What would you do if one of your clients took their own life—and you knew exactly who was behind it?
For Rebecca “Becky” Martinez, a former Marine turned trauma counselor, that question isn’t hypothetical. It’s the spark that ignites Suffer the Children, a relentless new thriller that takes readers from quiet American suburbs to the chaotic streets of Manila—and deep into the darkest corners of the global underworld.
When John Peterson, one of Becky’s clients, dies by suicide after being blackmailed by online scammers, guilt drives her across the world. She sets her sights on “Jasmine,” the woman who lured John into the trap. But Manila is not what it seems. Instead of finding a lone scammer, Becky uncovers Maya Payag—a young Filipina forced into the fraud by a criminal empire that uses romance scams as bait for something far worse: a sprawling organ trafficking network.
At the heart of this empire is Dr. Isabella Cruz, a respected figure running a prestigious medical institute. Behind closed doors, however, Cruz auctions off the organs of kidnapped children and vulnerable women to the highest bidder. Becky’s path collides with Cruz’s operation after she kills one of its enforcers in self-defense. Her actions put her on the radar of Colonel Ramos, who recruits her for a special task force. Adopting a new identity—Rachel Reyes—Becky infiltrates the Cruz Institute itself, descending into a nightmare world of dark-web auctions, children kept alive for harvest, and a ticking clock to save Maya from a fate worse than death.
Working alongside undercover agent Marco Flores, Becky penetrates Cruz’s inner circle, balancing on a knife’s edge between exposure and success. Every move is dangerous. Every secret she uncovers is more horrific than the last. The tension explodes in a gripping finale inside Cruz’s underground operating theater, where Becky confronts the doctor herself in a fight for survival—and for the lives of dozens of children.
Suffer the Children isn’t just a pulse-pounding thriller. It’s a story about corruption and exploitation, about how the powerful prey on the vulnerable. It’s about guilt and redemption, about Becky’s personal war to honor John’s memory and save Maya. And it’s about the hydra of evil—criminal networks that adapt, survive, and grow, even when you cut off one head.
With 42 children rescued but countless more still at risk, Becky realizes the fight is far from over. The novel closes with both hope and haunting reality—justice is possible, but it comes at a personal cost.
If you love the grit of military thrillers, the sharp twists of crime procedurals, and the moral weight of social justice narratives, Suffer the Children delivers all three in one explosive package. It’s not just a story about one woman’s quest—it’s a mirror held up to the real-world horrors of human trafficking and organized exploitation.
