Assessment:
Plot/Idea: When Virginia newspaper reporter Ellie Andrews uncovers a sinister black market human organ trade—targeting prison inmates—she soon discovers the perpetrators are closer to home than she realized. As she seeks the truth, she goes through several harrowing experiences that threaten her livelihood and her life, learning in the process just how far people will go to protect their secrets. The novel's central idea is compelling, and Bossik writes believable, attention-grabbing scenes throughout.
Prose: Body Merchants is crisply detailed, and moments of suspense unfold naturally, building an easy tension that hints at the story's larger mystery.
Originality: In the spirit of the best crime thrillers, Body Merchants exposes the darkest corners of humanity.
Character/Execution: Bossik pays sharp attention to characterization, building a central lead who is confident and effective alongside a supportive cast.
Date Submitted: July 30, 2024
“Body Merchants is a novel that delivers with the look and feel of a mystery, but holds bigger-picture thinking. It injects medical and ethical issues into reporter Ellie Andrews’s investigation of a star athlete’s sudden death after a kidney transplant…. The result is a well-written, thoroughly engrossing blend of thriller, mystery, psychological and ethical examination, and court case. Body Merchants will satisfy a wide range of audiences, from libraries seeking thought-provoking novels that bring medical and criminal interests to life to individuals looking for depth in their entertainment reading.”
— Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
The Indie Book Awards, an “international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers,” has officially chosen the new novel, Body Merchants, as a finalist in the thriller genre category.
