September 26, 2016
This is an entertaining, though cursory, novelization timed to release alongside the motion picture of the same title. James Stevens has it all—a good job, a beautiful wife, and a four-year-old daughter—but when his wife dies in an accident, James spirals into despondency. Numerous errors in judgment result in significant consequences, including losing custody of his daughter. His mother and the job market seemingly determined to make his road back as difficult as possible. When a friend of a friend asks him to convey undisclosed cargo from Houston to Reno for a large amount of cash, James agrees, but he is appalled to learn that the padlocked truck holds two sisters who are being exchanged for a debt their father owed. Once the realization hits, guilt takes over. Forming a quick partnership with a local who seems to know how this trafficking works, James sets out to rescue the women. While giving a slightly sanitized view of sex trafficking, the Smallbones (also known as the Christian band For King & Country) provide a glimpse into a murky world where women are dehumanized and treated as commodities.