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The Bus to Beulah
On her way to a new job in America, Maria Puente accidentally discovers a human trafficking ring. Fearing exposure, the American company that manages the operation—with the help of their Mexican partners—kidnaps Maria.
Maria’s disappearance triggers a desperate search, by her family and local law enforcement, to find her before the kidnappers can permanently dispose of her. As the investigation unfolds, long-time Hogg County high sheriff Will Moser confronts Albert Waters, a powerful businessman who Will suspects knows about Maria’s disappearance—but Albert and his Mexican cartel partners prove to be brick walls.
At the urging of his wife, Lana, Will calls on Elijah Kahn, a man he got to know while serving in Vietnam who now runs one of the largest international security firms in the world. The idea of working with men who are rightly known as mercenaries troubles Will, but he knows he’ll never find Maria without Elijah’s help—and when Lana reminds Will of the debt they owe to Tomas Delgado, Maria’s uncle, his hesitation evaporates.
Organized in an hour-by-hour structure, The Bus to Beulah is a taut thriller that culminates in a massive, heatrt-pounding chase to save Maria—before she disappears forever.
Maria’s disappearance triggers a desperate search, by her family and local law enforcement, to find her before the kidnappers can permanently dispose of her. As the investigation unfolds, long-time Hogg County high sheriff Will Moser confronts Albert Waters, a powerful businessman who Will suspects knows about Maria’s disappearance—but Albert and his Mexican cartel partners prove to be brick walls.
At the urging of his wife, Lana, Will calls on Elijah Kahn, a man he got to know while serving in Vietnam who now runs one of the largest international security firms in the world. The idea of working with men who are rightly known as mercenaries troubles Will, but he knows he’ll never find Maria without Elijah’s help—and when Lana reminds Will of the debt they owe to Tomas Delgado, Maria’s uncle, his hesitation evaporates.
Organized in an hour-by-hour structure, The Bus to Beulah is a taut thriller that culminates in a massive, heatrt-pounding chase to save Maria—before she disappears forever.
344 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2022
2 people are currently reading
1968 people want to read
About the author
E.C. Hanes
3 books15 followersI was born on November 29th 1945 to James Gordon Hanes Jr. and Helen Copenhaver Hanes and named after my mother’s father, Eldridge Copenhaver.
I spent my formative years in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and my high school years at Woodberry Forest School in Orange Virginia. Upon graduating from Woodberry, I enrolled at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated in 1967 with a degree in Economics.
Following college, it being 1967 and the height of the Viet Nam war, I enlisted in the US Army. After basic training, advanced infantry training, and combat engineering Officer Candidate School, I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. A bit of logic understood only by the government. I spent my first year as an officer in New York City working at a joint DOD facility on projects of a secure nature. In 1968 I received orders for duty in Viet Nam and spent fourteen months in country. Initially I was a liaison officer between Support Command and the armored cavalry units in Third and Fourth Corps; then was made a member of the general staff of the Saigon Support Command. I left Viet Nam in 1970 with my life, a bronze star, and the disdain of the American public.
After a year of travel and recuperation, I married Jane Scott Grenley, a woman of exceptional character, humor, and perseverance evidenced by the fact that she has stayed married to me for over forty years. We have two children, three grandchildren and the anticipation of more to come.
I began my business career at Hanes Corporation, a firm started by my great grandfather. I left Hanes in 1978 and with two partners, started Xpres Corporation. Xpres eventually became, after a merger and then eight acquisitions, the Russ Companies with operations on five continents and over fifteen hundred employees.
While I enjoyed business, I promised myself that business would not be all consuming; thus, I worked with numerous arts, educational, and environmental organizations on both a local, state, and national level. Balancing my business career with my other interests gave me a perspective that I believe contributed to both.
Within the arts field, I served on the boards of the American Arts Alliance in Washington, DC, the American Council of the Arts in New York, the Winston-Salem Arts Council as President of the board, The North Carolina School of the Arts as the Chairman of the Board and president of the foundation, the Amon Carter Museum, the American Federation of the Arts, the North Carolina Governor’s Council on the Arts and Humanities, the North Carolina Cultural Alliance as Chairman, and the North Carolina Writers Network.
In addition to the arts community, I spent many years in wildlife conservation and environmentalism. I have served on the boards or the North American Wildlife Foundation in Manitoba, Canada, Trout Unlimited in Washington, the North Carolina Zoological Society, and was appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to an environmental study commission called ‘Save our State’.
In the field of education, I was a board member of the Fuqua School of Graduate Business of Duke University, the Medical Center board of Wake Forest University Medical School, Woodberry Forest School, Trinity College of Duke University, Salem College and Academy, and Co-Chair of the Maya Angelo Research Center on Health Equity at Wake Forest Medical Center.
Besides the specific areas of interest listed above, I have also been active in the community needs of Winston-Salem and the state of North Carolina. I have been a member of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Winston-Salem United Way, the Urban League, the Metropolitan YMCA, North Carolina State Film Commission, North Carolina Heritage Tourism Advisory Committee, Winston Salem Millennium Fund, and finally was the 1996 Democratic candidate for the North Carolina State Senate in the 21st senatorial district.
To keep myself smiling along my journey, I also have pursued a
I spent my formative years in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and my high school years at Woodberry Forest School in Orange Virginia. Upon graduating from Woodberry, I enrolled at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated in 1967 with a degree in Economics.
Following college, it being 1967 and the height of the Viet Nam war, I enlisted in the US Army. After basic training, advanced infantry training, and combat engineering Officer Candidate School, I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. A bit of logic understood only by the government. I spent my first year as an officer in New York City working at a joint DOD facility on projects of a secure nature. In 1968 I received orders for duty in Viet Nam and spent fourteen months in country. Initially I was a liaison officer between Support Command and the armored cavalry units in Third and Fourth Corps; then was made a member of the general staff of the Saigon Support Command. I left Viet Nam in 1970 with my life, a bronze star, and the disdain of the American public.
After a year of travel and recuperation, I married Jane Scott Grenley, a woman of exceptional character, humor, and perseverance evidenced by the fact that she has stayed married to me for over forty years. We have two children, three grandchildren and the anticipation of more to come.
I began my business career at Hanes Corporation, a firm started by my great grandfather. I left Hanes in 1978 and with two partners, started Xpres Corporation. Xpres eventually became, after a merger and then eight acquisitions, the Russ Companies with operations on five continents and over fifteen hundred employees.
While I enjoyed business, I promised myself that business would not be all consuming; thus, I worked with numerous arts, educational, and environmental organizations on both a local, state, and national level. Balancing my business career with my other interests gave me a perspective that I believe contributed to both.
Within the arts field, I served on the boards of the American Arts Alliance in Washington, DC, the American Council of the Arts in New York, the Winston-Salem Arts Council as President of the board, The North Carolina School of the Arts as the Chairman of the Board and president of the foundation, the Amon Carter Museum, the American Federation of the Arts, the North Carolina Governor’s Council on the Arts and Humanities, the North Carolina Cultural Alliance as Chairman, and the North Carolina Writers Network.
In addition to the arts community, I spent many years in wildlife conservation and environmentalism. I have served on the boards or the North American Wildlife Foundation in Manitoba, Canada, Trout Unlimited in Washington, the North Carolina Zoological Society, and was appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to an environmental study commission called ‘Save our State’.
In the field of education, I was a board member of the Fuqua School of Graduate Business of Duke University, the Medical Center board of Wake Forest University Medical School, Woodberry Forest School, Trinity College of Duke University, Salem College and Academy, and Co-Chair of the Maya Angelo Research Center on Health Equity at Wake Forest Medical Center.
Besides the specific areas of interest listed above, I have also been active in the community needs of Winston-Salem and the state of North Carolina. I have been a member of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Winston-Salem United Way, the Urban League, the Metropolitan YMCA, North Carolina State Film Commission, North Carolina Heritage Tourism Advisory Committee, Winston Salem Millennium Fund, and finally was the 1996 Democratic candidate for the North Carolina State Senate in the 21st senatorial district.
To keep myself smiling along my journey, I also have pursued a
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 10, 2022
Promoted as general fiction, The Bus to Beulah by Eldridge Hanes is a quality standalone thriller. Maria is travelling from Mexico to the United States when she gets caught up in an immigrant smuggling ring. Her Aunt and Uncle do not accept that she did not get on the bus as she had a legitimate working visa and they had raised her after her parents died. Caught up amidst a Mexican drug cartel and corrupt police, one local Sherriff won’t let the matter go. With wonderful characters and a resourceful well connected team of former military personnel, a gentle action tale unfolds. A most enjoyable and credible story, set against the backdrop of immigration workers, that makes for a four and a half star rating. With thanks to Spark Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
May 7, 2022
I was looking forward to reading this book. I have read a handful of books where human trafficking was the subject matter. It is a topic that I am glad to see get more spotlight shown on it as it is a very serious matter that people need to be aware of. Just like illegal drug trafficking.
Sadly, I found myself not enjoying this book as much as I had hoped to. This is because I found myself really struggling to connect to the characters. In addition, that I was hoping that Maria's voice would be the prominent one in this story. She was not featured but Will and the kidnappers were the voices. If Maria's voice had been prominent, I think my feelings towards this book would have improved as it would have made it more of an intimate character driven story.
Sadly, I found myself not enjoying this book as much as I had hoped to. This is because I found myself really struggling to connect to the characters. In addition, that I was hoping that Maria's voice would be the prominent one in this story. She was not featured but Will and the kidnappers were the voices. If Maria's voice had been prominent, I think my feelings towards this book would have improved as it would have made it more of an intimate character driven story.
May 17, 2022
2.5 stars.
What I thought I was getting: a gritty look into human and drug cartels. I also thought this was written by a Latina women and was expecting most of the book to be from Maria’s perspective.
However, we got only a bit of Maria’s perspective, and most of the story was told from those involved in her kidnapping and the sheriff who was trying to find her.
I also did not appreciate the way most of these men (on the “good” and “bad” sides) used the word “whore” every chance they got to describe the sex workers (most of whom were involved against their will).
Overall, a miss for me.
Thank you to Booksparks for sending my advanced physical copy.
What I thought I was getting: a gritty look into human and drug cartels. I also thought this was written by a Latina women and was expecting most of the book to be from Maria’s perspective.
However, we got only a bit of Maria’s perspective, and most of the story was told from those involved in her kidnapping and the sheriff who was trying to find her.
I also did not appreciate the way most of these men (on the “good” and “bad” sides) used the word “whore” every chance they got to describe the sex workers (most of whom were involved against their will).
Overall, a miss for me.
Thank you to Booksparks for sending my advanced physical copy.
March 28, 2022
This book really grabs you and sucks you into to it's haunting, unsettling and claustrophobic atmosphere from the very first page, and I couldn't put it down!
thanks netgalley for my arc copy for exchange for an honest review.
thanks netgalley for my arc copy for exchange for an honest review.
May 17, 2022
This was a good book the plot was interesting and had good moments. It was too much dialogue for me that had no real gain into the story itself. I was hoping for much more especially with a topic as human trafficking. Overall good just a bit of a miss for me.
Thank you Booksparks for this gifted copy
Thank you Booksparks for this gifted copy
May 8, 2022
Maria Puente has worked hard to gain skills and an education and is looking forward to her new job in the United States. She boards a bus in Monterrey, Mexico for a 30-hour ride to North Carolina, unaware of the terrible ordeal in store for her. She is abducted by American criminals cooperating with a Mexican cartel shortly before she reaches her destination, because she witnesses evidence of a human trafficking ring. Fortunately, her uncle in North Carolina has a friend who is a local sheriff. Sheriff Will Moser faces a race against time to find Maria before she is returned to Mexico to be murdered. He must use all his skills and allies to defeat the criminal Mexican cartels and corrupt Americans that work together to bring drugs and trafficked people across the border. The thriller aspect of this book was tense, gripping and fast-paced.
I liked how The Bus to Beulah portrayed how the cartels infiltrate local communities by enlisting corrupt, greedy businesspeople, government employees, law enforcement officers and politicians to help meet their goals. The lack of regulations and oversight at federal and state levels allows criminal activity to go unchecked.
It was disappointing that there were numerous side characters, and less focus on Maria than on the law enforcement officers trying to find her. Maria was tough and tenacious in the face of horrendous circumstances, and I would have liked to see more of her in the story.
The was a group of sex trafficked women and girls who were an important component of the story. Law enforcement officers constantly referred to them as "whores" and "hookers" which was an offensive and inappropriate way to describe people who were just as much victims as Maria. It was not incongruous when the lowlife criminals and cartel members used the same language but disappointing to hear "the good guys" use these terms.
The Bus to Beulah is a tense, gripping and fast-paced thriller which raised some important questions about immigration and human trafficking laws and their enforcement, the treatment of migrant workers and human and societal cost of cheap agricultural products. Thank you to BookSparks and SparkPress for a copy for review.
@BookSparks #BookSparks #TheBusToBeulah #ECHanes
I liked how The Bus to Beulah portrayed how the cartels infiltrate local communities by enlisting corrupt, greedy businesspeople, government employees, law enforcement officers and politicians to help meet their goals. The lack of regulations and oversight at federal and state levels allows criminal activity to go unchecked.
It was disappointing that there were numerous side characters, and less focus on Maria than on the law enforcement officers trying to find her. Maria was tough and tenacious in the face of horrendous circumstances, and I would have liked to see more of her in the story.
The was a group of sex trafficked women and girls who were an important component of the story. Law enforcement officers constantly referred to them as "whores" and "hookers" which was an offensive and inappropriate way to describe people who were just as much victims as Maria. It was not incongruous when the lowlife criminals and cartel members used the same language but disappointing to hear "the good guys" use these terms.
The Bus to Beulah is a tense, gripping and fast-paced thriller which raised some important questions about immigration and human trafficking laws and their enforcement, the treatment of migrant workers and human and societal cost of cheap agricultural products. Thank you to BookSparks and SparkPress for a copy for review.
@BookSparks #BookSparks #TheBusToBeulah #ECHanes
August 24, 2022
4/5
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Good premise (mistaken abduction of young woman who is more than she seems, by business owning traffickers)
~ Great description of the interconnectedness of farming needs & resulting legal & illegal businesses
~ Alternating chapter lengths
~ Random war references (if you like this)
Maria, expecting a new professional life in North Carolina, has been taken instead. By overhearing a few conversations after getting off her bus for a restroom stop, she is now a hostage of seeming two-bit criminals intent of making her & another young woman into prostitutes— but frankly? Maria is in for much worse.
Because there is much more to this migrant scheme in Beulah. It involves a prostitution ring, drugs, weapons, death & unscrupulous men. When lives & futures are ignored & forfeited in return for money, Will Moser, Sheriff and friend to Maria’s uncle, will use all of his considerable resources to get her back; Cartels, Farmers & convenient Ex-military persons be damned.
✨Give it a read.
🌱THE MEH
~ Terms & slurs used for ‘expats’ 😏 in the US sometimes confuses me🤔. It seems there should be a difference between ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’/a, but I’m unsure based on the book
~ 🤔 lots of ‘black or white’ makes me wonder if there are no other types of people in this state/county/location
~ 😶 maybe an abundance of stereotypes?
♡🌱 But that’s just me ;)
—
🎁 Thank you @booksparks for the gift.
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Good premise (mistaken abduction of young woman who is more than she seems, by business owning traffickers)
~ Great description of the interconnectedness of farming needs & resulting legal & illegal businesses
~ Alternating chapter lengths
~ Random war references (if you like this)
Maria, expecting a new professional life in North Carolina, has been taken instead. By overhearing a few conversations after getting off her bus for a restroom stop, she is now a hostage of seeming two-bit criminals intent of making her & another young woman into prostitutes— but frankly? Maria is in for much worse.
Because there is much more to this migrant scheme in Beulah. It involves a prostitution ring, drugs, weapons, death & unscrupulous men. When lives & futures are ignored & forfeited in return for money, Will Moser, Sheriff and friend to Maria’s uncle, will use all of his considerable resources to get her back; Cartels, Farmers & convenient Ex-military persons be damned.
✨Give it a read.
🌱THE MEH
~ Terms & slurs used for ‘expats’ 😏 in the US sometimes confuses me🤔. It seems there should be a difference between ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’/a, but I’m unsure based on the book
~ 🤔 lots of ‘black or white’ makes me wonder if there are no other types of people in this state/county/location
~ 😶 maybe an abundance of stereotypes?
♡🌱 But that’s just me ;)
—
🎁 Thank you @booksparks for the gift.
March 25, 2022
When reading the synopsis I thought the book would be so cool because it talked about Maria and her kidnapping and discovering a human trafficking ring.
I got even more excited because when I began reading I found it that this is based out of Raleigh/Durham NC and even talks about Wilmington, NC which is my home town that I lived in for 21 years. Wilmington is also known for their human and drug trafficking so I was anxious to see how it played a role. I also lived in Raleigh/Durham for 2 years! However…I thought the story’s main focus would’ve been more on Maria finding her way back home and the struggle she may go through to do that. It wasn’t. It focused heavily on all these side stories that I couldn’t keep track of who was who and who knew who. There were so many different characters being introduced constantly it felt like there were 35 people to keep track of and hard to connect with characters. And the entire time I kept saying…. “Where is Maria?” So I was pretty let down in the sense that I wish there was more of Maria. It definitely picks up more towards the end, I just wish the main focus was on Maria’s journey rather than all these side stories. I so badly wanted to love this book especially with it being a thriller. It just missed the mark for me.
Thank you to #netgalley and #sparkpress for the eARC! #thebustobeulah
May 5, 2022
This book was a bit of a slog. While there were some elements of the story that I really liked, there were also some things that didn't quite gel for me. For one thing, I felt like some of the dialogue was stiff and not in the manner of real conversation. I mean, there were some bits where the cop would go on and on...paragraph after paragraph...like a Shakespearian soliloquy. And then the girl who has been abducted, Maria, talked to herself OUT LOUD and addressed herself by name. I don't know...stuff like that turned me off.
And then the story itself was more talking than action. And for a book about human trafficking, there was very little about the girl who was trafficked and much more about the men who were hunting for her. It was just kind of a miss for me. I was hoping for so much more on this deeply important topic but it never really got there. Just another lukewarm crime-type novel. I'm sure plenty of folks will enjoy it, but it wasn't right for me.
And then the story itself was more talking than action. And for a book about human trafficking, there was very little about the girl who was trafficked and much more about the men who were hunting for her. It was just kind of a miss for me. I was hoping for so much more on this deeply important topic but it never really got there. Just another lukewarm crime-type novel. I'm sure plenty of folks will enjoy it, but it wasn't right for me.
April 10, 2022
Very good book. We need more books that talk about human trafficking ...books that bring more awareness to people about what is really going on in the world around us. I wanna start by saying this book had me hooked from the very first page to the very last page. As I got about a quarter way into the book I started to get confused. Lots of different characters being introduced that started to confuse me and made it hard to follow. Through the whole book I wanted to get to know Maria more...I never felt like I completely got to know who maria was as a character. Lots of side characters that made it difficult to keep my attention. All around a pretty good book I would have just liked to read more about the main character.
May 10, 2022
The Bus to Beulah is a tense, gripping and fast-paced thriller but also thought provoking! It made me think about immigration and human trafficking laws and their enforcement, the treatment of migrant workers and a few more! It's well written with an interesting plot and we'll developed characters! The only thing I wish there was more of was Maria. There wasn't as much about her as I thought there would be. But Will's character I did get to know and I really enjoyed his determination to find Maria despite his hesitation to work with Elijah. Overall it was a good read.
Thank you Booksparks and E.C. Hanes for sharing this story with me!
Thank you Booksparks and E.C. Hanes for sharing this story with me!
May 28, 2022
This was a prize book. My honest opinion is that this book has good action. However there are a few too many characters. Some of these characters have long speeches. The main character Maria does not really have a voice until almost the end of the book. The book is in the south and Mexico. However the characters voices do not reflect either type of speech. The ending was some what action packed and at times brought out the character of Maria.
March 7, 2022
This was such a good read that had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my mouth. It was a quick read with such an interesting premise, it was gripping and I couldn't put it down. Well written with a good storyline and well developed characters. I really enjoyed it,
August 24, 2022
I loved this book. Action packed and riveting. Fantastic.
January 22, 2024
Ugh. I would not have finished this book if I hadn't bought it and felt obligated. Too many characters and too many unnecessary details bogged down the story. And the story just wasn't well told.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews