The Bracelet

Roberta Gately's novel, The Bracelet, has a social issue she is trying to address - that of human trafficking.  

Abby Monroe takes a job in Pakistan with the UN after a devastating break-up with her boyfriend, Eric.  En route to her post she spends some time in Geneva. While out for a run on her last morning there, Abby sees a woman plunge to her death from a building while arguing with a man.  Although she tries to alert the authorities, when she returns with them the body is gone.  The woman's face and that of her attacker are etched in Abby's mind, along with the bracelet the woman was wearing. 

Abby continues on to Pakistan where she begins her new job looking through vaccination information.  Her job is none too exciting, but between her new friend, Najeela, and pesky reporter Nick, Abby keeps busy.  When Nick takes her to a house for young women who have been rescued after having been sold by their families, Abby finds something to devote herself to, wanting to make a difference in the world.  

Yet, she is still plagued by nightmares of the accident she witnessed in Geneva, and things in Pakistan heat up as she and Nick find themselves targets of some of the country's top criminals.

Gately's novel is an easy read, yet it did a great job increasing my awareness of the issue of human trafficking.  The suspense and romance Gately includes will keep readers turning the pages of  The Bracelet as they race to find out what happens to Abby.