Customer Reviews

Spencerville

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I only have myself to blame - I am too stubborn to not finish books I begin. At time of purchase, Spencerville was presented as escapist fiction billed as a satisfying revenge a la Walking Tall. And it did start that way. However, it went on way too long and the conclusion was far from satisfying because not one single primary character was worth caring for nor displayed attractive and redeeming qualities (I was hoping all would expire).

It is basically a story of an extremely unhealthy love triangle. The woman in the middle, Ann Prentiss, is one-dimensional and seemingly two decades naive (she also does not factor in her children in any personal decision-making). Her horrible husband is the stereotype of a boor to the point of being cartoonish. But worst of all is the purported former intelligence officer - a hero of the Cold War. Yet, Keith Landry is actually a petulant, unfunny boy-man who mystifyingly cannot navigate Spencerville after having succeeded for twenty years in the shadowy four corners of the world! One of the worst novels I have read in years.

Though probably not one of the author's best, this is still an entertaining read. It reminds me a bit of one of the author's other books "The General's Daughter", because of its more laconic pace. Otherwise, I would have to say it is like no other book by the author that I have read.

When Keith Landry, an intelligence officer, takes early retirement through a set of circumstances beyond his control, he decides to take a journey down memory lane and return to Spencerville, the small town in Ohio in which he was raised. It has been twenty-five years since he has been back to the family farm, and he returns with some feelings of trepidation, because he has never gotten over losing his high school and college sweetheart, Annie Prentis, to Cliff Baxter, hometown boy, high school football hero, and now the Spencerville Chief of Police. Unfortunately, Cliff Baxter has serious issues, which have made life for Annie a hell one earth.

This is a story about how those intervening years have treated Keith and Annie and what happens when they finally meet again. Each of them will have decisions to make, none of them easy ones. Moreover, Cliff Baxter likes being the only rooster in the hen house and does not take kindly to hearing that Keith Landry is back in town. This has all the ingredients for a combustible encounter, and the author does not disappoint.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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!!

I not only enjoyed but connected emotionally to this story about star-crossed lovers and the idiot... husband who impedes their togetherness.

Keith, our protagonist, is a retired Cold War veteran who returns to his hometown to find Annie, his high school and college sweetheart whom he left in Ohio when wanderlust proved more powerful than regular lust. She, in the intervening twenty years, married the local bully, Cliff, a man whose power as the town's corrupt police chief is exceeded only by his paranoia. A sociopath walking the fine line between sanity and absolute psychosis, Cliff responds not well to Keith's arrival, and soon enough the situation becomes both intolerable and amusing, as Keith is more than ready for the challenge Cliff presents.

What I found so impressive on an emotional level was the way Cliff's absolute asinine-ness (if that's a word) worked. ...However, his misuse of power, exaggerated though it is, is entirely believable, and the consequences -- the veritable imprisonment of his wife, his personal manipulation of the law to his own ends -- relatively terrifying. Annie's plight bothered me, as her lack of power in the face of the larger, more evil, hopelessly crazy husband basically left her a sitting duck, even when Keith was on her side, and even when she herself chose to fight back.

Of course, as this is a modern American novel, we all know how it ends.

Anyway, I took away a star for three reasons. First, I don't like Keith's hippie friends. They contribute very little to the story, and I find them distracting... The author was trying to demonstrate just how "over" that era is, and no, these two don't fit into contemporary society at all... They have next to no point, except to get in the way and distract readers who're bothered by their dimness.

Second, I missed Annie's children. The idea of her having children was, I suppose, to connect her more to her husband -- and to explain why she stayed with the nutcase for twenty years. But if she HAS children, they should be important even if they're in college and not home. Are they crazy like their dad? Do they emulate him at all? Does she like them? How does he treat them? The children presented a number of questions that remain hanging in the background.

Last, the author tantalizes readers with snippits about exactly what Keith did for the government for twenty years and throws in Keith's old boss to tempt him back to the government fold. Yet, he never ties up these loose ends.

I think this book has a necessarily wide scope, but I think some of the width means that the author had to incorporate more information than was germane to his main plot line. But there are consequences to that.

However, this is a marvelous book! If you're looking for a chunky summer read, this is a great bet.