Megan's Cure

by Robert B. Lowe

When 10-year-old Megan Kim disappears from her school on the Alabama Gulf Coast, it has all the signs of a child abduction. However, a more complicated story soon emerges. The action follows Megan and a brilliant but troubled scientist across the South on a desperate mission to evade their pursuers. Big Pharma is intent on burying Megan and the secret she carries.

Meanwhile, reporter Enzo Lee is trying to save his gravely ill grandmother and embarks on a search for a cure. That quest leads him to the fugitive pair. Together, they must confront the wrath of the entire drug industry armed with the deadly tools of organized crime.

Megan's Cure is an action-filled story played out in the labs and boardrooms of Big Pharma as well as along the rural byroads of the Deep South. This is the third novel in the Enzo Lee mystery thriller series By Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert B. Lowe.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2014

About the author

My mystery thriller series is set mainly in San Francisco and features a jaded journalist, Enzo Lee, who is pried away from his niche covering fluffy features and thrown into some tough situations.

I'm a life-long fan of mystery novels from the Hardy Boys through LeCarre, Francis, Grisham, Hiaasen, Child and many more. Out of college, I was a newspaper reporter for 12 years for publications in Arizona and Florida. I won a Pulitzer Prize for my investigative reporting while at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.

My second career was as a lawyer (now reformed). I worked at a couple of law firms in the Bay Area in the high-tech start up realm. After 5 years, I decided to get into the business side instead and was CEO or a high-level officer at larger and smaller tech companies since the mid-90s.

Project Moses was my first novel. Divine Fury is my second. Megan's Cure is the third.

I enjoy golf and hit the gym at least three times a week where I'm a terror on the cross training machines. I'm a devoted and proud father of two daughters. One aspires to be a doctor and the other is navigating high school and trying desperately to keep me up to date.

My website is:

www.robertblowe.com

Visit me on Facebook:

http://on.fb.me/TAkj6f

Reviews

[Marilou George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Robert B. Lowe presents the latest installment of the Enzo Lee Mystery Series with his new book “Megan’s Cure. This story brings back one of my favorite characters, Enzo Lee, a reporter from San Francisco. He is concerned about his Grandmother who is dying of cancer, and is at a loss to help her. Miles away in coastal Alabama Megan Kim suddenly disappears from school accompanied by a grey haired man. Was Megan kidnapped, did she go with the man willingly and who is this unknown grey haired man? Walter Novak, the man who Megan is with, had previously discovered a cure for cancer until he was abruptly forced to stop all research. Enzo, Megan & Walter lives will become forever entwined as the story unfolds and holds you captive until the end.

The characters in this story are well defined as we learn about their lives and how they come crashing together in this powerful story. We are also able to hear the story from different perspectives which made it even more intriguing. The greed and total lack of compassion by the Pharmaceutical Companies, where money is king above all else, is an issue that really makes you contemplate a real life scenario.

The plot of the story kept me enthralled throughout as I became engaged with the characters and the events that pull them all together. I totally enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all readers.

Robert B. Lowe has a unique and finely tuned style of writing that always keeps me wanting more. His characters, and the depictions of the locations where the story takes place are vivid and compelling. When I am reading Lowe’s books I actually feel as if I am there as a silent observer as the story and characters unfold in front of me.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

2006-2007, setting in Alabama; Lucy Quan, & her BFF Megan Kim (10) attended Langford Brice Elementary School. Megan was talking to an older man by the playground.
Lucy went back to Mrs. White’s fifth-grade classroom. Megan had vanished.
Police Chief Cliff Davidson came to investigate. Next he went to Mary Kim’s (mother) house. Billy Kim (cousin) translated. Walter J. Novak (Harvard, Duke, MIT, John Hopkins) had kidnapped her. Or did he?

FBI Salvatore Murph Murphy was investigating Mary Kim. Dung Billy Kim (Mary’s cousin) had called him. Detective Bobbie Connors was investigating also. Enzo Lee (reporter) was covering the now popular story. Where will this wild goose chase take all of them?

The plot thickens; Edwin Merrick’s (CEO; Board Chairman) had purchased Walter J. Novak’s company, Medvak. The pharmaceutical company dynasty is now called. Merrick & Merrick (pharmaceutical company). Troy Axmann is the VP.

What will become of Megan Kim? Could this miricale drug Morceptin (Roxaten) help eradicate cancer?

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written adventurous, thrilling, mysterious (puzzle) book. It was very easy to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. No grammar errors, repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make great action packed movie or mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free book (Story Cartel).
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Megan's Cure
Author: Robert B. Lowe
Publisher: Enzo Lee Publications
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:

"Megan's Cure" by Robert B. Lowe was a down right good old mystery thriller read and the third in this author's series. Once you start reading "Megan's Cure" it will be hard to put down. We find this investigator reporter, Enzo Lee only doing what he does so well trying to save his dying grandmother life when he uncovers a 'pharmaceutical conspiracy.' This story will move rather quickly so you will have to keep up because there is so much going on between where this story starts....the Gulf Coast of Alabama where this young child of 10 was kidnapped and on into where Enzo lives in San Francisco. As a visitor of the San Francisco area I was able to identify with some of the descriptions of that area as the author gave to the reader. Also, I found from the read that this author gave a very captivating storylines with twist and turns of a view of the pharmaceutical industry along with some very interesting characters. From this read you will definitely get into some real world issues of it all that will give the reader something truly think about long after the read.

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope one day maybe this will happen.

For a lot of us cancer is really all around us, live with it and takes our loved ones. Read this book and some day soon cure will happen. Touching story.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so.Shelley MA

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the previous Enzo Lee book I read, a plot about fraud and conspiracy in pharmaceutical trials.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan’s Cure is Robert Lowe’s latest Enzo Lee thriller. I read the first two and enjoyed them both – this one is even better.

When 10-year old Megan Kim disappears, the police assume that she was kidnapped. However, it becomes a puzzle quickly when they talk with her parents, who are evasive but admit that Megan called them and that she’s safe and should be back home in a few days. However, they won’t tell the police where she is or who she is with, only that they are obviously unconcerned with the situation.

Meanwhile, Enzo Lee is working as a reporter, visiting his grandmother who is very ill with leukemia. He learns that there were trials done with a medication that held great promise for the treatment of leukemia and other cancers, but it suddenly seemed to disappear. The drug and the chemist who created it are missing – and Lee believes that this drug may be the only hope for his grandmother. Lee attempts to contact the chemist, and eventually gets involved in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of the pharmaceutical industry.

It soon becomes apparent that lives are at stake. What is Megan’s role in this conspiracy? Why will Big Pharma do whatever it takes to stop this drug from being approved? And who will be alive at the end?

Lowe does an excellent job developing the characters in this story. You find yourself really caring about what happens. You’ll love Megan! And the suspense and action never lets up – in fact, this is a hard book to put down. I was wondering how it was all going to work itself out, thinking that the author might have written himself into a corner – but no, this book was plotted very well and kept my attention throughout. Looking forward to reading the next Enzo Lee book - recommended

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a thriller opens up with two little girls eating peanut butter sandwiches and Chinese food at school lunch, I decide this person might know a bit about writing! My first impression was confirmed as the story progressed. It's a gripping story about people I find believable and for the most part likable. The atmospheres of the cities involved are nicely described (The kind of thing where I found myself musing, "Hmmm.I've never been to Savannah.Maybe it would be fun to visit there."). I even gasped out loud and exclaimed, "Oh,no!" at one point, something an author has not managed to do to me in quite a while.

I'm not sure why I picked up this book. I think the cover photo is unattractive, and a story of a man who kidnaps a young girl sounded unappealing. I guess it was dumb luck. So if you are put off by the same things I was, overcome it! It is part of the Kindle Prime Lending Library, so it might not even cost you anything.

NOTE TO SELF: Look for the first two in the series.

SECOND NOTE: The book takes place in 2006. I wonder if this is a republication. It is annoying that original publication dates are so often left out of republications. It is fine with me if a book is re-issued; I am GLAD to see books available that may have gone out of print. But I want to know when it was written; that tells me something about the context.

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

When 10-year-old Megan Kim disappears from her coastal Alabama school, a desperate search for her begins. In San Francisco, newspaper reporter Enzo Lee is desperate to find a cure for his grandmother’s leukemia. The lives of these two people become inextricably linked. Lee is seeking Walter Novak, a scientist who was working on an experimental drug that just might cure his grandmother. Novak is also the man who spirited Megan from her school.
In Megan’s Cure, author Robert B. Lowe takes the reader on a harrowing journey that spans the continent, and involves shadowy figures with dubious motives, all of whom have an interest in Megan Kim. Pithy dialogue and colorful narrative descriptions make this a story that is hard – no impossible – to put down until you reach the end.
I received a free copy of Megan’s Cure in exchange for my unbiased review. But, I have to confess to being biased. The Enzo Lee mysteries are for me the epitome of what a good mystery should be. Fully developed characters with whom the reader can identify, and settings that are skillfully and accurately drawn. Lowe is a master at showing how different cultures interact, and at sucking the reader into the story until you’re convinced you’re reading a fictionalized version of true events.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free ARC copy from storycartel.com for my honest review.

The story starts with the kidnapping of Megan Kim from her school. Was she really kidnapped, or did she go willingly? The police chief would like to know that she is safe. He is told when Megan calls her mother that she is safe, but he thinks they are hiding something.

Megan seems to trust Walter Novak completely, but why? Walter is a stranger with wild white hair from the description of the man she was last seen with.

Enzo Lee is a reporter at a newspaper. He is very concerned about his grandmother, who is dying of cancer. The doctor who is caring for her mentions an experimental drug that she has read great things about. This also leads Enzo to look for Walter Novak.

The rest of the story involves Walter and Megan running for their lives and an ongoing war with Big Pharma. Has Walter really found a cure for cancer?

This book is a fascinating read. I got pulled into it right away. For fans of action/adventure, mystery and thrillers, I highly recommend this book. I'm now off to read another book in the Enzo Lee Mystery Thriller series!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When young Megan, a leukemia survivor disappears from the school playground she leaves with a man with wild white hair

And thus began a wild ride. Claiming to be saving Megan from people who are trying to kill her.

We have car chases, a scheming board of pharmaceutical executives who value profit over the greater good, a suicide, a murder or two clandestine emails, a boat chase and a love story. This book was exciting to read, I truly did not want to put in down.

It left me wondering if this could happen outside the pages of a book. Just how far will a person go to make money? For all we know it could be happening right now.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for promising to provide an honest review.

[Bruce McNair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Kim is a precocious 5th grader, whose Chinese mother relies on to negotiate the English speaking world. So it seems strange when Megan is abducted from the school playground by a stranger. But the abduction isn't about ransom and the stranger is not completely unknown. And there is a connection to events in the world of Big Pharma. Thus, begins a roller coaster ride as the protagonists, which include Enzo Lee, struggle to stay alive against an unrelenting attack. This is the best Enzo Lee Mystery Thriller so far. A bit slow in the first third, but once the action picked up it was hard to put down. Definitely recommended reading for lovers of crime/mystery with a thrilling edge. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

[Laurie Hanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From page one I was drawn into the intriguing mystery of 10-year-old Megan who is kidnapped from her schoolyard by a stranger. It soon becomes a realistic, gripping tale of a big pharmaceutical that bought a smaller company. The smaller company apparently has a cure for many cancers, and the key to a cancer vaccine. It is more economical for the big company to quash the information about the cancer cure, and they will stop at nothing to cover up the secret – even murder a child. The characters are well developed and likeable. There was enough tension and danger to keep me on the edge of my seat, turning pages until I reached the end of the book. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time and I highly recommend it. I’ll be looking for more Enzo Lee Thrillers!

[Mike Nach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the first page and never let go. The plot is very intriguing and interesting. I was shocked to read how far will Big Pharma go to prevent a possible cure for cancer from reaching the marketplace, for their financial gains.
Imagine a world where cancer is no longer dreaded. No! It will not happen! Where will Big Pharma go? What about the billions they have invested to keep us scared and fill their coffers?
Robert B. Lowe has added various ingredients: child abduction, some murders, dying grandmother and other situations into the mix to keep us totally engrossed and fearful.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Lorin Cary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The opening chapaters introduce different characters, and it's not clear at first where the story is going. The p3eices do come togther. Walter Novak, brilliant scientist, created a drug to battle cancer. Large firm bought his company and the patent to that drug, realizing that its success could kill off their top selling drug. Walter cured one patient before the big company started to undercut the trials of his med. They want the success buried. Megan is "kidnapped" by Walter to save her. Enzo Lee, a San Francisco reporter, gets involved and after cross country scenes all is resolved. Along the way there's interesting takes on big pharma. Good read.

[Maggiemay1992 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan’s Cure (An Enzo Lee Mystery Thriller) by Robert B. Lowe is an excellent mystery/thriller that I couldn’t put down.

A cancer researcher named Walter Novak kidnaps a little girl, a former cancer patient, in order to protect her from the pharmaceutical company that wants her dead. The cancer drug that he created has the potential of being turned into a cancer vaccine, and inside Megan is the proof he needs.

Megan’s Cure in an outstanding book that anyone who loves mysteries or thrillers should read.

[Jeani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first of Robert Lowe's Enzo Lee books, and I did not know what to expect. I was given this book to read from StoryCartel and read it on my computer in a pdf format. I was hooked from the first page! It was engaging from the get-go and a quick read. I didn't want to put it down. This book is well-written and is a puzzle I want to solve. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates a good mystery! [I was given a copy of this book to read and review from the author/StoryCartel. My opinions are my own.]

[Brenda Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan's Cure was a free download through Amazon a couple of weeks ago. I have not read any Enzo Lee Mysteries and had no real expectations. This was an excellent book, a story with a lot of depth, with compassionate and believable characters. You have child abduction, murders, big pharma cover-ups, thugs, intelligent, resourceful reporters, boat chases, hideouts, potential cancer cures (should would be great if something like this could be accomplished), twists and turns that will keep you reading long past your bedtime!

[Releanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

the theme itself isn't extremely original and I've read several thrillers with similar theme.
But what makes this book so outstanding are the depth of the relations of the actors. There are really tense and touching moments and I liked all of the "good" people. Walter and Roxanne and Megan. Enzo I liked from the first book! I very much enjoyed the way Enzo loves his grandmother and cares so much for her.
A really, really good book and I'm very much looking forward to Enzo's next adventure!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it was very exciting. The machinations of Big Pharma towards cancer drugs was interesting, although disturbing. The one thing that bothered me was the last chapter. I think the book had a good ending, then this short, strange chapter was added that to me, didn't add anything at all. I read it again to make sure I hadn't missed something valuable. I'm not sure what the author was going for, but I think the book was finished one chapter earlier!!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

disturbing how Big Pharmas control new drugs - this was fiction - but sure it really happens. Brilliant researcher Doctor finds a "cure" for many cancers and uses it before allowed on a ten year old poor immigrant girl and now after a year of survival she and everyone involved is on a "hit list". Doctor takes girl on across country adventure and gets a San Francisco reporter involved when his grandma needs a cure for her leukemia (the same strain the little girl had).

[Jeannine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not usually read thrillers but this kept my interest. It begins in a disjointed manner, introducing multiple characters but not connecting them, and this is usually a turn-off for me but I was compelled to continue reading. The story begins with the abduction of a young Asian girl and takes a very unexpected turn, becoming a different story than anticipated. Good plot and characters.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Pharm. Company eats crow

This was an excellent story regarding cancer cures/possible vaccinations and how the large drug companies tried to stop further testing because they would lose money. From the older scientist to a little girl cured from leukemia to a newspaper reporter, I was pulled through the story anxiously waiting to see what would happen next.

[Noora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book . It was well written and had a very good plot and the plot was believable and it moved on it was an exciting book with no real violence or bad language in ..The Characters were well thought out .
I would certainly read others of his work.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting story and was a definite page turner. I was pulled in from beginning to end. Look forward to reading more from the author.

[Dawn Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

even though this book was a work of fiction, I wonder how much truth there is to this- pharmaceutical companies have way too much control and it is all about the money not about helping people anymore! very good read! I would recommend to others!

[Pygmy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing was perfunctory, I wasn't able to get any sense of excitement or atmosphere from it. I'd rather spend time on something with more appealing writing, which is too bad, since this book features some Asian main characters!

[Shaun Putaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good thriller

It took me a while to get into this story, there were a lot of characters and scene jumping at first, but once into it I enjoyed it very much. The characters are interesting and complex as is the plot.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at big pharmaceuticals and the environment in which their best interests may not align with providing what is best for our health.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Kept me guessing. It was a good read. Easy to read and understand. But I Would not read it again.