Lust, Money & Murder

Books 1, 2, & 3

By: Mike Wells

Narrated by: Sue Sharp

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Born in the worst suburb in Pittsburgh, Elaine Brogan is bright, beautiful and bold. When her father is falsely arrested for passing counterfeit $100 bills, Elaine vows to become a Secret Service agent and track down the man responsible. After barely surviving the arduous Secret Service Training Academy in Laurel, Maryland, she is transferred to bleak and blustery Great Falls, Montana.

But things do not go as planned, and Elaine soon finds herself betrayed and thrown into an adventure that takes her halfway around the world, from dark and mysterious Sofia, Bulgaria, to Moscow Russia, and finally, to Milan, Italy. In the end, will Elaine find the love and happiness she truly seeks…or will she turn to a life of obscene wealth, power and corruption?

©2011 Mike Wells (P)2013 Mike Wells

If anything can go wrong, it will

Starting life as a beloved daughter is a good thing, isn't it? Until it's not. Going to a classy school as a teen is a good thing, isn't it? Until it's not. Saving for college is a good thing, right? And being tagged for modeling if a few classes are taken is good, right? No. But finding a purpose and a goal (revenge) is invigorating. Finding what you need to major in and doing well in college and FBI training is good, right? So is being sent abroad and finding out that you are uniquely qualified for special tasks is good, right? Until it's not. Well, you get the picture, but that's less than half of of this complex tale. So, no more hints or spoilers here. Just get a copy and get into it.
Ms Sharp did a fine job of audio interpreting the characters, their smugness/ambivalence/joy/rage and all, greatly enhancing the writer's work.
I received this book courtesy of AudioBook Blast

On the edge of the chair

What did you love best about Lust, Money & Murder?

Great plot, surprise, but hoped for, ending

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elaine Brogan, a dedicated servant caught in a web of evil not seen

What about Sue Sharp’s performance did you like?

She kept her characters very real

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes!

Pleasantly Surprised

Where does Lust, Money & Murder rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

My reading/listening tastes vary between several different genres and authors. Lust, Money & Murder very quickly made it to my must read/listen list. I am very impatiently waiting for the second part of this trilogy to be completed and available on Audible.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There are several twists and turns and as soon as you think you know the way the story is going to go, it changes again. Definitely a book I had a hard time putting down.

Which scene was your favorite?

The end of book 3 was amazing and took me by complete surprise. Although the entire book was amazing, the ending was my favorite.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Elaine's initial sexual experiences had me laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face.... "Go Rodriguez Go!"

Any additional comments?

Let me start by saying, I came across this book because the author sent me book one for free. About 20 minutes into the book I realized that was not going to be enough so I immediately purchased books 1-3 from Audible. Although I had never heard of this author before, he very quickly made it to my top 10 list. I was not disappointed and you will not be either. This series has all of the major elements needed for a good crime/mystery/thriller with some added humor and romance for a bonus.

Good listen for the road

If you could sum up Lust, Money & Murder in three words, what would they be?

It keeps your interest for a long drive. I didn't want to stop the car the last 45 minutes of the book.

i loved it!

If you could sum up Lust, Money & Murder in three words, what would they be?

i thoroughly enjoyed listening to every moment of this book. the narrator was perfect. the story line kept me holding on to every word. i was praying i wouldn't drive off the highway, i was just that engrossed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lust, Money & Murder?

i liked the ending. the villians body was never found, leaving open the possibility of a sequel and i liked the lead character was a strong woman who could take care of herself in just about any situation.

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

i like her voice and the pace of her reading and the accents of the different characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

i was completely glued to every word.

Great Mystery!

Any additional comments?

This is a great mystery; you get Books 1, 2, and 3 in this audio book. This book was written by Mike Wells and narrated by Sue Sharp. Elaine Brogan was born in the worst suburb in Pittsburgh; she is bright, beautiful and bold. When her father is falsely arrested for using counterfeit bills, She vows to track down the person responsible. She joins the Secret Service and is transferred to Great Falls, Montana. She soon finds herself betrayed.

The narrator Sue Sharp, did a wonderful job, and was very easy to listen too. This is the first book that I have listened to by this narrator, and I am looking forward to listening to more books by her. She did a great job with the different characters and their voices.

This book has a great story; if you are looking for a great mystery with many suspenseful moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat, then you need to get this book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Once I started listening to this book, I didn’t want to stop until the end.

A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Really Wanted to Love This Novel...

I discovered Mike Wells on Twitter, and found him to be a very interesting character himself. He is very well accomplished, and generous with his knowledge and advice. In other words, I like him.

I really wanted to love this novel, and while I did finish it, I did not find it to be, “unputdownable” (a self-proclamation by this author). In fact, I left it for probably a week or more before picking it back up to finish. This is not to say, however that I may not be tempted to try another of his books at some time in the future.

It could be, in part, that I didn’t enjoy this novel because I didn’t like the narrator, although I found much of the dialogue and character development to be left somewhat wanting. Overall, this read was disappointing and I would not recommend it as credit worthy.

Unbelievable and dumb

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Nothing. This is a stupid story with unbelievable characters and plot

Would you be willing to try another one of Sue Sharp’s performances?

Sure

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Shame for having been sucked into buying and listening to it.

Boring. Too dumb to be mildly believable.

Would you try another book from Mike Wells and/or Sue Sharp?

No. The story makes this "woman" sound like a 12 year old girl. Ridiculous choices, no adult smarts, much less Secret Service smarts. Narration is totally flat.

Has Lust, Money & Murder turned you off from other books in this genre?

I will continue reading books in this genre - just avoid Mike Wells.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator kept the same tone regardless of what was happening. Working in the office had the same excitement as being chased by the mob.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

My only reaction was to stop listening and find another book. I stuck with it for the first 4 hours, hoping it would improve. It didn't.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste your time or credit.

unbelievable,

struggled to get to end, hoped it would get better, narrator should not try Irish accents, will not buy author or narrator again.