Stolen Souls sees Neville putting the politics aside to move into classic crime fiction territory. Like tens of thousands of young women before her Gayla Petrova believes she can make a better life in the UK, work hard as a nanny, and send money home to educate her brother. The reality she finds in Belfast is very different. A brief stint on a mushroom farm is followed, inevitably, by relocation to a suburban brothel. The usual process – in life as in fiction – of abuse then acquiescence is not for Gayla though. She’s tougher than the others and when it comes time for the break-in round she fights back, cutting the throat of her would-be rapist. Unfortunately for Gayla, Tomas isn’t some random client but part of the international people trafficking operation which has brought her to Belfast. In the ensuing chaos, as his associates try to dump his body and distance themselves from the murder, Gayla runs. Stolen Souls is a brutalising read, the pace is unrelenting and the guts of the story so close to reality that there’s no shaking off the horror when you’re done with it. You better brace yourself.
