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: 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.Book Review: Solid Thayer
Summary: 4 Stars
While not up to his usual (very high) standard, THE WHEAT FIELD is a good read. It is also predictably Thayeresque, which is to say, unpredictable. Hints are dropped that the narrator may not be the standup guy we have been led to believe, but someone quite different, someone dark. The plot twists and zigzags with no loss of plausibility and the ending is satisfying. Thayer has moved his setting from Minnesota to Wisconsin and his descriptions of the Dells and the Madison campus are accurate and effective. THE WHEAT FIELD lacks the ambitions of SAINT MUDD, THE WEATHERMAN, and the very impressive SILENT SNOW, but it is solid work, both sexy and suspenseful.Book Review: The Weatherman was better...
Summary: 3 Stars
Steve Thayer is an excellent author but I think he could have made The Wheat Field a lot more believable without the contrived shoot-outs, chase scenes, and ending. The hero also always seemed to be a mind-reader, one step away from his pursuers---not a realistic plot device. I liked The Weatherman; it's a lot better written, more suspenseful, and believable.