return to home  
Join   |  Gift   |  Member Login   |  Library Login
BookBrowse Mobile
Follow Us: 
   First Impressions: Book Reviews

Member Reviews of forthcoming books.

Book Jacket

Niceville:
A Novel
by Carsten Stroud

Publisher: Knopf
Publication date: 06/12/2012.
Novels, 400 pp.

Number of reader reviews: 19
Readers' Consensus: 4.0
More information
Buy This Book
First Impressions: Page 1 of 3
Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Heather K. (Brooklyn, NY)

Not is all it seems in "Niceville"
Not by a long shot (pun intended, which you'll certainly "get" if you read this novel!). And should you read "Niceville?" Why yes, you should, and here's why: it is terrific!

It's a novel of bank robbers and moral bankruptcy, revenge and retribution, honor and deceit, plus a decades-old betrayal and the dreadful, supernatural manner in which some characters are paying for that treachery. Throw in international intrigue and treason. Blackmail. Inexplicable disappearances. Perversion. I know it sounds like a chaotic mess ... but it's not.

Despite numerous characters, and several plot-lines, Carsten Stroud keeps his novel rolling along at a quick pace, and his characters are so well-designed and developed you never feel lost in the book. You've got good guys -- detective Nick Kavanaugh and his wife Kate, Kate's dad, Nick's police partner, Beau; and you have some seriously bad guys, including another cop named Coker, and Byron Deitz, Nick's brother-in-law. You have ghostly, menacing characters bent on revenge.

And you have terrific dialogue, really likable characters (including some of the bad guys -- while you aren't exactly rooting for them at least they show they have some decency under certain situations!), layers of mysteries, and a very satisfying conclusion. Well done, Mr. Stroud! Great book, fun to read, highly recommended!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Paula W. (Winfield, IL)

10 Thumbs Up
Startling. Creepy. Violent. Funny. Unique. Unpredictable. Puzzling. I could not put this amazing tale down. If only Josh Whedon would make it into a movie! It's not for the faint-hearted, but it's a rollicking good read.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by William E. (Honolulu, HI)

"unputdownable"
Not a word but describes my reaction to the book! I agree with Mr. Leonard when he wrote that it's a great read! Reminded me of a Robert Altman film with all kinds of unharmonic convergences on many different planes. Am at a loss to describe my reaction but I highly recommend it for a wild ride in anything but Niceville.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Debb R. (Grand Island, NE)

A New Favorite Author!
Niceville is a scary,exhilarating ride! I loved every minute of it! Rainey Teague is one frightening little boy and his world will keep you keep you reading until the wee hours. A bit reminiscent of Dean Koontz in intensity and so entertaining. Carsten Stroud, Hats off to you,I am a new fan!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Nancy C. (Newton, KS)

Niceville: Not So Nice
It is impossible to put this book down. Carsten Stroud has woven a fascinating plot that manages to keep multiple characters and their stories from losing their way. This novel is a blend of great fiction with a twist of the supernatural. A missing boy, a well planned bank robbery and a secret weapon combine to to hold the readers attention. The characters are well developed as the plot unfolds. I can't help but wonder if Stroud plans to write a sequel to tie the lose ends together. Regardless, this is a book that will stay with you for a long time.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Kelly H. (Martinsville, IN)

Niceville-I don't think so!
Wow! What a crazy, creepy, fun read! Took me forever to pick up this book, but once I did, I could not put it down. I have never read anything like this, but now I want more! Stroud is an amazing storyteller. This book has a lot of characters and a lot going on, but Stroud manages these characters and events flawlessly. I did not think this book would be for me, but I loved it, and will be passing it on.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Lynn W. (Calabash, NC)

Not too nice in Niceville
Although I am usually not a fan of the supernatural or things that go bump in the night, Niceville proved to be very entertaining. The variety of characters and subplots kept it from getting too "out there". I live in the south and the people here do seem to treasure their family legends and eccentrics. All in all, a very enjoyable read.

1 2 3   next »

Become a Member
Click Here
Editor's Choice
  •  May 20 
  •  May 18 
  •  May 16 
Fever
Mary Beth Keane

Fever Jacket

A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
The Woman Upstairs
Claire Messud

The Woman Upstairs Jacket

The riveting confession of a woman awakened, transformed, and betrayed by passion and desire for a world beyond her own.
How to Create the Perfect Wife
Wendy Moore

How to Create the Perfect Wife Jacket

Stranger than fiction, blending tragedy and farce, How to Create the Perfect Wife is an engrossing tale of the radicalism, and deep contradictions, at the heart of the Enlightenment.
Click Here
   Most Recent Blog Entries
Movies Based on Books: Summer 2013 (May - August)
Jewish Young Adult Books That Are Not About The Holocaust
Books to Give This Mother's Day
rss  RSS   rss  subscribe
Recent Reader Reviews
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Fowler
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight... read more
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on... read more
The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag
Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read... read more
RSS RSS feed More...  
Most Viewed This Week
1. Half the Sky
Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn
2. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Anna Quindlen
3. Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo
4. Eagle Strike
Anthony Horowitz
5. K Blows Top
Peter Carlson
More...
Book Club Recommendations
The Gods of Gotham
by Lyndsay Faye
Paperback (Mar/13)
Forgotten Country
by Catherine Chung
Paperback (Mar/13)
Philida
by André Brink
Paperback (Feb/13)
Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn
Hardback (Jun/12)
More...
First Impressions
Members read and review books often months before they're published. See what they think in First Impressions!
A Dual Inheritance
by Joanna Hershon
Four Stars            (May/13)
The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan
Four Stars            (Apr/13)
The Laws of Gravity
by Liz Rosenberg
4.5 Stars            (May/13)
More...
  Latest BookBrowse News
British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales. (May 20 2013)
Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate... Full Story
rss RSS feed More...
 
BookBrowse Poll
Q: Which of these Summer movies based on books would you like to see? (Info on each movie here)
The Great Gatsby
Epic
Man of Steel
World War Z
The Lone Ranger
The Wolverine
R.I.P.D.
Percy Jackson
Paranoia
The Mortal Instruments
Select Any That Apply
Search: Title or Author
Free Newsletters
Bring Up the Bodies

Online Book Club
More about
Five Days
Join the discussion!


Win This Book!
The Pigeon Pie Mystery


Enter To Win Now!

wordplay
Solve this clue:
"I I M B T Give T T R"

and be entered
to win....
frame top
New Author
Interviews
Menna van Praag
Erica Brown
Helga Weiss
Kate Morton
frame bottom
HOME Book Submissions | Advertising | Library Subscriptions | Reviewing for BookBrowse | Contact Us