Busted

By: Michele I. Khoury

Narrated by: Rich Miller

Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Impacted by the recession, 24-year-old artist Gina McKenna is down to her last few dollars and days away from living in her car when a successful businessman buys a painting and commissions another. As their relationship evolves, she's seduced by his charm and mesmerized by his luxurious lifestyle until she discovers he's a drug kingpin. As her world turns upside down, she struggles to survive vicious brutality.

Miguel Lopez is a cocaine supplier with a weightlifter's physique and 'the rules do not apply to me' attitude. Maniacal and ruthless, he has no qualms about killing anyone who interferes with his distribution network, including Gina.

Dedicated to eradicating illegal drugs, DEA Special Agent Bobby Garcia spent months and hundreds of thousands of dollars working undercover to buy his way up a dealer chain to identify the moneyman. When his 14-year-old daughter overdoses on cocaine, he traces the blow to Lopez. As Bobby's mission becomes personal, he makes emotional decisions, which negatively impact civilians and his job. Unable to let go, he risks his career to orchestrate the biggest drug sting in Southern California. What happens isn't what he expected.

When a deputy district attorney meets Gina at a party, he is smitten. As his attraction grows, so does Gina's involvement with the DEA's case, of which he is the designated prosecutor. Mindful of his professional ethics, he tries to stifle his feelings.

Sex and violence permeate the twists and turns of this cautionary tale about choosing one's friends well.

©2017 Michele I. Khoury (P)2017 Michele I. Khoury

The biggest problem in America

Would you consider the audio edition of Busted to be better than the print version?

Have only heard the Audible Edition.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Did not have a favorite but all the characters were unique in how they handled there drug problem.

What does Rich Miller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A better understanding of each character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really.

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Riveting!

Riveting and fast-paced! While an entertaining thriller, it is informative on issues and conflicts about illegal drugs, a powerful formula for a fiction novel. Kudos to Michele who has certainly done her research.

what the drug can do

okay I will begin and say that I did like the story I had some issues with the book I want to say I hadn't but I did
how to say it properly?
too much conveniency?
too much drama?
well yes I can understand the situation of an artist that doesn't want to work as something else but seriously get real you have to and though it was a problem for me I did like her very strong personality the story is good and I had some issues with it but I did like it a lot
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

A strange dicotomy in this story

I say that because the book seemed to bounce back and forth between a life-like story of the trappings of being involved with the culture of big-time drug dealers and a simplistic love story. Add to that how the legal system and art world play into it and you end up with a story that bounces back and forth between being brutally violent, to sexy, to uplifting.

Despite the story twists in the flavor of the story, I seemed to enjoy it to a certain extent; in short, it kept my attention. Overall it was an OK listen, but I think it could have been improved with a different narrator, or at least with out such a sense of trying to "force" so many different character voices.

Overall I suppose I would recommend this as a somewhat enjoyable, light listen of a topic that is difficult to not be presented as being overly violent. A review copy of this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in return for this unbiased review. If you found this review helpful, please take a moment to click yes below.

Art and cocaine

This was an overall well written book that captured my interest right off. The story of an artist that for some reason wasn't willing to get a normal job while trying to sell her art. She was practically living on the street but still didn't want to even interview for a job that was practically handed to her. Doesn't make much sense to me but perhaps I'm too practical. So, along comes Mr. Handsome and wealthy who she doesn't know is into drugs and all of a sudden her world is all messed up. I found this to be an engrossing book that has some very real information about cocaine and how it seems to be almost everywhere. I didn't care for the way it was always referenced as "blow" instead of cocaine or coke. It just sounded a bit overdramatic to me. The narration was very good and easy to listen to. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.