Livia Lone

To start, I really like Eisler's work... particularly when he focuses on troubled vigilante protagonists who are driven to seek justice (his forays into "political" thrillers are not quite as strong).

I had a hard time putting this book down. It was disturbing and satisfying at the same time. You hate everyone you are supposed to hate and you don't feel even a twinge of guilt when Livia does "bad" things. The story is based on disgusting and disturbing activities that really happen, and, while Livia was a survivor, I suspect she exists only in this fiction: too bad.

I will be buying any other Eisler books when they come out. (and, yes, I paid full price for this book)

Gut Shot, Heart Shot and Head Shot

The plot rings true without artificial mechanics. The characters are not stupid for convenience, the evil is, unfortunately, not exaggerated, and the clear base in reality makes it all the more horrifying.

This hit me hard in the gut at what happens off the top, and in the heart as the pain progressed. And wow, this made me think about my world and what I can do to make some difference, however small.

It’s clear early on Livia Lone is not a woman you want to cross. She’s a Seattle PD detective, jiu jitsu master & motorcycle mechanic. She’s also a killer.
But if you’re not a rapist or human trafficker, no worries. Chances are she’ll leave you alone.

Livia was once known as Labee & in flashbacks we learn how she & her sister were snatched from their tribe in rural Thailand & sold to human traffickers. What they endure is horrific but for Labee, the worst is yet to come. The girls are separated & after being shipped to the states, she is rescued by police & adopted by an influential local businessman. What should have been a happy ending quickly evolves into a nightmare & shapes the woman she will become.

Detective Livia Lone show more is driven by 2 things. As a cop she focuses on putting away those who abuse the weak & vulnerable. If they manage to evade the legal system….well, she’s more than capable of delivering her own form of justice.
But it’s the search for her sister that informs every decision she’s ever made & consumes her life outside of the job.

As the story progresses, we follow Livia as her investigation takes her from the pacific northwest to California, Thailand & back again. It’s a gritty & disturbing read with no shortage of reprehensible characters ranging from white supremacists to dirty politicians. The author has obviously done their homework on human trafficking & it’s a sobering reality.

Thankfully, there are several characters that treat Livia with kindness. Her childhood left her with a twisted view of people & their motives which is reflected in her inability to trust. Relationships are a challenge but as she solves the mystery of her sister, we see a subtle evolution of her character that gives you hope she may find peace at last.

This is a dark, intense thriller with many scenes of graphic sex & violence. But it’s also an absorbing story with a compelling cast. It feels like the start of a new series by this author of the excellent John Rain books & I want to see where he takes this original character. show less

Livia and her younger sister, sold into the sex trade as young teens from Thailand, are separated shortly after arriving in America. Livia, who continues to search for her sister, lives unspeakable horrors at the mercy of evil adults until she's old enough to take matters into her own hands. She becomes a cop and vows to seek justice by taking revenge on the many sexual predators she comes across.

There are some disturbing scenes in this book, but it is an engrossing and engaging read. Reminiscent of Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander in the Millenium series, Livia is a strong, kick-ass female character with a haunting past, out for revenge. You can't help but root for her, all while wondering if she'll ever find out what happened to her show more sister. This is the first book of a series, and I'm anxious to continue on. show less

A graphic revenge tale that will resonate if you liked The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo or I Spit On Your Grave. But like....more triggering.

I'm not averse to violence or graphic descriptions of violence by any means, violence is real and we need to confront it, but the first half of this book made me very uncomfortable. Yes human trafficking is a very uncomfortable topic, but the way it was presented just didn't sit right with me. I'm trying to put my finger on what exactly it is...It was gratuitous first of all, and into the realm of shock value. And I think it just feels like the book was written by a Western (white) man and it doesn't resonate as authentic. It feels researched and contrived, theatrical, stereotypical, shallow....

The show more hero is under cooked. The villains, also under cooked, are disgusting pieces of human garbage but I didn't develop that vitriolic hatred that comes with a VERY WELL written villainous piece of human garbage.

I was happy with the revenge plot, I just wish I was more invested in it. The final revenge scene is perfect big screen fodder, even though it only took about 5 pages to resolve the other 300 of build up.

I didn't DISLIKE it, The second half of the book was entertaining enough, but I can't help but compare it to A Walk Across the Sun which I think addressed the topic of human trafficking in a much more emotional and deep manner without resorting to ~shock value~. I literally finished that book with tears running down my face. Livia Lone is like "that went exactly where I was expecting it to go." show less

I received a free advance e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Wow! A powerful and dark thriller about human trafficking that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go until the very end. The action never quits. Two sisters are sold by their parents in Thailand and trafficked to the U.S. where they are separated. One of the girls, Livia, is conveniently adopted by a wealthy man whose brother is a United States senator but things are not as they seem. Both brothers have dark secrets. She becomes a jiu jitsu master and eventually a sex crimes detective but she never forgets about her sister. Livia is a complex character with a soft and vulnerable side but when faced with abuse and danger there show more is a dragon within her that rises up and takes over. She becomes a vigilante always on the hunt for a sexual predator. Livia is so damaged by the sexual abuse she has endured in that past that she cannot have a normal relationship with a man. Barry Eisler is an exceptional author that writes in a way that makes the reader feel everything. This is a very well written thriller with excellent character development and an amazing plot. ‘Livia Lone’ is an amazing story in which the author exposes the dark underbelly of the sex trafficking industry. This is a keeper and well worth the read. I hope to read more about Livia in the future, as I would like to see where she goes and what she does next. show less

Livia Lone (2016) (Livia Lone #1) by Barry Eisler. This is a difficult novel in some respects. The subject matter that is used as the main propelling factor for the hero is hard to read through, let alone acknowledge as being part of our world. But human trafficking, as well as the children that includes, is a sick and twisted segment of world crime. Here it is used as the kindling ember for a terrific story.
The opening of this book is hard to take. A young woman, on her way home from yoga, stops in a bar and meets up with the wrong type of stranger. He is attractive, much lager than she is, and sees her as an easy victim for his rough, rape fantasies. She agrees to let him walk her back to her apartment but in the park he assaults show more her.
She is Livia Lone, Seattle Police officer and jiujitsu master. She was taken from her home in Thailand, along with her younger sister, when they were 13 and 11. Tossed into a shipping container, deprived of most necessities, and brutally sexually abused, they are transported to America. Somehow they are separated and Livia is rescued from her captors during a daring river barge raid by federal authorities.
Adopted by a leading, well-respected businessman in a small town, she becomes his sexual plaything. He rules her with thoughts that he is looking for her sister.
This book follows her development from victim to competent high schooler of a sort, to avenger for those who can’t save themselves.
This book is not for the feint of heart. Like his John Rain books, this one has a lot of action, martial arts, and anger spread throughout. But the writing is very good and the character’s development rational and well grounded. The subject matter is of vital importance to society but many people chose to look the other way. You can’t do that with this book. By shining a light into this dark deviance, Mr. Eisler helps us understand, and maybe even see, the world around us a little better. show less