Cargo

A Leine Basso Thriller, Book 4

By: D.V. Berkom

Narrated by: Kristi Alsip

An adventurous young backpacker, captured and sold. A black market merchant who will stop at nothing to amass the power he craves. The one woman who can stop him before he destroys everything…

Haunted by memories of an op gone bad, former assassin Leine Basso travels to Bangkok in search of a missing backpacker. With help from an old contact, she discovers the man responsible for the girl’s disappearance is connected to a violent Hong Kong triad and is the linchpin of an extensive trafficking network—both animal and human.

Making enemies isn’t new for Leine, but making one in the triad is—she soon finds herself a prisoner on board a cargo ship headed for sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure her survival and to continue her hunt for the missing girl, she must join forces with Derek, an ivory poacher who promises to help her.

For a price.

©2015 D.V. Berkom (P)2024 D.V. Berkom

Very well narrated

This audible book was read by a talented narrator who managed to convincingly depict the many characters with various accents. However the storyline was a “ minestrone “ of plots intertwined haphazardly. Mildly entertaining but not riveting.

Great narration, overall forgettable story

This was the first Leine Basso book I have read or listened to, but after finishing it I don't really have any urge to read another. The narrator was fantastic and I'm sure I'd enjoy listening to other books performed by her. But the story was just okay, and Leine was pretty vanilla for a supposed former CIA assassin. It was a sobering look into the illegal ivory trade in Africa and how the whole world is complicit whether we like to admit it or not, and of course the human traffic elements were all too realistic from what I know about that world. But when those are the best parts of the book, and the characters and plot are forgettable and too slow to unfold, I can't really recommend the resulting work. But, as with all reviews, your mileage may vary.

Interesting

Leine travels a long way to try and find the missing backpacker in Bangkok. Action is the name of the game here. You don't want to miss this audio or any of the other stories.

Five Stars Must Read

Any additional comments?

"DV Delivers a True Mystery Thriller 5+ Stars! "
What did you love best about Cargo?
I loved how I was blindsided by the book. I half expected a decent suspenseful thriller. This knocked me over the head and I had to hold on tight for the ride.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
The plot was deep and complex. I could not figure out how Leine was going to be the heroine. I held my breath so many times and would have flipped the book to the final pages just to appease my curiosity.
Have you listened to any of Kristi Alsip’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This was my first audio from Kristi. I think I'm going to start her fan club. In all honesty, she was magnificent in this book and I plan to download the other book she narrated in this series.
Any additional comments?
I've been hesitant to read MC (ex) assassins - to the point I usually avoid them. I've never found it even vaguely intriguing or interesting. But I came across this author on an InstaFreebie site and was instantly subscribed to her newsletter. She's one of the few I haven't clicked "unsubscribe". I figured if her emails keep me entertained, what could a seven hour audiobook do to me?
Oh my wow.
Although this was book 4 in a series, I was able to fall in behind the characters as if I grew up with them. They were an incredible bunch with realistic thoughts, sound judgement, and tangible emotions with corresponding actions. I'd love to invite them over for Thanksgiving dinner! (It's not too early for an RSVP because I'll have to carefully plan to impress!)
Rarely have I lost myself and track of time into the depths of an academically - and grammatically/editorially - deep and suspenseful adventure. The ops is transcontinental and mulit layered in several cultures. It's tight and holds water (and attention).
I am DYING to get to the other books in this series and may even check out the Kate Jones series. Kristi Alsip was a DYNAMIC narrator for this book. It doesn't appear she has narrated all of Ms Berkom's books, but I will download the ones she voiced first. I'd prefer to keep up the momentum and my enthusiam within this genre (assassins MC) and am apprehensive to change to another narrator. We all know it's a blissful blessing when the two are on the same wavelength.
I strongly, wholeheartedly recommend this audio (author + narrator) for anyone who truly believes listening to a book is a well deserved mini vacation and treat, not to be taken lightly, and money and time well spent!

So much more than I expected!!!

D.V. Berkom is one of my favorite authors! This story has so many twists and turns in it. I loved the consistency of the characters in her books and the introduction of new characters. This particular book has almost 2 stories woven into one. The subject of human trafficking and animal poaching is brought to light. The narrator did an awesome performance with this book. My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it. I do not like to give away spoilers in my reviews. This book is part of a series, yet it is a standalone book. I was voluntarily provided with this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher.

Wow!

Gritty suspense with some heartbreaking moments. Elephant poaching figures strongly in this edge of your seat book. Highly recommended.