Read advance reader review of Niceville by Carsten Stroud

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Niceville

A Novel

by Carsten Stroud

Niceville by Carsten Stroud X
Niceville by Carsten Stroud
  • Critics' Opinion:

    Readers' rating:

     Not Yet Rated
  • Published Jun 2012
    400 pages
    Genre: Literary Fiction

    Publication Information

  • Rate this book


Buy This Book

About this book

Reviews


Page 1 of 3
There are currently 18 member reviews
for Niceville
Order Reviews 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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!
  • Pepper E. (Lawrenceville, NJ)
    Suspenseful!
    Creative, richly imagined characters will keep you turning the pages of this book. Set in the small secret-rich southern town of Niceville, some residents may not have truly died after all, and old family feuds still rage. I prefer my plots without the fantasy, but I thought the characters were the saving grace. Stroud reminded me of Carl Hiaasen, only darker and grittier. The bad guys were perfectly despicable! I'd like to see them again.
  • Mary G. (Purcellville, VA)
    Enjoyably Odd
    Niceville is one of the oddest books I have ever read--and I loved it! There are two concurrent plotlines. One reminds me of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." The other reminds me of a Dean Koontz novel. Both are set in Niceville with overlapping characters, and the plots dip into one another throughout the book. There is an awful lot going on in this book, but I didn't have too much trouble keeping track. I did feel, however, that one of the plots was not satisfactorily resolved. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend this book.
  • Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

More Information

Read-Alikes

Become a Member

Join BookBrowse today to start discovering exceptional books!

Find out more


Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: A Mystery of Mysteries
    A Mystery of Mysteries
    by Mark Dawidziak
    Edgar Allan Poe biographers have an advantage over other writers because they don't have to come up ...
  • Book Jacket: Moonrise Over New Jessup
    Moonrise Over New Jessup
    by Jamila Minnicks
    Jamila Minnicks' debut novel Moonrise Over New Jessup received the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially...
  • Book Jacket
    The Magician's Daughter
    by H.G. Parry
    "Magic isn't there to be hoarded like dragon's treasure. Magic is kind. It comes into ...
  • Book Jacket: The Great Displacement
    The Great Displacement
    by Jake Bittle
    On August 4, 2021, California's largest single wildfire to date torched through the small mountain ...

Book Club Discussion

Book Jacket
The Nurse's Secret
by Amanda Skenandore
A fascinating historical novel based on the little-known story of America's first nursing school.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Once We Were Home
    by Jennifer Rosner

    From the author of The Yellow Bird Sings, a novel based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II.

  • Book Jacket

    The Last Russian Doll
    by Kristen Loesch

    A haunting epic of betrayal, revenge, and redemption following three generations of Russian women.

Who Said...

Use what talents you possess: The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

R Peter T P P

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.