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: 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).
Book Review: THE WHEAT FIELD
Summary: 4 Stars
THE BOOK "THE WHEAT FIELD" BY STEVE THAYER WAS AN INTERESTING BOOK THAT REALLY APEALED TO ME. THE REASON IT DID IS BECAUSE IT WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN. ALTHOUGHT WHAT I REALLY LIKED WAS HOW THE AUTHOR KEPT THE BOOK GOING IN A FAST PACED MOOD WHICH KEPT ME INTERESTED.Book Review: WEAK FIELD
Summary: 3 Stars
"The Wheat Field" is one of those books you read and when you're done, you ask yourself, was this worth the time. Ultimately, in spite of the book's flaws, it has a dark noirish feel, and Thayer pulls some surprises, and yet are they really that surprising? If you think about it, the main surprise is pretty obvious, but even though you may think about it early on, you don't quite think it's so.The setting of 1960 is a unique one, and its inclusion of the Nixon-Kennedy presidential campaign is not only historically significant, but intricate to the plot.
The main problem is the narrator himself, Pliny Pennington. He doesn't seem all that heroic, at least in the traditional sense. He seems to have a low moral code; a self-pitying attitude about his sexual inadequacies; and a thirst for vengeance. Also, he is an out and out voyeur. His love for the victim, Maggie, seems like one of those adolescent crushes left unfulfilled, and what did he really see in her anyway. The rest of the characters are all as deep as a trickle of water, so you end up not really caring about any of them. There really isn't one likeable character in the whole book. So, with that in mind, it's to Thayer's credit that it's still an okay read, just not as good as his previous works.
There are many better books out there to read, folks. Check out "Swan Song" by Robert McCammon or any Michael Connelly books.
Book Review: The Wheat Field
Summary: 3 Stars
The plot has already been covered by other reviewers so I will just say that this book is not up to par with The Weatherman or Silent Snow.