Rated of 5
by Helen M. (Petaluma, CA) A Way With Words
Scott Spencer has a way with words. He includes some remarkable descriptive passages in this novel of one man's journey and the effects this journey has on the people in his life. It is like a tapestry with just a few flaws. I never understood the daughter, Ruby. And as well as we got to know Paul, I felt at the end, there was more to him than was shown. Interesting, to say the least. I am glad I read it. Perfect, no.
Rated of 5
by Debbie M. (grand junction, CO) Man in the Woods Man in the Woods was a great suspense novel. I thought I had it figured out and then was surprised at the end.
When the book started, I wasn't sure I liked the main character, Paul. I became more invested in the character and wanted the best outcome. As in real life, all stories have two sides. Everything isn't black and white, making it hard to decide what should happen. Scott Spencer kept you wondering until the last page.
Rated of 5
by Rebecca C. (Opelika, AL) Great emotional rollercoaster.
I loved Spencer's descriptive writing style, his unusual characters, and the slow build up of suspense that is so subtle that you aren't even aware of it's building until the end. I rarely cheer for the bad guy, but in this one I was. Spencer made his characters so real and warm and understandable that I could crawl inside their skin. This is one great writer. I will be reading more from him soon.
Rated of 5
by Becky H. (Chicago, IL) Thriller?, Not So Much
I really liked, maybe even loved, the writing. I liked the author's pacing, his sentence structure and his word usage. I liked the characters and that you really got to know them (except Ruby who always seemed a mystery both to me and to the writer). What I didn't like was the story. Except for three heart pounding pages there was no "thrill" to it. The end left me flat. It seemed as if there was a chapter missing - the last one where all the stories (there are at least 5) would come to their conclusions. If you are looking for beautiful writing and finely drawn characters, you will love this book. If you are looking for a thriller or a mystery, you need to keep looking.
Rated of 5
by Susan F. (Chicago, IL) Rage
Rage incited the precipitating event in the novel when Paul acts in defense of a helpless animal. What I found disconcerting is that the rage evidenced early on is inconsistent with how Paul considers himself in any other aspect of his life. I would have liked to have some insight about the origin of rage that seemed so contradictory to the rest of who is.
Rated of 5
by Amy H. (Benbrook, TX) Loss of Momentum
I give this book 3 stars with great trepidation, because I absolutely love the writing style of Scott Spencer. His descriptive prose has no match with any current author that I've read. My hesitation with a higher rating stems from loss of plot momentum for the middle 50 of the book. As Paul grapples with his conscience and loses touch with reality, the book slows to an idle that endured way too long. I never learned enough about Will to be even remotely sympathetic to his death, and I found Ruby to be an over-indulged, slightly creepy child. Paul's character was well-developed and I enjoyed reading about his relationship with Kate. In the future, I might pick up another book by Spencer, once I'm able to forget how frustrated I was with this one.
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of 5
by Helen M. (Petaluma, CA) 
of 5
by Amy H. (Benbrook, TX) 
