The Wheat Field (Mysteries & Horror) by Steve Thayer Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Wheat Field (Mysteries & Horror)
Book Review: Great concept, yet has problems
Summary: 3 Stars
I give this book 3 stars because the author has definite creative potential, the ending was a surprise, and a very good one; but I don't like all the sentence fragments and I think he just added some things to show his creativity, things which are not relevant to the story at hand. It was a slow read for me, someone who reads on average 2 books a week. There was a time when I put it down for a week without picking it up, and I almost didn't finish it, but I had to know who the killer was. Like I said, the ending was a great surprise, and if I liked his style, this would have definitely been a 5 star book.Book Review: Way too convoluted
Summary: 3 Stars
Interesting, damaged characters can't maintain the readers' attention, when presidential conspiracy is added. Lots to like, but ultimately disappointing.Book Review: sex, murder and politics along the Dells
Summary: 4 Stars
I really like reading Steve Thayer's books. I remember after reading SAINT MUDD that I was driving along the St. Paul riverbanks and thinking about the caves used by gangsters.This time he takes to the Wisconsin Dells and 1960 before the great tourist descent. Once again he writes about places and weaves legend into the story.
The story is written in the first person from the perspective of the investigating deputy. He arrives at the scene of the wheat field murders of Maggie and Michael Butler, who have been blown away by a shotgun in a perfectly formed crop circle.
So is it a murder/suicide, double homicide, something more, something less? Oh and the sordid tale of illicit sex and small town gossip runs rampant through out the story. There are no saints in this novel of deceit and treachery.
We follow the narrative down a road of personal discovery and shocking revelation, and just when you think you've got everything mapped Thayer twists down another avenue of inquiry you hadn't even considered. To give too many details would spoil an outstanding book.
So if I like it so much, why not 5 stars you ask? I just wish the sex would have been less graphic. I can get the idea without all the details.
Book Review: Excellent read!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fascinating mystery placed in the early 60's and told in retrospect. The main character is deputy Pliny Pennington, a brooding singular individual who is both enthralling and scary. It is the story of a high school crush that becomes an obsession, possibly because the deputy is unable to consummate his loves as a result of an injury incurred in the Korean War.Maggie Butler and her husband, Michael, are found dead in a wheat field. Is it murder-suicide? Or is it a double murder? How are these deaths related to the hidden power structure within the county? Slowly the deputy unfolds the intricate interweaving of the answers to all these questions. The story is also a commentary on the hidden power structure in the United States and who belongs to the 'in' group, who chooses to NOT belong to the 'in' group, and who never would even be asked to join the power structure.
The unfolding of the tale is gripping. Worth your time and money!
Book Review: Geographically awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
First the great, which won't apply to many. I'm from Wisconsin Dells...we listened to this book on audio this weekend on our monthly trip home from Cincinnati. I was enthralled by the incredibly detailed and ACCURATE descriptions of my town. Mentions of real highways and real towns nearby. I believe the town of "Kickapoo Falls" is actually the city of Baraboo, Wis., for a number of reasons. I absolutely loved having somebody talk in such detail about all the places I know like the back of my hand. However all of this won't apply to most of you, but if you're from S. Central Wisconsin you MUST read this book.On the plot: I very much enjoyed it. It's deep, dark, mysterious, sexually explicit without being pornographic, and very intricate. There are real events of 1960 that are effecting the characters in the book, most specifically the Nixon-Kennedy election and the changing social atmosphere. Very well written. Everyone says that the book was unpredictable, but I didn't think so. In fact both my fiancee and myself had the "big" plot twist figured out very early on. Enough hints were dropped.
But I still give this book five stars, even though it probably only rates 4. Why? Well...because it was written about my town. :) Oddly enough, this author has written several best sellers and there is no information about him apparently available. I'd love to talk to him and find out how he found out about "Poo-U" (Boo U in real life).