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Spencerville  By  cover art

Spencerville

By: Nelson DeMille
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

Back from the Cold War, intelligence officer Keith Landry returns to his hometown of Spencerville, Ohio. Twenty-five years after their last encounter, Keith runs into his first love, Annie, now unhappily married to the town's chief of police - an abusive alcoholic. In his efforts to reclaim Annie, Keith will have to draw on all the skills of a violent lifetime.

©1995 Nelson DeMille (P)2010 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about Spencerville

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    864
  • 4 Stars
    455
  • 3 Stars
    195
  • 2 Stars
    64
  • 1 Stars
    48
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    954
  • 4 Stars
    281
  • 3 Stars
    76
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    16
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    720
  • 4 Stars
    339
  • 3 Stars
    163
  • 2 Stars
    72
  • 1 Stars
    53

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book if you like tautness and suspense

I have noticed that a few people have said that there are a lot of stereotypes in the book. That is probably because they don't know people like these .... but I do. Maybe it's age related. I'm one of the Vietnam generation. I have intimately known people like the police chief, much to my regret and many aging hippies who just can't seem to get past how great the old days were and how much the present sucks. If you can related to the characters, for good or ill, this is a very tight, tense, taut and rather scary story. On a personal level, it's almost painful to listen to because it is too close to reality for my taste.

And it IS a matter of taste. I tend to find books this intense actually stressful. I appreciate the art, but not the rise in my blood pressure.

Scott Brick is, as always, a great reader. Nelson DeMille is, as usual, a terrific writer. If cat-and-mouse suspense novels -- where you really don't know what it going to ultimately happen -- are your thing, you will love it. Especially if you were there for the 60s and early 70s as a young adult, you will know these people. You may even be these people. Whether or not you like them is neither here nor there: you WILL recognize them.

It's an excellent book for those who like this genre.

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59 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent entertainment

I read this book as a hardcover when it originally came out in 1995 and loved it. Now I had the pleasure of revisiting it in its audiobook version and was even more enthralled with it. As always with works by Nelson DeMill a well written novel, and a great reading performance by veteran DeMille narrator Scott Brick.

This is a timeless, classic story of a three-way love affair, a thrilling novel that has aged well over the years. When an Ex-Vietnam vet and recently unemployed Government specialist returns to his rural hometown in the Midwest to meet again with his long-lost love of 25 years ago his mission becomes to rescue her from her abusing husband, who happens to also be the almighty town's sheriff. It may be heavy on stereotyping here and there, but it is a thrill to listen to - a somewhat unsual Nelson DeMille novel, but why should they always follow the same formula? Don't miss it!

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

My least favorite DeMille

I have loved every Nelson DeMille audiobook I have gotten. He and the reader have risen to the top of my most read and listened to list. However, tThis one left me very disappointed, even with the excellence of Scott Brick reading, it was almost painful to finish.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

I love Nelson Demille books. I almost did not buy this one based on the reviews I read. I took the plunge and loved it.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Somewhat predictable yet emotionally compelling

DeMille is one of my all time favorite authors. For me, this book was a bit different from his normal fare. I wasn't thrilled with the production and the performance. In fact, There was a 22 minute repeat of audio toward the end of the book. Yet......when the story turned to the "bad guy", just listening stirred emotions of anger and frustration.
Overall, I have to give the book 5 stars because I looked for every opportunity to steal away some time to listen.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Vulgar

I love Nelson DeMille's books but this was so vulgar with language and graphic sex that it may be my last. Too bad audible won't rate books before you buy them.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

DeMille does not disappoint. This novel is another great one! I kept wondering until the end. Scott Brick is always excellent!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Them Old Feelings

Would you consider the audio edition of Spencerville to be better than the print version?

Yes, almost always for this genre.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The sheriff. He was a cartoon, but somehow became real, even though he was totally predictable.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes...OK.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

Yes. It awakened in me those long ago feelings for a woman whom I have loved my whole life. She has been happily married for decades, but, somehow, that doesn't matter. She has never lost contact with me, even to this day; 55 years and counting. So, pieces of this story were very moving for me. Thanks for the memories.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good but long at the end

Good but long and the end really dragged out and had too much saddistic detail which seemed to go on and on.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story and performance

Loved it. Great story and performance. It kept me captivated right to the end.

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6 people found this helpful