Reader's review - Mike Wells (Lust, Money & Murder)

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I just finished reading 'Lust, Money & Murder' by Mike Wells. Before I began reading, I spent some time doing a little research about the author. One thing I noticed was, that Mike Wells describes his books as 'unputdownable' and a 'pageturner'. That sounds good. That's the kind of books I am always looking for. 

'Lust, Money & Murder' is the first book in a series of five books. The story is about a young woman, Elaine Brogan. For personal reasons, she is struggling to qualify for a job at Secret Service. She is not a patriot. Elaine's main reason for qualifying for the job is sheer revenge. Elaine Brogan hopes that it will be possible for her to track a certain man down who was indirectly responsible for her father's miserable death. 

Does the book live up to my expectations? Yes and no. The story is not particularly original, it has been told over and over again, but that doesn't matter if the story is well written. And 'Lust, Money & Murder' IS well written. Mike Wells definitely doesn't waste time. The first chapters creates the framework for the real story, and they justify the female protagonist's motives to make the choices she makes later in the story. The reader gets to know only the most necessary details about Elaine Brogan's family, friends and school. But that is enough for the reader to make a reasonable picture of the young woman, who are about to become the focal point of the history.The language is simple and uncomplicated and the short sentences will certainly make the book attractive to a wider audience. The story itself is fortunately not that simple. It never ends up being boring. In fact, the book contains some interesting information about admission to the Secret Service. I do not know how much of this information that are facts and how much that are fiction, but it certainly helped me to find interest in the story. 

Was there any truth in Mike Wells' contention that his book was 'unputdownable' and a 'pageturner'? Perhaps 'unputdownable' is a little exaggerated. 'Lust, Money & Murder' was not a book I was unable put away, but it was definitely a book I wanted to return to whenever I had a minute to spare.In turn, Mike Wells is absolutely right when he claims that the book is a 'pageturner'. The way the story continues to evolve all the time, makes you hang on all the way. 'Lust, Money & Murder' is definitely good entertainment but ... 

I do not mind that books are written in volumes. Many writers have done that over the years, but I do not like to read a book without any conclution. Unfortunately, that is my experience with 'Lust, Money & Murder'. If I want to know how it ends, I need to buy the other four books. That is unsatisfying! It seems as if Mike Wells doesn't believe in his own protagonist. He does not seem to believe that he has created a protagonist who is so strong, that readers are willing to invest their money in the next four books. He is so wrong!!! Elaine Brogan is definitely sufficiently varied and exciting for one to feel that you want to follow her experiences in the next books. As for now, we are not talking about five separate books, rather than one story, split into five volumes. Now, the first volume of 'Lust, Money & Money' was free, but I have to admit that I am left with a feeling that I have been cheated. I miss the conclusion of a truly good story. 

Mike Wells is not the only one, using this tactic. It seems that it is a phenomenon that is becoming more and more widespread - especially among indie authors. For this reason, I will later address this issue in an article on my blog.