Spencerville

Rating:
Summary: A Really Different Story - packed with action - A GOOD READ
Review: Spencerville was my first Nelson Demille book. Since then I have been an avid reader of all his books I can get my hands on(six so far). Nearly non-stop reading of his books has caused me to nearly miss job deadlines, lose much too much sleep and turn my wife from a golf widow to a N.Demille widow; but sacrifices are sometimes necessary! The story of returning to your home town and finding your friends and enemies after 25 years is an exciting and original story line. I enjoyed the idea of renewed love toward an old girlfriend and revenge against the high school bully. Women play an important and responsible role of his stories. The male and female lead characters are well developed and people we readers can relate to. I also could relate to things that have happened in my life. At times the events are a bit violent and gruesome for my taste, but this is outweighed by the detailed descriptive writing, character development and story line. I enjoyed getting into the emotional aspects of the characters.
Many other writers concentrate more on geographical descriptions and physical aspects of their characters. Nelson provides sarcasm, humor, and fast-paced action. As my first book by Demille it holds a special place in my literary honor roll. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Another DeMille winner.
Review: There are books that take time to read, books you make time for and books you steal time for. "Spencerville" is in the latter category...it never left my side from the minute I started it and kept me up late.

Great characters, very deeply drawn...both the heroes and villains. I felt I got to know them all. The plot is straight forward, but the journey to its conclusion is fast paced, tense, filled with twists and turns and makes you turn the pages rapidly.

There is enough wry humor, sarcasm and cynicism from the protagonist (Keith Landry) and his allies to allow the reader a chance to relax from the nonstop action...refreshing and almost necessary in a book this lengthy.

The major bad guy (Cliff Baxter) is truly despicable, but devious, dangerous, deadly and cunning (and he wears a badge). It is quite easy hoping he gets what's due him.

I have now read all the novels of Nelson DeMille. Only "Cathedral" was a disappointment. Every other one I highly recommend and still think "The Charm School" is my favorite.

Rating:
Summary: keeps you on your toes
Review: I had never read any of his books before and was anxious to see what his writing is like as I had seen the movie, "The Generals Daughter" made from one of his books and had enjoyed it. He is a tremendous writer. He gets his characters right and when you are reading the book, you are right there riding right along with them. You can feel the anger, hurt, joy, etc. that the characters are experiencing. An intelligence officer, Keith, is returning to his home town now that they don't need him anymore and have retired him. He is returning to the farm he grew up on and to the memories of his true love Annie. Annie is married to the sheriff of the town now and they have two grown up kids no longer at home. Her life is not enjoyable. Her husband is a womaniser and sociopathic. He is jealous and has her watched constantly because of his jealousy, keeping her in a vacuum. As long as he is in office, she feels fairly safe because she knows he doesn't dare cause any negative publicity of his actions. She is still in love with Keith, and doesn't know if he is alive or not until he shows up. Her husband finds out that Keith has returned and develops a jealous and manic rage against Keith because of Annie and Keith's relationship years ago. It is a book that you keep reading straight through because you want to know what happens. Excellent writer and book.

Rating:
Summary: SPENCERVILLE -- A NICE PLACE TO LIVE; A NICE BOOK TO VISIT
Review: Having just finished reading Spencerville, I can now easily understand why most DeMille fans rate this as their least favorite of all his books. While I'm not saying it's a bad book, because it most certainly isn't, it just doesn't meet the exalted standards that followers of this author have come to expect. With a story involving a love triangle, there was just not enough "meat" there to warrant 481 pages.

To net it out, Keith Landry has been an Army intelligence officer working for our government for the past twenty-five years. With the culmination of the Cold War, many employees in his position are forced into early retirement whether they like it or not. In his case, he didn't like it. With angry and hurt feelings, he heads home to his family's farm in Spencerville, Ohio, which also happens to be the home of his high school/college sweetheart, Annie Prentis. Problems start to arise when he and Annie meet up again, especially since she is now married to the Chief of Police, Cliff Baxter, who also happens to be a former classmate of Keith's. In addition to running the police department, Cliff also runs Annie's life and is depicted as a husband who is not only unfaithful and possessive but verbally, emotionally and sexually abusive as well. It's about time for DeMille's "knight in shining armor" to step in.

While this is definitely not a five star book, I don't think I could ever give a DeMille book less than four stars as his writing and storytelling are so superior to other authors when weaving a tale of espionage, cat and mouse escapades, murder and mayhem or a love triangle such as in Spencerville. Don't get me wrong; this is not your usual love triangle. Since it's told by DeMille, the players are experienced both at subterfuge as well as mind games with the common thread being "the love of a good woman." It gets very scary for awhile since Cliff Baxter is the type of irrational man that just might do anything and Spencerville is just the type of small town where a man like Cliff just might get away with it.

This is the sixth book I've read by this author and I'm glad there's still a few more out there for me to conquer.

Rating:
Summary: Fun read
Review: I really enjoy DeMille's work and this was no exception. The story here is a bit lighter and more of a smaller scale, then some of his other books, which isn't to say there isn't jealously, rape, stalking and murder, but that it mostly follows the action of the protagonist trying to win back his old flame and rescue her from the clutches of an evil and demented husband.

For people that like the "damsel in distress" type story, with plotting, action, revenge and love, this is definitely a winner, it's kind of a romance for the male market, not that woman wouldn't enjoy it too. It could actually make a decent flick, the bad guy is pretty straight forward and the good guy is pretty straight forward and it isn't long before you're rooting for the good guy to win the girl and kick the bad guys rear. The aren't a lot of twists and turns or mysteries here, it's pretty predictable, the good guy just screws up enough to give us drama.

In any case, while I give it four stars because it's a lessor story than some of DeMille's bigger novels, it's still a very fun and quick read and I give it a strong recommendation to those that like this kind of story. If you're unfamiliar with his work, check out "The Gold Coast" which is a classic and very much worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: keeps you on your toes
Review: I had never read any of his books before and was anxious to see what his writing is like as I had seen the movie, "The Generals Daughter" made from one of his books and had enjoyed it. He is a tremendous writer. He gets his characters right and when you are reading the book, you are right there riding right along with them. You can feel the anger, hurt, joy, etc. that the characters are experiencing. An intelligence officer, Keith, is returning to his home town now that they don't need him anymore and have retired him. He is returning to the farm he grew up on and to the memories of his true love Annie. Annie is married to the sheriff of the town now and they have two grown up kids no longer at home. Her life is not enjoyable. Her husband is a womaniser and sociopathic. He is jealous and has her watched constantly because of his jealousy, keeping her in a vacuum. As long as he is in office, she feels fairly safe because she knows he doesn't dare cause any negative publicity of his actions. She is still in love with Keith, and doesn't know if he is alive or not until he shows up. Her husband finds out that Keith has returned and develops a jealous and manic rage against Keith because of Annie and Keith's relationship years ago. It is a book that you keep reading straight through because you want to know what happens. Excellent writer and book.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected from DeMille
Review: Okay. When I go to the library and I pick up a book that says "Nelson DeMille" on the cover, I go home expecting to read a novel about the military or terrorism or a criminal plot. I don't expect to read about "Bridges of Madion County." What happened here? A retired CIA operative goes back to his old hometown and looks up his first love? And they sneak around to avoid detection from the bad guy husband, small town cop?

This book is about love renewed and romance and passion. Which is all well and good, unless you're expecting a DeMille novel of crime, murder and violence. Perhaps Mr. DeMille should use a pseudonym - or maybe he already is - Nora Robers?

Rating:
Summary: De Mille is great as usual
Review: Keith Landry has been an espionage agent for the US government for twenty-five years when he retires and returns to his parent's farm in Spencerville. He still carries a torch for his old girlfriend and the feeling is mutual. Unfortunately while he has been away she has married and had a couple of kids. Her husband is vindictive and power crazy and is the local sheriff. Keith and Annie renew their relationship, but even before that Baxter is after him on any pretext whatsoever. As usual De Mille produces a fast paced thriller from page one to the end.

Rating:
Summary: Hee Haw lust, down on the farm?
Review: Indescribably important National Security Advisor finds himself forced into retirement with the advent of government demilitarization. He returns home to his farmland roots, after decades of absence with only one thing or shall we say, "one person" on his mind... his old high school flame. Old high school flame is "suffering" through a bad marriage of more than twenty years to the local ex-high school jock, so her old high school sweetheart shows back up in town to save the day and take her away.

We got us the story of a lust triangle, boys and girls!

What a load of hooey.

Nothing new here, dear reader. This same story has been told a thousand times over in another time period and with characters of a different name. This would be considered one of the least imaginative creations by Demille. Spare your eyesight and find something better to read.

Rating:
Summary: Spencerville
Review: Spencerville is not my favorite DeMille book. Annie, highly intelligent and creative, stays with an abusive husband in a loveless marriage? She came out of 70's but ended up having her every move watched and challenged? After reading this book I didn't feel it added anything to my knowledge or understanding of the world. I know its just a work of fiction. THANK GOODNESS!!