Hidden (The Badge and the Pen Book Three) by Roger A. Price

Read August 2019. Published 1st June 2019 by Endeavour Media.

Vinnie Palmer and Christine Jones' Mallorcan holiday did not go as planned...

Instead of a week of relaxation, they found themselves mixed up in a case involving violence and people trafficking among the the local Roma gang members, and had to cut their much needed holiday short.

Back home in the UK, Vinnie and Christine go back to their day jobs - Vinnie as a Detective Inspector, based in Manchester, but on secondment to Preston, and Christine as an investigative journalist and TV reporter.

Vinnie now finds himself involved in a case concerning human trafficking on his own doorstep, as a brothel in Preston is found to be full of unfortunate girls from Eastern Europe, who have been tricked into coming to the UK with the offer of jobs and money, only to find themselves trapped in a life of prostitution and drugs. 

Another brothel is about to be busted, but the investigation is off to a bad start when the brothel madam is murdered right in front of Vinnie's eyes. Were the bad guys tipped off? Is there a traitor in their midst?

Christine, inspired by their experiences in Mallorca and after a "scoop", starts to look into cases of human trafficking in the UK - two Romanian girls have just been rescued from a life of modern slavery in her own area and this seems an ideal place to start.

Little do they know that their separate investigations are linked and they are about to uncover a network of human trafficking that spans across the whole of Europe. Who knew that this hidden trade was so widespread? Who is the mastermind behind this vast and secret network?

*********************************************************************************

This is a slick and fast-paced  police procedural, that keeps you guessing. There are plenty of thrilling moments that will have you worrying for the safety of both Vinnie and Christine, as you urge them along in their endeavour. This is definitely one to appeal to fans of the brilliant crop of police dramas that have graced our screens in recent years.

I really liked that this series is called "Badge and Pen",  because this completely sums up how well Vinnie and Christine work together - one as a member of the Police and one a journalist - both are adept at investigating and rooting out the truth, but their different skill sets make them a formidable partnership. There is a great male-female mix of strong characters here, so this makes for an exciting crime thriller with wide appeal.

It was easy to get caught up in the story, which is pretty compelling and successfully shines a light on the mostly hidden issue of human trafficking. How much do we really know about what goes on behind closed doors in our local area? Food for thought...

You can tell from the writing that Roger A. Price has a lot of experience working within the Police Force. If I have one criticism of the book though, it is that there are a lot of acronyms littered throughout the book, and this is a little confusing for those of us who have not worked in law enforcement. It would be nice to see an appendix that lists the acronyms used and their meaning, for easy reference. Having said that, I was completely unaware of the existence of many of these procedures, especially those that affect convicted felons - yes, we often hear of suspects co-operating with the police and making deals for lighter sentences, but to actually having the mechanism of how this process works was intriguing.

This is my first Badge and Pen novel (in fact, my first Roger A. Price book), although it is actually book three in the series. Have no fear, this can be read as a stand-alone, although I am intrigued by the back-story of Vinnie and Christine, as they seem to have had some pretty exciting adventures judging by the mentions of their previous goings-on! I foresee an investigation of my own into the previous two installments, very soon! 

From the book cover of Hidden:

Vinnie’s romantic holiday did not go as planned. There was an assault, his companion was threatened and the police asked them to leave.

And when Vinnie returns to his police job in Manchester, things don’t get much better, as he finds himself at the heart of an investigation that stretches from Manchester to all corners of Europe. Women are being trafficked into the UK and forced into prostitution, and while the police are diligent in their enquiries, they seem to have a rogue in their midst.

As events unravel, the lines between good and bad, police and criminals, seem to become more and more blurred... and the stakes for all involved are getting higher.

Hidden is Book 3 in Roger Price’s the badge and the pen series, but it can equally be read as a novel in its own right. Existing fans of Vinnie and Christine are bound to love it, but Hidden is also perfect for crime and police fiction lovers, and anybody who loves a fast-paced, gripping story.

Hidden is available now from your favourite book retailer!

A word from Roger A. Price:

I've spent over thirty years in the police retiring as a detective inspector in charge of a covert unit. I can't write about those experiences, but I can base my fiction on them.

Please check out my website: www.rogerapriceauthor.co.uk

And if you join my Readers' Club Mailing List you will receive a FREE short story and the odd newsletter, thanks, Roger.

See more about Roger and Endeavour Media on Twitter too!
@RAPriceAuthor @Endeavour_Media