Categories
Uncategorized

Sequel to Because? Perhaps!

I’m genuinely elated by this glowing five-star Amazon review of my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew. To have my story likened to Man of La Mancha—portraying my quest as an impossible dream—feels both humbling and inspiring. The reader’s eagerness for a sequel fills me with gratitude and renewed purpose. Should the twists and turns of my current lawsuit with the CIA permit it, I can envision a follow-up that dives even deeper: new chapters, previously untold stories, and scenes left on the cutting-room floor from my 2025 publication. If I am fortunate enough to write that sequel, I would love to shine a brighter spotlight on my mother’s remarkable devotion and enduring sacrifice. For now, I’ll let time reveal the next chapter in this ever-evolving journey. Thank you, John!

John Schrader

5 out of 5 stars

To fight for the right, without question or pause

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2026

James Wells boldly exposes his heart as he leads the reader through his determined quest to learn the details about his father’s death in Vietnam. The description of the impact of his search on his wife and children, and on his very soul, reveals the decades-long struggles he has faced to pursue the truth. James’ efforts to find the truth parallels with those of The Man of La Mancha. He has heroically marched into hell for a heavenly cause and striven with his last ounce of courage to pursue what all others would consider to be an impossible dream. We all now cheer him on with his FOIA lawsuit! I cannot wait to read his sequel to Because, praying it will be a glorious celebration of peace for James and his family.

James b. Wells's avatar

By James b. Wells

JAMES B. WELLS is a retired criminology and criminal justice professor in the School of Justice Studies in the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science at Eastern Kentucky University, and is the recipient of the 2025 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences John Howard Award, an award given intermittently, upon significant demand, to recognize an individual who has made significant and sustained contributions to the practice of corrections. A former carpenter, soldier, and correctional officer in a super-maximum-security prison and later as a researcher/planner assisting architects in prison design, he has multiple degrees, including an M.S. in Criminal Justice, a Ph.D. in Research, and an MFA in Creative Writing. He’s authored or co-authored over sixty-five books, chapters, articles, and essays, as well as over a hundred and fifty research reports for various local, state, and federal agencies. Recent essays from his research and memoir work appear or are forthcoming in Collateral Journal, About Place Journal, Wild Roof Journal, Military Experience and the Arts, The Wrath-Bearing Tree, Shift, Proud to be: Writing by American Warriors, Trajectory Journal, and From Pen to Page III: More Writings from the Bluegrass Writers Coalition.

His investigative memoir about his father's still CIA-classified death in Vietnam in 1965, titled Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, will be launched on Father's Day weekend, 2025. Links to publications, presentations, trailers, social media, blog, and other information can be found at https://jamesbwells.com. James enjoys spending much of his leisure time with his spouse on their Lexington, Kentucky farm located on the palisades of the Kentucky River, where he is an organic gardener and beekeeper.

Leave a comment