What inspired you to write this book?
My childhood aspiration was to be an investigative journalist. After a 40-year career in media, none of it as a journalist, I created my alter ego Frank Hollister who does the things I wished I had been able to do. Now, at age 71, I am writing about the things that are important to me like human-trafficking and childhood sexploitation through the eyes of my character.
What is the central theme of Hollister- The Corridor?
The novel deals with the intersection of organized crime with human trafficking and sex-trafficking, in particular. My choice of an Albanian mobster as the antagonist stems from the fact that they are now one of the most active, brutal and growing criminal organizations in the world today.
Where Does the Story Take Place?
I set the story in Hollister’s hometown of London, Ontario and along the 401 Corridor that runs between Windsor, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. London is a place where I lived briefly in the 1980’s. It’s a university town of around 500,000 people with a charming downtown, beautiful parks and a vibrant local culture. It’s also home to some of the most active criminal organizatins in the country.
Tell Us About the Main Characters and the Role They Play in the Story
Frank Hollister is my protagonist. He’s a retired, gay investigative journalist who is drawn back in to look for a missing girl.
Milos Radovan is the antagonist He was an Albanian soldier during the Balkan wars who emigrates to Canada and builds a massive criminal organization
Eldon Ashford (Beef) Hollister’s best friend. Beef is a decorated Afghanistan War veteran who returned home to open a flower shop in London, after vowing to never resort to violence again. He backs Hollister wherever and whenever he asks.
CID Detective Inspector Joanna Lewis Hollinger’s ex wife and confidante. She’s his main source of information and police support when he needs it. Every good investigative reporter has someone like Joanna in their life.
Hollister’s Dad. Although he has a name (which I reveal in the next novel) he is known only as Dad or Professor Hollister in this book. He’s the former dean of philosophy at the university and supports his son unconditionally, although he worries about him constantly.
Why Do You Think This Novel Will Appeal to Readers?
In Frank Hollister, I have created a unique everyman character that readers will find endearing.
Hollister walks around with a chip on his shoulder. He resents that the skills he learned and mastered over 35 years as a print journalist have little value in today’s world. Like so many of our generation, Hollister resents change, even when he understands that it is inevitable. He can’t understand the fashion choices of today’s youth, and he stopped listening to modern music sometime in the 80’s. He regards all new things with a degree of cynicism. He worries that his drinking may be out of control and he goes to bed at the sensible hour of 9:00 each night. Yet despite this, Hollister is an optimist. He’s loyal. And he’s curious.
Deep down, while he knows the world is screwed up, he continues to believe that he can still make a difference. It’s not enough to know that something is. He wants to understand why it is. It’s that quality that made him a good journalist and now, it’s that quality that drives him to solve mysteries others can’t.
Why is This Book Relevant Today?
Human trafficking is a significant issue in Ontario, with the province having the second highest rates of reported cases in Canada, primarily involving sex trafficking and labor exploitation.
In my novel, Hollister: The Corridor, I make the point that existing law around prostitution leaves a lot of room for interpretation. In practice, it virtually ensures that prostitution takes place in secret, behind closed doors, with no discernible impact on the prevalence of prostitution at all.
The current situation makes it inevitable that organized crime finds the provision of prostitution services lucrative. Because prostitution is forced to exist in hiding, it facilitates human trafficking, physical abuse and sexual exploitation, including of juveniles.
Ontario has just renewed its Human Trafficking Strategy for 2025-2030.
Human trafficking doesn’t have to involve crossing borders. And it’s not just a foreign problem, it’s happening right now in communities across Canada. It involves recruiting, moving, or holding victims to exploit them for profit, usually for sexual reasons or forced labour. Traffickers can control and pressure victims by force or through threats, including mental and emotional abuse and manipulation.
-from the Government of Canada Website
What Makes Hollister- The Corridor Different From Other Books Like It?
While Hollister: The Corridor fits solidly into the investigative thriller genre, my protagonist solves his mysteries the old-fashioned way, through research and intuition. He’s an aging gay man who feels that his expertise has no place in the modern world until he discovers that his skills can still find answers that others can’t. Throughout history, popular fiction has played a significant role in bringing about social change. In this case, highlighting the role that organized crime plays in human trafficking in Canada should help readers understand why existing laws are unjust.
How Did You Learn About the Topics You Cover in This Novel?
I’m a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction. My favorite fiction writers are those who include a lot of local color and factual detail- things which I have attempted to do here. While I was aware of the issues surrounding human-trafficking and “The Corridor”, it wasn’t until I created my character, chose a problem for him to investigate and started researching the topic that I learned all the facts I have included in this novel.
How Many Other Books Have You Written?
Although I have written countless editorials in my role as publisher at 27 different newspapers and magazines, acres of ad copy in my role as an advertising manager and hundreds of press releases promoting various interests, this is my first novel. Hollister’s next adventure- The Commemoration will be coming out at the end of 2026. In it, I explore themes around the philosophy of ethics.
F.J. Anderson