A woman who has lost her job, her marriage, and someone she loves needs only one thing: a new beginning. Anne, a twenty-eight-year-old woman in Unni Roberts’ novel Trapped, feels trapped in her sorrows. She is a major source of concern for her family members during family dinner, and self-blame tortures her in her house, which she shares with a white rat named Tonny. Worse, the debt collector will not leave her alone. Then, in a newspaper ad, Anne sees an opportunity and boards the next plane to the Bahamas. Things do not go as planned during her brief stay in Nassau, especially after her encounter with Maxim. Together with Sylvia, Anne must now fight for their survival, as not only the Russians but also local gangs and pirates are after them.
To begin with, I enjoyed reading this book because of the quality of the writing. The sentences are straightforward and free of distractions. Furthermore, the plot doesn’t slow once it has started.
Trapped is written in the first person, though Roberts occasionally shifts the point of view to reveal other characters’ perspectives on the main character. Roberts has created a likable protagonist through this approach, one that readers will love, sympathize with, and get to know much better. The female characters are well-developed, each with flaws, and, most importantly, they can fight. The other characters, particularly Traction, Mel, and Toby, are also interesting as they help drive the plot to its climax.
I would like to see Mel in action, especially since he goes MIA when his military skills are needed and shows up at the end. I would also like to know Sylvia’s fate. Because there’s the second book, Framed, I hope I’ll have my wish.
To summarize, Trapped is only appropriate for adult readers because it contains kidnapping, arson, violence, and at least two instances of rape within its 237 pages.
