Spencerville

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.

A rip-roaring thriller. I couldn't put it down. Sure, you pretty much see most of the plot coming a mile away but I thought it was great fun. It reminded me of Stephen King without the supernatural element: easily identifiable good and bad guys, mature love story, violence, suspense. I thought the character of Annie was one of his better-written women; she has a bit more agency than many of the other DeMille love interests. I was looking for absorbing entertainment and it provided.

I love me some DeMille! I might go Mormon so I can take him as my second wife...ok, that might be a little over exaggeration, but heck, the man can write! No John Corey this time, but we get Keith Landry, who doesn't compare to Corey, but holds his own in this book. Spencerville is an excellent story consisting of your basic guy loves girl, but goes away to war instead of marrying girl, unresolved issues, girl marries psychopath, guy comes back and girl and guy realize they still love each other, guy fights psychopath to win girl and....well, I won't spoil it for you. All in all a great story by one of, if not, my favorite author(s).

I got through about 15% of this book before putting it down. I love Nelson DeMille's John Corey books, but most everything else I've tried of his reads like a bad Lifetime movie. (Which is to say, any Lifetime movie!)

His antagonist, Cliff Baxter, is a stereotypical evil bully chief of police in a small town. He lords over everyone, including his wife, who makes a half-hearted attempt to kill him early on. Ironically, her former lover, Keith Landry, moves back to town from his career as a national intelligence officer. He still has feelings for her, although he knows she’s married. Think Keith and Cliff will do battle later on? I’m assuming so, but I’m not sticking around to find out.

DeMille seems more interested in describing show more every acre of Spencerville and its politics than in telling a good story. Which is unfortunate, because most of the Cory novels (except “Up Country”) are great. show less

This is not the kind of book Nelson DeMille usually writes, so I wasn't expecting to read what amounts to a fairy tale with explicit sex and violence.

Keith Landry has spent his adult life working for the government fighting the cold war. When that part of history ends, he is released from his job into an early retirement. He decides to go back to Spencerville, Ohio, the small agricultural town where he was born and grew up. This is also the place where the love of his life, Annie Prentis, still lives, although now she's married to the town's Chief Of Police who is a sadistic bully. Annie and Keith have maintained a platonic correspondence over the years, but both of them have thoughts of being together some day if and when they meet show more again. With Keith's return to Spencerville, the stage is set for the couple to reunite. Annie is ready to leave her husband, and Keith would like nothing more than to assist her so she'll be with him.

While the situations faced by the people in this story are very adult, the whole mood of the developing situations is adolescent. The one part that rings true is the sense of nostalgia DeMille infuses into the story. Anyone who has grown up in a small town will recognize the sense of unity; of people looking out for one another, and of the notion that everyone knows who you are and who you belong to. Whether DeMille is writing about the bar in the center of town or the general store visited by most of the towns' people, that feeling of pleasant past memories comes through to the reader.

While I wouldn't recommend this book as one of DeMille's best, it is an interesting story and a worthwhile read. show less

Spencerville , a small town in the Midwest, has all the telltale signs of a corrupt police force, gossip, hypocrisy, narrow mindedness,and a propensity for liking only those who are their own kind. (Not too different from the deep south in the 1950's and 60's. Story about 2 high school and college sweethearts who go their own ways as adults but never stop desiring each other. The story is a little dated and typical with few surprises; Successful boyfriend comes home from the big city back to the small town. Girlfriend is already married to the corrupt and ghastly police chief. Romance ensues, husband jealous, girlfriend trapped in the unsafe relationship...boyfriend tries to keep distance, girlfriend tries to put on a brave face, show more husband goes berserk, etc. The beginning was interesting, the middle was boring and predictable, the ending was very exciting. So, you decide. Not my favorite Nelson DeMille book. show less

Earlier DeMille book. Very well written. I feel it keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. Easy read and a good ending to a relatively long book (481 pages). I can see where his writing style started to change -- for the better.