For the past 8 years I have done a lot of research on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, particularly in the Phoenix area. The author, Jana Bommersbach, has done a masterful job of creating a very powerful story based on real-world facts which she substantiates at the end of the book. I could not put this book down! I loved all of the references to Phoenix restaurants, places to visit, and notable people, etc.

We all know about trafficking and pretend it doesn't exist. Jana Bommersbach has split this topic open like a halved peach. Based on actual girl's stories the authentic characters will keep you turning pages to the epilogue when she lays responsibility at some former local heroes. You're on a journey with this one! This is how it really happens. And these girls came from loving families. Wake up, America, and protect our kids from this abomination.

I've been a Jana Bommersbach fan since I first read "The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd." Jana is a consummate investigative newspaper and magazine reporter - meticulous in her research, dogged in her determination to find the underlying facts that often are obscured by time and misinformation. She is passionate in her quest for justice. And she brings all those qualities - plus depth and humanity, and a clear and compelling writing style - to her books. After her success with nonfiction accounts, Jana turned to novels, first with Cattle Kate, the true tale of the only woman ever lynched as a cattle rustler, and Funeral Hot Dish, which focused on the drug trade With thedeadgirlinthevacantlot, she takes on the evil tragedy of sex trafficking. Her second novel featuring investigative reporter Joya Bonner takes us into a dreadful world where very young girls - and boys - are trapped and tortured to enrich their pimps. As with Funeral Hot Dish, the story rebounds between Joya's tiny hometown of Northville, N.Dak., and Phoenix, where she lives and works. Through two young girls' plight, she shows how sex trafficking can happen anywhere, even at a small-town funeral, and it can involve seduction and grooming, as well as kidnapping. Through it all, Jana weaves an abundance of background and statistics about this crime wave that educates readers as they follow Joya's desperate search for the victims. It's a riveting story - and there's more. True to her investigative roots, Jana includes a wealth of background in the addenda, as well as sources for readers who are moved to learn more and help prevent this crime and bring comfort to its victims. It's a disturbing read, given the subject matter, but one that pays dividends, both in enlightenment enjoyment of a tale well told.