Title: Red Market
Author: Dharma Kelleher
Publication Date: February 1, 2023 by Dark Pariah Press
Genres: Thrillers & Crime
Representation: Transgender
As much as I love Jinx Ballou, reading these thrillers takes an emotional toll - as it should. Dharma Kelleher refuses to shy away from the violence and injustices facing the transgender community, confronting the darkness in our society head-on. Red Market was published two years ago, and not only has it aged exceptionally well (to my sorrow), but it' ha's even proved prescient in many ways. The threat of arresting parents and doctors for supporting transgender children likely seemed a bit Orwellian in early 2023, but as we know now, it's frighteningly real.
Let me back up a bit, though, as that's a secondary plot and not the main focus on the novel. What Red Market is really about is the illegal harvesting of organs from the poor to extend the lives of the rich and the web of conspiracies and violence required to keep such activities running. Jinx gets involved in it all while trying to apprehend a doctor for jumping bail, but what starts as a simple bounty hunter assignment soon leads to murder, a federal investigation, and more.
That, combined with the story of a young transgender girl and her mother hiding from both a violent father and DCS, makes for a very busy book that honestly feels a bit scattered at times, leading to some uneven pacing, but it's for a good cause. As always, whether she'd combatting transphobia or racism, Kelleher engages the reader's sympathies even as she stokes their anger, giving them no choice but to become emotionally involved. It's a nail-biting read in so many respects, and if I had a dollar for every time I cursed out some arrogant jerk in a badge . . . well, I'd have enough saved up to pre-order the next book!
While Red Market wasn't my favorite of Jinx's adventures, I'd still wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone looking for a strong thriller with a kick-ass heroine and (perhaps more importantly) a conscience.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
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