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Luis Chavez #3
Wages of Sin
Not a day goes by that Father Chavez isn’t haunted by the cold-blooded slaying of his brother, Nicolas. But as the years pass and the case remains unsolved, there looks to be no end to his torment.
When Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Story discovers a possible link between a murdered prosecutor and Nicolas’s death several years before, the priest investigates, uncovering an international money-laundering scheme tying American banks to Mexican cartels. Finding himself the target of a brutal cartel hit squad, Father Chavez heads to Mexico, where he unearths a long-buried secret that pushes his faith to the breaking point.
As he fights to stop a seemingly endless cycle of killing, Father Chavez closes in on his brother’s murderer, learning that sometimes the most incipient evil is found closest to home.
When Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Story discovers a possible link between a murdered prosecutor and Nicolas’s death several years before, the priest investigates, uncovering an international money-laundering scheme tying American banks to Mexican cartels. Finding himself the target of a brutal cartel hit squad, Father Chavez heads to Mexico, where he unearths a long-buried secret that pushes his faith to the breaking point.
As he fights to stop a seemingly endless cycle of killing, Father Chavez closes in on his brother’s murderer, learning that sometimes the most incipient evil is found closest to home.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2017
34 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 9, 2021
Good page turner
Mr Wheaton has brought together, religion, high crimes, and forgiveness.
That's a lot for such a short book. But it is the third book following Luis Chavez.
There is little time to catch your breath with his book. It takes off running from the first paragraph.
The main character, Luis Chavez, is a crime fighting priest, who finds himself learning more about his beloved church than he wanted to believe.
He finds himself almost murdered and ended up in a small Mexican village recuperating and his father is in the same village helping build a school. It seems that this is a good spot to close, but there is also a detective working on the same crime as Luis.
Mr Wheaton has brought together, religion, high crimes, and forgiveness.
That's a lot for such a short book. But it is the third book following Luis Chavez.
There is little time to catch your breath with his book. It takes off running from the first paragraph.
The main character, Luis Chavez, is a crime fighting priest, who finds himself learning more about his beloved church than he wanted to believe.
He finds himself almost murdered and ended up in a small Mexican village recuperating and his father is in the same village helping build a school. It seems that this is a good spot to close, but there is also a detective working on the same crime as Luis.
May 24, 2017
*I received an electronic ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 16, 2017
A captivating, thrilling ride of corruption and cartels in crime-soaked LA
Father Luis Chavez has dedicated his life to the church ever since the death of his brother Nicolas, who was caught in the crossfire of a drug-related shooting. Whilst the loss is still painful, Father Chavez has tried to put Nicolas’ killing behind him – that is, until his friend Chief Deputy DA Michael Story contacts him believing that the recent demise of his prosecutor girlfriend in a car crash was both deliberate murder and possibly related to Nicolas’ death. The two men dig deeper and discover evidence of a huge, international money-laundering scheme connecting American banks and the Mexican cartel. Whilst anyone associated with the case seems to be being picked off by the LA cartel’s hitmen, Father Chavez flees to Mexico where he discovers that the corruption goes even further than the two of them had realised. Story and Chavez have to work together to uncover enough solid evidence to take their loved ones’ murderers down but when possible links to the Catholic Church start to emerge, Chavez has to acknowledge that his life’s calling may not be everything it seems.
This was a well written and engrossing thriller that drops you straight into the action and keeps the pace up until you reach the climax. Despite being the third in a trilogy, I had no trouble in following the plot or understanding the motives of the characters, as the author included enough information on their past experiences to clue up the reader without majorly detracting from current events. Father Chavez was a likeable and interestingly flawed hero and his being a priest meant that aspects of his personality were unique compared to the protagonists of many similar thrillers. His relationship with God formed a big part of his character and even though I am not religious myself, this provided an interesting perspective on issues of morality and what is ‘right’, particularly in the context of members of the church working with the drug cartel in order to protect their congregation. Michael Story was also interesting and again riddled with imperfections, which added a level of realism to his character and also worked with the overall theme of the story, which seemed to be an interesting reflection on how nothing is truly black and white and several layers of grey exist in the morality and behaviour of society.
However, despite plenty of exciting twists, there were no really big shocks in Wages of Sin that stayed with me long after finishing it and would have made it a truly gripping action novel. Whilst it had exciting facets, the overall plot of money-laundering was a little bit slow-moving and not especially exhilarating, and sections of the narrative that focussed on the economics and banking aspect of the crime were a little dry. I was also not fully convinced of the relationship between Story and Chavez, as they barely seemed to interact throughout the novel and their motives for working together seemed unclear, although this may have been better explained in the previous two instalments. A few of the background characters, such as Story’s ex-wife Helen and her criminal boyfriend Oscar, also came over as a little incomplete but again this may be due to their characters being more fully developed in previous novels and despite this, they were certainly not flat or one-dimensional.
Overall, Wages of Sin has all the makings of a good crime thriller and is definitely worth a read for fans of this genre. It can also definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel and
reading the previous two instalments is not necessary to understand or appreciate this one. Despite a few minor issues, this is a clearly well-written book and I would be interested in reading more of the author’s work.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Father Luis Chavez has dedicated his life to the church ever since the death of his brother Nicolas, who was caught in the crossfire of a drug-related shooting. Whilst the loss is still painful, Father Chavez has tried to put Nicolas’ killing behind him – that is, until his friend Chief Deputy DA Michael Story contacts him believing that the recent demise of his prosecutor girlfriend in a car crash was both deliberate murder and possibly related to Nicolas’ death. The two men dig deeper and discover evidence of a huge, international money-laundering scheme connecting American banks and the Mexican cartel. Whilst anyone associated with the case seems to be being picked off by the LA cartel’s hitmen, Father Chavez flees to Mexico where he discovers that the corruption goes even further than the two of them had realised. Story and Chavez have to work together to uncover enough solid evidence to take their loved ones’ murderers down but when possible links to the Catholic Church start to emerge, Chavez has to acknowledge that his life’s calling may not be everything it seems.
This was a well written and engrossing thriller that drops you straight into the action and keeps the pace up until you reach the climax. Despite being the third in a trilogy, I had no trouble in following the plot or understanding the motives of the characters, as the author included enough information on their past experiences to clue up the reader without majorly detracting from current events. Father Chavez was a likeable and interestingly flawed hero and his being a priest meant that aspects of his personality were unique compared to the protagonists of many similar thrillers. His relationship with God formed a big part of his character and even though I am not religious myself, this provided an interesting perspective on issues of morality and what is ‘right’, particularly in the context of members of the church working with the drug cartel in order to protect their congregation. Michael Story was also interesting and again riddled with imperfections, which added a level of realism to his character and also worked with the overall theme of the story, which seemed to be an interesting reflection on how nothing is truly black and white and several layers of grey exist in the morality and behaviour of society.
However, despite plenty of exciting twists, there were no really big shocks in Wages of Sin that stayed with me long after finishing it and would have made it a truly gripping action novel. Whilst it had exciting facets, the overall plot of money-laundering was a little bit slow-moving and not especially exhilarating, and sections of the narrative that focussed on the economics and banking aspect of the crime were a little dry. I was also not fully convinced of the relationship between Story and Chavez, as they barely seemed to interact throughout the novel and their motives for working together seemed unclear, although this may have been better explained in the previous two instalments. A few of the background characters, such as Story’s ex-wife Helen and her criminal boyfriend Oscar, also came over as a little incomplete but again this may be due to their characters being more fully developed in previous novels and despite this, they were certainly not flat or one-dimensional.
Overall, Wages of Sin has all the makings of a good crime thriller and is definitely worth a read for fans of this genre. It can also definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel and
reading the previous two instalments is not necessary to understand or appreciate this one. Despite a few minor issues, this is a clearly well-written book and I would be interested in reading more of the author’s work.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
December 12, 2017
I’ve read the Father Luis Chavez series in order. What I enjoyed about the first two books was their strong characters and pacy plots and the way they immerse you in a world – the first, Mexican migrant labourers, and the second Triad gangs, as well as exploring the Los Angeles of Luis Chavez and his complicated relationships with his God and his past.
Luis Chavez was a gang member before he changed his life and became a priest, and still maintains a close friendship with his childhood friend Oscar de Icaza, who is involved in that world. A crime in the first novel brings him into contact with Deputy District Attorney Michael Storey, and despite conflicting aims and values they work together to solve a crime, a relationship that continues, with a certain degree of implausibility, throughout the series.
Wages of Sin is the third in the series. It begins promisingly with a life-changing event for Michael Storey and the discovery of a money-laundering conspiracy. There is also a possible connection to the death of Luis’ brother several years ago. Oscar is expanding his criminal empire. Meanwhile Luis is having a crisis of faith. These connected events soon mushroom into a massive plot which draws in all the key characters in the series, plus a significant number of new ones, with action taking place across continents.
In the earlier books we become immersed in the stories of the different characters and their worlds. In this one, there are so many people that I found it hard to stay involved. New characters whose stories were set up at the beginning were forgotten in all the rushing between locations. Luis’ questioning of his religion didn’t get the treatment I thought it deserved.
In the other books in the series the conflict comes in part from within the characters. Each time they struggle to escape their constraints, they are bound ever tighter by their irreconcilable desires and loyalties. Here it was much more on the outside. It’s as if he took Chandler’s wry observation on writing pulp fiction, “When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand”, for advice. It feels like the interesting relationships built up in the earlier books were squandered as each of the main characters acted largely in isolation. And I’m afraid I saw the big twist at the end coming a mile off.
Luis Chavez is an interesting character and the books offer a fresh take on the amateur detective. They are best read in order as the series characters change during the development (and the later books include rather a lot of spoilers). If you’ve enjoyed the first two you’ll probably want to read this one too, but I feel a bit sad that the author hasn’t done his characters justice.
*
I received a copy of Wages of Sin from the publisher via Netgalley.
This review first appeared on my blog https://katevane.com/blog/
Luis Chavez was a gang member before he changed his life and became a priest, and still maintains a close friendship with his childhood friend Oscar de Icaza, who is involved in that world. A crime in the first novel brings him into contact with Deputy District Attorney Michael Storey, and despite conflicting aims and values they work together to solve a crime, a relationship that continues, with a certain degree of implausibility, throughout the series.
Wages of Sin is the third in the series. It begins promisingly with a life-changing event for Michael Storey and the discovery of a money-laundering conspiracy. There is also a possible connection to the death of Luis’ brother several years ago. Oscar is expanding his criminal empire. Meanwhile Luis is having a crisis of faith. These connected events soon mushroom into a massive plot which draws in all the key characters in the series, plus a significant number of new ones, with action taking place across continents.
In the earlier books we become immersed in the stories of the different characters and their worlds. In this one, there are so many people that I found it hard to stay involved. New characters whose stories were set up at the beginning were forgotten in all the rushing between locations. Luis’ questioning of his religion didn’t get the treatment I thought it deserved.
In the other books in the series the conflict comes in part from within the characters. Each time they struggle to escape their constraints, they are bound ever tighter by their irreconcilable desires and loyalties. Here it was much more on the outside. It’s as if he took Chandler’s wry observation on writing pulp fiction, “When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand”, for advice. It feels like the interesting relationships built up in the earlier books were squandered as each of the main characters acted largely in isolation. And I’m afraid I saw the big twist at the end coming a mile off.
Luis Chavez is an interesting character and the books offer a fresh take on the amateur detective. They are best read in order as the series characters change during the development (and the later books include rather a lot of spoilers). If you’ve enjoyed the first two you’ll probably want to read this one too, but I feel a bit sad that the author hasn’t done his characters justice.
*
I received a copy of Wages of Sin from the publisher via Netgalley.
This review first appeared on my blog https://katevane.com/blog/
June 4, 2017
Father Luis Chavez has dedicated his life to the Catholic Church. He serves in Los Angeles and his neighborhood poses many challenges. He lost his own brother to a drive-by shooting. Recently, he has lost his “connection” with God amid increased violence in his part of L.A. It is when Chavez becomes a target of the cartel responsible for the violence that he discovers a money-laundering scheme that could involve the Church itself. He flees to Mexico, only to discover that the institution he has served all his life has been forced to do the cartel’s bidding in order to obtain much needed money for the poor Mexican towns it serves. In order to make things right, he will have to betray that which he holds most dear and he could very well be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Wages of Sin by Mark Wheaton is the 3rd Father Chavez book, featuring a mystery-solving Catholic Priest. While certainly not a new idea, this book, at least, seems attempt to hold its own in this mystery sub-category. This is the first book I’ve read of this series and by this author and honestly, it could have been better. The plot idea was solid but the flow was a little sluggish. There was hardly any interaction between Chavez and Michael Story, despite what the synopsis might lead one to believe. The action didn’t take off until about a third of the way in and some of the flashbacks were not clearly defined. I am somewhat on the fence as to whether or not I will give Wheaton another try and can only give this book 2/5 stars.
Wages of Sin by Mark Wheaton is the 3rd Father Chavez book, featuring a mystery-solving Catholic Priest. While certainly not a new idea, this book, at least, seems attempt to hold its own in this mystery sub-category. This is the first book I’ve read of this series and by this author and honestly, it could have been better. The plot idea was solid but the flow was a little sluggish. There was hardly any interaction between Chavez and Michael Story, despite what the synopsis might lead one to believe. The action didn’t take off until about a third of the way in and some of the flashbacks were not clearly defined. I am somewhat on the fence as to whether or not I will give Wheaton another try and can only give this book 2/5 stars.
August 25, 2017
Sometimes people look away and reveal themselves as so lacking in their own faith that they fear something on the other end of a telescope that will shatter it. But sometimes we look right at it but are too blind to see. Which is worse?
This is my first of the Luis Chavez series. Chavez is what I would call a rouge priest that is searching. Searching for his brother's killer and why; his own father who abandoned the family and is now back in Louis life a changed man; and the presence of God who seems so far away. I would not call this Christian book as it gets pretty intense as Chavez is dealing with the drug cartel and money laundering. The dudes that head these operations take no prisoners and nothing is sacred.
It begins with a accident of Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Story girlfriend who was killed in apparent car accident. With the help of Father Chavez they begin to uncover a tangled web of greed. In his uncovering, he discovers the role of the church and how to redeem what is broken. The Wages of Sin becomes a high price to pay as Chavez seeks the truth.
A Special Thank You to Thomas Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
This is my first of the Luis Chavez series. Chavez is what I would call a rouge priest that is searching. Searching for his brother's killer and why; his own father who abandoned the family and is now back in Louis life a changed man; and the presence of God who seems so far away. I would not call this Christian book as it gets pretty intense as Chavez is dealing with the drug cartel and money laundering. The dudes that head these operations take no prisoners and nothing is sacred.
It begins with a accident of Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Story girlfriend who was killed in apparent car accident. With the help of Father Chavez they begin to uncover a tangled web of greed. In his uncovering, he discovers the role of the church and how to redeem what is broken. The Wages of Sin becomes a high price to pay as Chavez seeks the truth.
A Special Thank You to Thomas Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
February 24, 2024
Book 3 of the Luis Chavez series by Mark Wheaton, Wages of Sin, finds Father Luis Chavez still dwelling on the murder of his brother, Nicholas, some years ago; something he knows he’ll never get over. However, when Michael Story, Chief Deputy District Attorney finds a link between a new murder and Luis’ brother’s death, he begins to have some hope and try to solve the murder. Unfortunately, there are more murders and Chavez finds himself overwhelmed with all of the links to his brother. His investigation may well be the death of him.
Wheaton is an excellent storyteller and his writing is good and easy to follow. Chavez is a good protagonist and Wheaton is a well-developed character who is believable. The sub-characters are also well-developed, which makes reading enjoyable and makes it seem like these are real people.
This novel has a good plot and plenty of surprising scenarios that make the story flow. Readers will be on the edges of their seats, as the suspense builds throughout the novel. The dénouement is a surprise. This novel is worth reading. Wheaton’s previous novels in this series are also worth reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
Wheaton is an excellent storyteller and his writing is good and easy to follow. Chavez is a good protagonist and Wheaton is a well-developed character who is believable. The sub-characters are also well-developed, which makes reading enjoyable and makes it seem like these are real people.
This novel has a good plot and plenty of surprising scenarios that make the story flow. Readers will be on the edges of their seats, as the suspense builds throughout the novel. The dénouement is a surprise. This novel is worth reading. Wheaton’s previous novels in this series are also worth reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
April 29, 2019
What was the reason for the death of Father Luis´s brother?
Ah wells. While I still like some parts of this series (the glimpses of real faith and the Mexico stay (as I love the country)), I must say that this was the book I had the most problems to connect with from the whole series. While the corruption of the Catholic Church is/might be a serious problem (as who knows what the truth is?), the plot is just a combination of motifs not backed by the real proofs, the internal logic is weak and the limit of random "secrets from the past" is too high for the plot to be believable.
As a Catholic, I also must say that I find the book being not objective concerning the religious aspect.
Ah wells. While I still like some parts of this series (the glimpses of real faith and the Mexico stay (as I love the country)), I must say that this was the book I had the most problems to connect with from the whole series. While the corruption of the Catholic Church is/might be a serious problem (as who knows what the truth is?), the plot is just a combination of motifs not backed by the real proofs, the internal logic is weak and the limit of random "secrets from the past" is too high for the plot to be believable.
As a Catholic, I also must say that I find the book being not objective concerning the religious aspect.
July 13, 2017
This was a good book but at times it seemed like the author went into a lot of details that didn't seem pertinent to the story and caused the story to drag a bit. I did enjoy the book and wanted to keep reading because I have never not finished a book I started. It was interesting but I never felt that "oh my gosh" moment to where I didn't want to put the book down. Good story, like the characters, but some of it was a bit of a stretch, IMO.
I received this book for free for an honest opinion.
I received this book for free for an honest opinion.
October 18, 2017
Hooks you on the first page
For those of you that haven't read the first two Father Luis Chavez novels you can read this as a stand alone. Wheaton's characters are engaging, the story is germane to today's world and most likely fact based and researched. If you happen to be a devout Roman Catholic what Father Chavez discovers will turn your stomach. A great story that will grab you in the beginning and not let go until the last sentence
For those of you that haven't read the first two Father Luis Chavez novels you can read this as a stand alone. Wheaton's characters are engaging, the story is germane to today's world and most likely fact based and researched. If you happen to be a devout Roman Catholic what Father Chavez discovers will turn your stomach. A great story that will grab you in the beginning and not let go until the last sentence
June 30, 2017
Where will we go from here?
Mark Wheaton tells another Fr. Luis Chavez story that lives up to the first two books. Intrigue, twisted plots that ring true, a disturbing view of the cartels in Mexico and the lives of the people there....and a twist at the end that makes me hope we have not seen the last of this series.
Mark Wheaton tells another Fr. Luis Chavez story that lives up to the first two books. Intrigue, twisted plots that ring true, a disturbing view of the cartels in Mexico and the lives of the people there....and a twist at the end that makes me hope we have not seen the last of this series.
July 11, 2017
I really struggled through this book, and part of the reason for that may be that it is #3 in a series that I haven't read. I enjoyed Father Chavez's character and I liked reading about him (especially his relationship with God and crime), but it wasn't enough to get me invested in the book or the series.
Thanks to Mark Wheaton and Thomas & Mercer for an electronic copy of the book for review.
Thanks to Mark Wheaton and Thomas & Mercer for an electronic copy of the book for review.
June 23, 2018
Having lived long enough to know that power and greed often succeed and that truth is often buried for convenience, I no longer wish to read books with unsatisfying endings where justice is determined by money and influence. This book offers a sliver of hope but that does not make up for all the pages of hopelessness and misery.
July 1, 2017
While I absolutely enjoyed the first two books in the series, this one did not hold my attention in the slightest. I found it slow and forced. The money laundering theme was confusing at times. The ending was unsatisfying.
October 2, 2017
The best of the three
I enjoyed reading all of the Luis Chavez novels and this is my favorite. It speaks to faith when all around seems to be falling apart. it speaks to the forgiveness of a falling parent. It speaks to a new path when old paths crumble.
I enjoyed reading all of the Luis Chavez novels and this is my favorite. It speaks to faith when all around seems to be falling apart. it speaks to the forgiveness of a falling parent. It speaks to a new path when old paths crumble.
February 28, 2019
Irresistible . Not turning to the next page is not an option. At least for me. I know it will be for the next reader too.
Irresistible . Not turning to the next page is not an option. At least for me. I know it will be for the next reader too.
Irresistible . Not turning to the next page is not an option. At least for me. I know it will be for the next reader too.
September 7, 2023
Movie worthy
These books kept me reading more and unable to put down till I was finished. The story line was interesting and believable.
I would recommend this series to anyone who loves a good mystery crime story.
These books kept me reading more and unable to put down till I was finished. The story line was interesting and believable.
I would recommend this series to anyone who loves a good mystery crime story.
March 1, 2018
Loved, loved, loved this book. It's a must read as far as I'm concerned.
March 23, 2023
A good but not great continuation and resolution to the investigations and adventures of Father Chavez.
The prior two books were sweeping and dramatic, dealing with human trafficking and a pandemic.
This one took the adventures into Mexico, too, and was just a little too ambitious/tried to deal with too many things.
A fast and exciting read on vacation, though, if some of the details don't quite make sense.
The prior two books were sweeping and dramatic, dealing with human trafficking and a pandemic.
This one took the adventures into Mexico, too, and was just a little too ambitious/tried to deal with too many things.
A fast and exciting read on vacation, though, if some of the details don't quite make sense.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews