W.D. GAGLIANI

"5.0 out of 5 stars
Savage Nights is, in a word, INTENSE!"

--Tiffany Harkleroad "Tiffanys Bookshelf" (June 17, 2010)

Kit is a college co-ed from a dysfunctional family. While shopping at the mall with her polar opposite room mate, she is abducted, and thrown into the world of human sex slave trafficking. Her uncle, Rich Brandt, a VietNam vet with a quasi-psychic ability, is determined to find Kit alive, and take down the evil people who put her in danger. Along the way, unlikely enemies are uncovered, and even unlikelier allies are gained. Will Rich find her in time?

When he asked to review this book, the author, W.D. Gagliani cautioned me the there was a lot of sex and violence in the novel. I wondered if it would serve a purpose, and as I read the book, I knew that it did. The book focuses on the seedy world of the sex trade, specifically human trafficking. To delve into this world with out expressing sex and violence would be like talking about candy without mentioning sugar. It just would not taste right. True to the caution, there is a lot of sex and violence in the book, but it is not overly gratuitous, and let's face it, there is a lot of sex and violence in the world.

The action in this book is incredible. As I got closer to the pinnacle of the plot, it was as if I could not read fast enough. My eyes flew across the words, hungry for what would happen next. I was surprised at some of the twists and turns, and when the story was over, I was exhausted. It was that intense.

Make no mistake, this book is gritty, and hard core. Not something I would normally read. This is way beyond your normal thriller, because you not only have the crisis situation of Kit's abduction, you are dealing with combat induced PTSD, dirty cops, and backstabbing friends. At times, I felt really ill prepared, from a knowledge standpoint, about the weapons and military strategy discussed, but I the story was so compelling, I pushed through the parts that lacked context for a simple housewife like me.

I think that male readers especially will devour this book, with vigor. I also think there is a good market for other female thriller fans who, like me, will appreciate the book in a much different way than men.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. Keep in mind there are adult themes at work here, so prepare yourself for that, but as I mention, they are not overly graphic, and do serve a purpose in the storyline.

I am looking forward to reading more from this author, and am glad I got a chance to read outside my element a bit!