She escaped the traffickers. Now the real chase begins.
It was supposed to be an ordinary Thursday evening in Guildford. But when a terrified young woman throws herself into Stuart Henderson’s car begging for help, his comfortable life shatters in an instant.
Her name is Vân. For over twenty brutal months she has been traded like property across Europe - sold in warehouses, hidden in basements, and erased by a system designed to make people disappear. She has survived by becoming invisible. Now she is running, and the men who claim to own her want her back.
Stuart, his husband Martin, and their eccentric neighbour John quickly become the only thing standing between Vân and the people hunting her. Outmatched, unarmed, and driving a battered Nissan Micra, they find an unexpected ally in seventy-three-year-old Barbara Patterson - sharp-tongued, stubborn, and haunted by ghosts of her own.
As the night spirals into violence, the group is forced to confront what courage truly looks like. Sometimes it doesn’t roar. Sometimes it is six people in a broken car refusing to give up.
Unflinching in its darkness yet disarmingly warm in its humour, The Other Lotus Girl is a story about chosen family, unexpected bravery, and the price of survival. Perfect for fans of Mick Herron’s dark humour and Denise Mina’s gritty, emotional realism.
★★★★★ "An emotional read that kept me on the edge of my seat... a roller coaster ride filled with danger, humor, and lies." – Readers' Favorite
This book reminds me of a Lifetime movie - addicting, good pacing, fun, but a little over the top. And that's okay!
From the first page, Riddle dives right into the action with Van running to Stuart's car, begging for help. Does it seem a little far-fetched that someone would randomly help a stranger in the middle of the day who is being followed and not call the police? Yes. Is it fun and suspenseful and entertaining? Also yes!
So, sure, this book is a little cheesy and unrealistic but don't let that turn you off. This one has heart, has a quick pace, and is impossible to put down! A bit of a content warning as it was a little darker than I expected, but it was still an entertaining story that makes me want to read more from this author. Thanks so much for the ARC!
Based on the subject of trafficking, it is difficult to say I enjoyed the story. That being said, this novel was very well written. Detailed but not graphic. Suspenseful and thought provoking.
This is a novel with two plot lines that were so far apart I had to suspend belief that the two were connected.
The current timeline following the chase of your Vietnamese woman who jumps in a car begging for help. Stuart, his husband Michael, Michael’s mother Barbara, the next-door neighbour John must run for their lives – in a 40 year old Nissan Micra (who deserves her own credit). This was slapstick, trying to be funny but for me this plot line came through a bit 70s comedy. There was no real substance or reality about it.
The other plotline – Van’s timeline was the opposite. Dark, terrifying and very uncomfortable to read. It follows the horrific trade of human trafficking taking Van and her 16-year-old sister from Hoi Chi Min across land to the English Channel.
The ending left me unsatisfied and for me there were elements that were left unanswered. What was the last part of Mai’s story? Why did Van feel the need to protect her by keeping her innocent surely she needed to wake up and realise that all their lives were cheap and they needed to survive. The ending has left me unsatisfied which disappointed me – but this is still a decent read.
This thriller pulled me in fast with its dual timelines and intense pacing. I found myself much more connected to the past timeline - the way Vân’s story unfolded kept me emotionally invested and curious about how it all tied back to the present. That connection made the book hard to put down, even when parts of the writing pulled me out of the flow.
One thing I noticed was Vân’s English in the present tense felt a bit fragmented and broken, while her past tense narration came through in more complete, smoother sentences. It was interesting, but at times it made the transitions feel uneven for me.
I also appreciated how the dual timelines revealed pieces of Vân’s past in ways that built tension and kept me guessing. While I loved the setup and momentum, I did feel the ending came a bit abruptly.
Overall, this is a gripping read if you enjoy psychological thrillers with layered timelines and emotional depth. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while.
Perfect for readers who enjoy: twisty thrillers and character-driven mysteries.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
I found the two parts of the story too incongruous to fully appreciate this novel. If I was just reading the chapters from the past, I would accept it as a tragic story. Whereas if I was just reading the chapters from the present, I would accept it as a humorous story. I simply could not cope with a character's tragic past being transformed into a slapstick chase scene.
Added to this, I found the writing stilted and lacking finesse.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Write Your Review
Perfect for Fans Of
Liane Moriarty
For the domestic setting spiraling into high-stakes chaos
Sophie Hannah
For the UK-based psychological thriller/moral dilemma
Chris Whitaker
For the Literary Crime element - poignant, character-focused stories that deal with deep pain
Lionel Shriver
For the sharp, often cynical social observation and distinctive narrator voice
Chris Cleave
For the literary exploration of serious, real-world issues like human trafficking with an intimate focus
Christopher Brookmyre
For UK crime that incorporates sharp wit and dark comedy
What to Expect
🏃♀️
Desperate Flight
A midnight race through ordinary British streets as traffickers hunt their escaped victim with ruthless determination.
💔
Dual Timeline
Present-day tension interweaves with Van's harrowing 20-month journey from hopeful student to exploited worker.
⚖️
Moral Complexity
Ordinary people face impossible choices when confronted with the dark realities hidden beneath everyday life.
🌍
Social Realism
Kitchen sink drama meets genuine danger in a story that doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths about modern society.
A Standalone Story in the Janus Origin Universe
While The Other Lotus Girl is a complete standalone novel requiring no prior knowledge of the Janus Origin series, it exists within the same universe. The story will later intersect with the main Janus Origin narrative, but it maintains its own satisfying conclusion and can be read independently.
This approach allows readers to experience Van's story on its own terms - a gripping thriller about survival, identity, and the hidden lives that exist parallel to our own - while also enriching the larger Janus Origin world for those following the series.
Editorial Reviews
The Other Lotus Girl by Daniel A. Riddle is about an Asian girl who was trafficked to pay off her parents’ debt. Vân and her sister were promised jobs at a nail salon, but instead were forced into sexual exploitation. For nearly two years, Vân was transported across Europe, doing whatever she had to in hopes of protecting her sister. When Stuart is on his way to buy Earl Grey tea for his mother-in-law, Vân suddenly dives into his car after fleeing her handler. Terrified and begging for safety, Vân gives Stuart no chance to hesitate. Stuart’s decision to help Vân immediately puts him, his husband, Martin, and Martin’s mother in danger. Vân insists they contact Sandra Marsh, a journalist who frequents the salon and suspects what is happening behind the scenes. Sandra is determined to expose the trafficking ring, and with the help of the others, they try to bring it down.
The Other Lotus Girl by Daniel A. Riddle was an emotional read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was hooked from the beginning with the fast-paced plot and all the action that started in the beginning. The story was a roller coaster ride filled with danger, humor, and lies. With all the twists and turns, I never knew what turn the plot would take. I could not put the book down and was turning the pages as fast as I could; I had to know what would happen next. The writing style is engaging, and the theme of human trafficking is handled with great care. The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed the humor between them. The book is excellently written, and I was surprised by the ending.
— Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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