Review: A Thrill Ride that Loses Steam
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2012
Mike Wells' "Lust, Money & Murder" is a good book in three parts. The first one is free, while the last two are affordable and worth the money. The thriller novel chronicles the travails of Elaine Brogan as she overcomes a difficult childhood to join the Secret Service and become one of its top counterfeit currency forensics investigators. Buffeted by job difficulties, torn by office romance, and caught up in a web of counterfeiting intrigue and espionage, Brogan faces danger and life-or-death choices in a story that's fast paced and keeps the reader turning the pages in suspense.The novel is well written with excellent research that offers a fairly authentic portrayal of working overseas for the U.S. Government. Wells' descriptions of Brogan's Secret Service agent training, life working overseas and astute fashion sense seemed quite accurate. At the same time, he peppered the story with realistic action sequences and plot twists that left me riveted. From start to finish, the novel held together and came to an abrupt conclusion in a crisp story.The main shortcoming is that the story threatens to unravel in the final chapters. The ending relied on some plot twists and coincidences that were less than believable; as if Wells knew he needed to bring to book to a close and needed a convenient way to wrap up the book. Part three is good, but it doesn't pack the punch and isn't quite as "unputdownable" as the first two.I recommend this book, especially to fans of thrillers and suspense novels, government junkies, and fashionistas, and give the three parts 4 stars.January 20, 2012 review of part one:Mr. Wells' book is indeed "unputdownable." It's a page-turner that ends much too quickly. I immediately plunked down money to buy books #2 and #3 and am looking forward to continuing Elaine Brogan's saga.Elaine is a likeable, strong, and at the same time, vulnerable character the reader can relate to, even though she lives a far different life than most people do. It's obvious that the author did his research developing her character, from her ancestry to her employer, for a complex character such as Elaine. The tragedies and triumphs she faces in just a few (too) short chapters are believable and draw the reader in. Kudos to the author for a job well done!The main drawback of this book is that ends too quickly and forces the reader to decide whether to buy the next installment or leave it and walk away. For some readers, it will be perfectly fine to buy the rest of the book. However, some readers will balk and complain that the story was left unfinished. In addition, the transitions between some scenes did not flow. The opening gives way to a completely different story in the second scene and leaves one wondering how they're connected. The story as it ends in book #1 does not explain it.I loved this story (so far) and definitely recommend it for readers who love "unputdownable" thrillers.