Berkom must have looked up ‘thriller’ in the dictionary: ‘A novel, play or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage', then decided that the definition needed cranking up a notch or two…or six.

I met Leine Basso in Serial Date. I was instantly smitten and stalked her unashamedly through books two and three. I adore her: she’s a doer. A job has to be done, she jolly well gets on and does it. She has determination, courage, intelligence and fearlessness. Well, she’s an ex assassin, after all, but the tough exterior houses a woman of passion, compassion and wit.

However, such sterling qualities don’t keep her out of trouble. A good friend’s headstrong daughter heads to the Far East for some time-out backpacking, but fears the worst when she realises she’s missing. Leine wastes no time and heads off to Bangkok to find her. She soon realises the young girl has been kidnapped for trafficking, but soon picks up her trail; things go badly awry and Leine becomes cargo on its way to Africa, along with ivory poacher Derek, who has seriously annoyed the leader of the trafficking ring. Since Derek values his life as much as Leine does her own, they merge their survival skills to escape. At the same time, the search for the missing girl must continue, but Leine discovers that the atrocity of trafficking isn’t confined to humans…animals are in grave danger too.

If Berkom can bear the weight, I’m just going to pile on another ton of praise for another excellent, fast-paced, gripping and riveting adventure in Leine Basso’s life. This author is described as being 'a slave to the voices in her head'. I hope they’re yelling at her very loudly, because I can’t wait to meet up with Leine again.

Highly recommended. ( )

I did not read the first book in this series, but the author touches upon it during this story. Kylie, and 18 year old American backpacker is drugged, kidnapped, and then sold into slavery while in Bangkok. Leine, is a former assassin, who now heads an agency that tracks and exposes human trafficking. Turns out that Kylie is the daughter of Leine's friend from her former life who contacts Leine and asked for her help. Leine leaves immediately for Bangkok to start the search. What she didn't count on was to be captured by the same group that took Kylie and was now headed to Africa in a cell with another prisoner - an African Poacher. Together, they plot their escape from the container ship.

Once in Africa, they begin a search to find Kylie and return to the U.S. Their trek across country is a learning experience for the two of them and for readers who learn about life in that country. Their search is hazardous as they move across country - the notorious slave trader only has to spread a few dollars around to have open eyes and ears everywhere. It is a great help to have acquaintances around who help the duo along on their journey.

When Kylie is finally located, the duo find that they are terribly outgunned and their successful rescue highly improbable. The Chinese trader is a formidable foe who seemed to have every base covered. He is brutal and without a conscience...only money talks.

This is a stand-alone story so there isn't a cliff hanger at the end to temp readers into purchasing the next installment. Even as a series, I'm assuming that each book will be a different mission, and will most likely purchase the next one to see what Leine gets involved in next. ( )

Cargo is a page turner. Author Berkam snatches you out of your chair and immerses into the scenes with her characters.

The fear of people held in captivity and the stench of their prisons assault your senses.

Cargo is a bit of an expose as well as a crime thriller. The plight of young women and children abducted or sold into slavery comes to light. Human trafficking as well as the illegal poaching and sale of endangered species are described in scenes that are also based in modern day facts.

DV Berkam deftly weaves the story of two women with that of a reluctant ivory poacher who agrees to help them.

A lot of twist and turns will keep a reader riveted. I highly recommend Cargo and give it A four and a half star rating on my Book-O-Meter.

I was sent this book as part of book blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Jackie Anton ( )

DV Berkom writes some fantastic thriller fiction and her latest, Cargo, does not disappoint. In fact, I think she took it up a notch. I anticipated a great read and wondered who Leine will be killing today. The twists and turns the characters and I went through kept the suspense building as the level of danger grew.

DV Berkom writes of strong, kickass, female protagonists and Leine Basso is a prime example. She is a complex character that is hard on the outside, with a soft filling. She is an expert shot and skilled in hand to hand combat. She wants to save everyone. Is it to atone for the guilt she carries from her past life as an assassin? How many lives has she ruined? Does she deserve the happiness she has found with Detective Santiago Jensen? She will do whatever is necessary to achieve her goal and right now, it is to rescue Kylie.

Kylie had been abducted while backpacking overseas and she was in for a horrific experience. She wondered what would become of her. Would they rape her? Would they take her organs and dump her somewhere far from home, never to be found? Would they sell her to the highest bidder? Or worse?

Things don't go the way Leine plans and she ends up in need of rescue herself. She teams up with Derek, who is locked on the ship with her, bound for Africa. He is a poacher and Africa is his home. We will see him grow and develop as DV Berkom takes us on this wild African adventure of...

Poaching, terrorists, animals parading as men. Leine will learn more than she ever wanted to know about poaching and the men behind it. Their brutality and lack of respect for life, whether human or animal is beyond my comprehension. Women are treated as less than human, sold, traded, bartered and murdered at will.

The debasement and abuse heaped on Kylie by another woman totally shocked me. I wasn't prepared for that. How depraved must she be to have no empathy, taking delight at treating her like a dog, or worse. I cannot imagine the terror Kylie felt thinking she may die.

I know this is fiction, but it reeks of realism. I was so angry about it all. I can see the women huddled in dank, dirty surroundings, scared out of their minds. I can see the herd of elephants after being brutally murdered and mutilated for their ivory. I recently read about their tusks being dyed pink so they no longer have any value. I agree with Leine's feelings of disgust with the men who think they can do whatever they want without consequence. I want to see them get theirs.

Wang is a poacher and hopes to become the king of canned hunts, but that is only one of his criminal enterprises. I am hoping, crossing my fingers and talking to the book, please, please, please, make sure he gets what he deserves. I want him to come across someone who can mete out an appropriate punishment. A quick death wouldn't be good enough for me. He needs to suffer horribly.

April is a bonus and I hope her role will grow as DV Berkom expands on the series. I am very curious about her. Leine is her mother and they were estranged for many years, but they had something in common. They had both been abducted. I know April has a story to tell and I want to hear it. What say you, DV?

I read a blog post of DV Berkom's in which she talks of the research she does and I can see it paying off in a big way. The depth and details of the events and how the characters dealt with them were horrific, yet uplifting.

Cargo unfolds at a steady pace as DV Berkom takes us into a dangerous world of abduction, animal and human trafficking, poaching, canned hunts and terrorists. As we travel from the United States, to Bangkok, to sub-Saharan Africa the danger mounts, tension increases and the suspense has me reading faster, telling myself no peeking. When I turned the last page, I sat, just thinking. How cool is that, when a book won't let you go, even after you have finished reading it? That is why DV Berkom is an author to have on your must read list.

I received Cargo by DV Berkom in return for an honest and unbiased review. ( )