in the bank she knew just what to do not to get caught but instead of taking the money and running off she stuck around planning what she wanted to do until it was too late.

Then once she found herself in real trouble she had to make the most of her situation to ensure the bad guys paid for their dirty deeds and save herself along with a newly made friend.

Any time lotto jackpots exceed the hundred million mark I start day dreaming about what I would do if I won even if I don't buy a ticket so I can see how Elaine got caught up in the planning instead of the running. The things she has to do to survive makes the ending that much more sweeter. The Teller is a page turner all the way to the end. I devoured the book in under two days and it has now taken the top spot as my number 1 read of 2015.

I highly recommend this one for anyone who loves a good suspense tale. ( )

Review to follow. ( )