Mule

by S.A. Tawks

‘You need a break every once in a while to enjoy the everyday and you need the everyday to enjoy the break you take every once in a while.’ Mule is the second book in The Sibyl Saga. Bali. The Indonesian island known for bargains, friendly locals and good times. A holiday hotspot for tourists wanting to let go and participate in the pleasures on offer. ‘Would you like to go on an adventure?’ This enticing question takes one disenchanted Australian tourist away from the beaches and bars of Bali and drops him back into the life of crime he has already given up once back home.
The packages are small at first and the money makes the risks seem worth it. That’s until mule-work quickly replaces holiday-time. The Bali underworld presents opportunity for the Australian but such a life is no bargain.

It is already too late for the mule. He decided his future when he agreed to the job. Now the only decision he has left to make is how bad his future will be.

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2014

About the author

S. A. Tawks currently resides in Queensland, Australia. Some favourite enjoyments include the great outdoors, travelling and anything creative.

Works include The Spirit Series and the crime novels Mule, Misadventurous, Hacks, Double Feature & Skinflick. Other works include The Norfolk Solution and the story collection Life, Death, Money & Other Monsters.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book might give me a different perspective on the people who become drug runners - that there might be mitigating circumstances that somehow they got caught up against their wills before they realised what was happening, and perhaps it is like this for some people, but not the man in this story. The picture he painted was one of laziness because he doesn’t want to work honestly for money, thrill-seeking because it feels good to break the law and not get caught, and denial that he is perpetuating any sort of problem (because people can make a choice to use drugs or not, he isn’t forcing them to use them). So I didn’t really have much sympathy for him.

On top of that, I didn’t appreciate the frequent swearing or the graphic sex scenes.

The story did interest me, and the twist at the end was clever, although it left me feeling a little unsatisfied with its resolution and I’m not entirely sure why. The loose ends seemed to be tied up, but it just felt a little too abrupt, I think.

With thanks to the author for my copy.

[Odette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was an interesting read for me, and wanted to keep reading on. It was well written, but some of the scenes could be thought to be a little explicit. Also, had difficulty in relating to the main character, who had the right personality to become an easy target. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

* book gifted by author in exchange for a review *

First of all, let me just start of by saying how excited this book made me. A book told in Bali (a place I have visited 5 times) and frequent references to Perth (where I have lived my whole life)? Never have I been able to relate to a setting as much as I have in this book. And let me tell you, I loved it.

This book was so good at getting you to care what happens to a drug mule, that it really surprised me. I really did care what happened to the MC, and I was freaking out the whole book about what would happen next if he got caught. Aymie was easily my favourite character and every scene with her in it had me hooked. She was so fun and I was really rooting for her and the MC to get together...despite the fact that that was irrelevant from the storyline (haha). I really did enjoy the scenes told in present tense and they came across so believable. The 'inappropriate' language mentioned here in the other reviews, I actually found really appropriate. The MC really did sound like the average 23 year old to me, and I'm glad he wasn't censored to an unrealistic level.

However this book wasn't perfect and I did have a few issues with it. After awhile, the drug swapping/money collecting scenes did become rather repetitive. I did find the whole character of Beth and her situation of not being able to get drinks/smokes in a country with such poor policing on those issues too unbelievable. I did also have an issue with almost every character having a dramatic death in their background. This was not needed and didn't add anything to the story.

Overall - A solid 4 stars. This is a really interesting read covering a topic frequently discussed in Australian media. To read this from the perspective that is usually different to the average mainstream media was really interesting to me, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to the people I know in real life, as I'm sure they would enjoy the familiarity (of the location...not the activities) of the book just as much as I did.

[S. A. Tawks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mule is my second published work and my first novel. My first published work is classified as a novella. The novel is a stand-alone crime-thriller and tells the tale of a young man from Perth, Australia on holiday in Bali, Indonesia. It is told from the main character's perspective as he tries to get out of Indonesia with a stomach full of condoms loaded with heroin and hopefully get back into Australia without being caught by border officials. As drug trafficking is an offence punishable by death in Indonesia, it is not an ideal situation for the mule.

The story jumps between the past and present as the young Australian recounts and reflects on the choices that landed him with a stomach full of heroin. The story deals with his internal struggle to do what is right and what is right for his own good. 'Mule' also deals with the themes of relapse, patience and pressure. The concept that every choice has a consequence and the struggle of what and what not to do are also apparent through the story.

I was inspired to write this story after having travelled to Bali a handful of times and also by the Australians that gave their lives to be mules on the island that's a tourist hotspot. For that reason, I dedicated this story to those infamous Australians harshly punished by having been sent/having served time in the island's Kerobokan prison.

Maybe you'll discover something fascinating about Bali and be inspired to travel there or some other lovely place in the world. Or maybe you'll come away from the story with an even more diminished respect for organised crime. But, most of all, I hope you derive enjoyment, small or large, from the words I've written.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do for a thrill and some cash?

Mule follows the story of a man who finds himself in Bali after needing a holiday from his everyday life. The choices he makes... are questionable, and we get to see how those decisions play out.
From page one, I was sucked into the story. We have a past/present POV, where we see what led up to the point the MC is at currently. I really enjoyed the way it was written because I loved having the suspense of what happened and what is going to happen. Also, this book frequently had me laughing out loud, so that's always a plus as well. Our MC was really relatable because everyone has done something for a thrill in life at one point or another, and it shows how those decisions can really take over, and you get in over your head quickly. The plot was good, and I could see this actually happening to someone on a holiday in another country. Due to subject matter, I would recommend this book for readers 18+.
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*

[Ghizal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the story of a man on vacation in Bali who gets himself tangled up in the business of drug trafficking. In the beginning of the book, the theme of the importance of money comes up. if there was no money in drug running, the main character would not do it for the thrill alone. This theme comes up throughout the rest of the book. It was an interesting read, however I wasn't fond of the past/present POV. The main character is okay, he was a little hard to connect with, but one of the other characters I really liked was Richard. He had depth to him while the main character's only goal was to make money and that kind of projected selfishness and got him into a hell of a lot of trouble. Overall it was a good read and would recommend to others.

[Kelsey Lehman-Kasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story line, it was intriguing. I think there were parts I could have lived without. I wish it would have been more clear that we were going back and forth between the past and present.

The main character was okay, he came off as naive at times. His time with Aymie was probably my favorite. I liked Aymie, It was the most real to me out of the story.

I feel like there was a lot of literal crap talk I could have gone without but the more explicit scenes didnt bother me.

But holy wow that ending was good but still left me wanting more. This was something different to me but I enjoyed it.

[Amberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

The majority of people, when asked what they think brings the most happiness or the easiest life, will almost always say "money". People play the lottery for easy money, some pick their occupations by the amount their salary will one day be, and then there's those who choose easy but illegal ways to make fast, tax free money.

As much as I disliked the amount of foul language and certain lewd acts in this book, I actually liked other aspects of the book. It was amazing to see how easily one could approach a student, vacationer, or broke businessman and convince them to take the easy but risky road to being someone's mule.

My adrenaline stayed up each time there was some type of package to be delivered and then another one to pick up. Imagine being in a strange country and being approached by a stranger who asks you to deliver packages for money. It just seems so crazy to me. Then imagine, actually saying yes to them. Even crazier, right?!

This poor guy thinks he's invincible as he takes job after job even though he's repeatedly run into problems with guns, murder, and lewd activities. You'd think he'd straighten up and quit. But nope, the money is just too good. Then he finds himself caught in a do or die scenario. Does he smuggle the drugs through two different airports and into another country or does he just say no and realize that there's a way out of every situation?

I'm not a big fan of this book. I guess becoming a mule just seems such a dumb thing to do....especially for someone who wasn't even forced into it because they were starving or homeless. Seemed extravagantly over the top and unrealistic.

[Tom Riggall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this book was kind enough to send me a copy of "Mule" to read and review.

This was a fun little tale of one guy's bad choices concerning the Balinese drug trade. The story barrels along with nary a dull moment, and I always wanted to find out what happened next.

The world is gritty and dirty despite its idyllic Polynesian setting, full of shady characters and their shadier business practice's. The main character is likeable and relatable, even if he doesn't always make the right choices. The surrounding cast all have a lot of character to them and it builds a very believable world.

It takes some clever writing to make you root for a drugs mule to succeed in his drug trafficking, and it is achieved excellently here. The writing is witty, fast paced and very enjoyable. The story took many unexpected twists and turns and I never knew what to expect.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to friends., and I would love to read more by the same author.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's difficult to review a book that is written about an illegal activity! This is a fictional account of how drug dealing can go very badly wrong. It seems at first that the central character has struck gold and is easily able to handle the transactions that come his way but, as with everything, there comes a point where greed and stupidity kick in. Rather than accept the money he's made, which could enable him to enjoy his holiday all the more, he decides to join the bigger league and gets trapped into the one last deal - the one that will change his life...which it does indeed change but not as anticipated. The story unfolds around his circumstances during the wait at the airport for the plane home and he begins to realise just how stupid he has been.

If you cannot handle things like illegal drug trafficking then this is not the book for you. It is a serious topic that will cause outrage among some but is worth a read as long as it isn't taken too seriously or as total truth

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My eReader died at page 158 of 220ish (hence the 4 instead of 5, as I have no idea if the end is as good as i imagine), but here is what I thought so far:

Although NOT a subject matter I would usually pick to read, the story is so tangible and immediate it almost feels like a memory. Crafted with witty situations but a tough subject, there is ample conversation fodder here. I am not a fan of the crude moments, however in this story it is fitting and not (overly?) gratitous. Bravo!

**The author graciously sent me a free copy to review.

[Brad Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an electronic version of the book by the author, but I found that because I don't read ebooks as often as I do paperbacks, I just didn't go back to it often enough. Unfortunately, GR doesn't allow you to "Cancel reading" a book (at least not that I could see).

That being said, from the few pages that I didn't manage to read I get the feeling that it's going to be a book that I'd love. I'll just have to wait to get myself a paperback of it. I'm giving it 4 stars so that the author's ratings don't suffer unduly.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author (S A Tawks) for sending me a copy of ‘Mule’.

For one Australian traveller, becoming a mule while staying in Bali is worth the cash on offer. A few jobs transporting packages is easy enough. But when the packages and pay become increasingly larger, so do the risks.

This book had me gripped from beginning. The story flows easy and I liked the short chapters. This book was very educational and it is easy to see how one can be trapped into easy cash. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been to Bali many times I thoroughly enjoyed reliving the feel of that fun place to spend a holiday. But the other side of all the bartering, cheap restaurants and shopping are the drugs. Who would be stupid enough to get involved in drug trafficking in Bali, just the character in this book making lots of bad choices. He's a likeable sort of bloke, but really not that smart. I enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and easy reading. Thank you S.A. Tawks for giving a copy.

[Skylar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, great pace. Very good back and forth of past and present and keeping the tension up! However, it turned out that I didn't really care for the subject matter.

[Nuala Nagasue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Good read all way through. Was not expecting that ending. Very interesting perspective. Good holiday read as it's easy, light reading.