Reviews

First in series -Paul Brenner / Second by Author
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: I read DeMille's The Cuban Affair last August and enjoyed it. I put his name on my list of authors to read more of, and his number finally came up.
Will I read more of the series / author? ~~Probably Not~~ ~~Maybe~~ Highly Likely (The only drawback about DeMille's books is that they are so looooong.)
This book was published the year I graduated from college. I would not have read it thirty-one years ago. It was difficult to read now. The story is about sexual assault and the deterioration of family love and self-love and trust; it's not about incest . Here we are, in new millennia, and women are still being raped and assaulted in the military.
DeMille attempts to give a lot of prespecitve in this work. Initially I thought he was being misogynistic because he writes about the victim being promiscuous, but her promiscuity is the result of sexual trauma. I hope DeMille's message is obvious to those who have read this, but I still think people might say she got what she deserved.
The narrator was Scott Brick. He has a great voice of DeMille's work.
Source: New York Public Library

Content Warnings

jeremyanderberg's review against another edition

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4.0

I hadn't read DeMille before this, but was inspired to pick him up after listening to a great interview he did with Douglas Brunt. I started with The General's Daughter and really enjoyed it. Not only is it witty and delightfully hard-boiled, but DeMille creates a superb sense of place — I really felt the humid oppression of a southern military base. Not only that, he has some interesting things to say about the culture of gender in the military.

It's definitely not PC (though it's also not outright offensive (most of the time)) and I didn't *love* the ending, but the book held my rapt attention throughout. Good stuff and I'm looking forward to more DeMille.

emp1234's review against another edition

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3.0

I know I'm coming late to the party since everyone else and their brother has already either read this one or seen the movie. I listened to it and thought the narrator did a mediocre job. However, the story was decent and fast paced.

sankitch87's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

kathyemmons's review against another edition

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2.0

I love DeMille and this is a page-turner, but it is a nasty subject matter and really graphic. Can't recommend it.

cnorbury's review against another edition

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3.0

I have mixed feelings. Good news: I thoroughly enjoyed the verbal sparring between Brenner and Sunhill and also the dialogue between those two and the suspects in Ann Cambell's murder. Very instructive to writers as to how to maintain tension with only talking as well as how emotions and tension can be shown by not directly answering questions or seeming to ignore them.

Bad news: The pace was glacial even though the actual time elapsed in the plot was mere days. Not sure if that was due to too much talk and not enough action, or too much analyzing of details and of perhaps details that didn't particularly add to the story or understanding of characters.

I still enjoy Demille's work and will read more of him.

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