Julia Spencer-Fleming

Reader Comments about I SHALL NOT WANT

St. Martin's Minotaur
ISBN: 9780312334871
(June 10, 2008)

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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Julia Spencer-Fleming's I SHALL NOT WANT.

Annette from Austin, TX

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes. I've read five of her six books.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I don't normally read "romantic suspense," and if the first book I read had been categorized "romantic suspense," I probably wouldn't have picked it up in the first place.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I loved this book! I especially appreciate the complexity of this plot (as well as her others), since Spencer-Fleming successfully combines police procedural with contemporary social issues and Episcopal Church dynamics. All this, *and* a cast of fully-developed and interesting characters!

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Of course, I'll read the next book and the next and the next! The ending of I SHALL NOT WANT leaves you several questions, and inquiring minds want to know what will happen next!

Barbara from Columbus, IN

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
This my first experience with this writer.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Other authors I typically read as soon as their books hits the stores include Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Iris Johansen and Catherine Coulter, to name a few.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I found it captivating.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes, I will look for more of her books in the future!

Charlotte from Middleburg Heights, OH

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
No.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read J. D. Robb/Nora Roberts, Amanda Quick, Catherine Coulter, Allison Brennan and Diana Palmer.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I had a hard time with the cast of characters, at first, until I got further into the book. Then, it kept my interest and ended up being a great read.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes.

Christine from Colchester, IL

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes, I have read all of Julia's books.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I wasn't sure which authors were labeled "romantic suspense", so I used Google to check some lists and could not find one writer I had read in the past. I don't gravitate towards this sort of writing and was actually surprised that Julia's books were placed in this category. I have always just thought of her as a fiction or mystery writer.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. As in the past, I could hardly wait to see how the book ended and then when I finished it, I was disappointed because now I have to wait for her to finish her seventh book --- at least I hope that's her plan! As someone who appreciates liturgical worship, I love how she named her chapters with parts of the church year and integrated passages from the Bible so appropriately.

I also enjoyed how she once again gave her readers credit for having smarts --- she just writes without wasting time explaining. An example of this (it made me laugh out loud thinking of Tom Jones singing at the end of <I>The Full Monty</I>) was on page 180, where she wrote, "'You can leave your collar on,' sang Hugh." Perfect!

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
I don't want to wish my life away, but I will be very happy when Julia's next book is published.

Don and Marcia from East Lansing, MI

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
I have read all of her work. She is a special author for my wife Maria and me. Her stories are well written.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
We read many mystery authors. I am not sure which ones would fit in the romantic-suspense genre.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
Another terrific read. The series gets better all the time. Marcia and I "gobbled up" this book and we both finished it within two days of receipt.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
We would read all material from Julia Spencer-Fleming.

Erin from Medina, MN

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
No, I had never heard of her before reading this review in the bookreporter.com newsletter.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read a lot of Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, James Patterson and Jodi Picoult.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I really enjoyed reading it. I appreciated the detail she put into each peripheral character; it made me pay more attention as the book progressed. The plot twists were great, and they kept me guessing to the end.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Actually, I just ordered her first four books on Amazon. I'm excited to read more!

Linda from San Jose, CA

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
No, but I will read her books in the future.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I think this is the first romantic suspense author I have read. I will seek out this genre in the future.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I liked it very much from the first chapter. My first reaction was a somewhat surprised, "This is really good."

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes, I want to read more of her writing.

Sallie from Austin, TX

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes, I have read the entire Claire Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read Linda Howard, Erica Spindler, Tess Gerritsen, and occasionally Anne Stuart and Colleen Thompson.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I thought including the migrant workers added an extra element of suspense to the storyline. It was interesting to bring in Hadley Knox as the relative of a resident and to put her on the force with Russ as an outsider who didn't know the history between Russ and Clare. Overall, I enjoyed the writing and the plot, and thought the story ended with an interesting twist.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Definitely. I enjoy her writing style. She comes up with intriguing plots, creates three-dimensional characters, and makes the region where her stories take place seem real. Even if she discontinued this series, I would try whatever else she wrote.

Susan from Middleboro, MA

Have you previously read a book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Yes; I have read the previous five books she has written, which is why I entered this contest to try and get the advanced copy.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read many others, including Catherine Coulter, Nelson DeMille and Mariah Stewart.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I thought it was good, maybe a little slow in spots, but it does lead into another book, which I will want to read. There are several storylines that can be followed up, and I cannot wait to see how Ms. Spencer-Fleming will do that.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Absolutely.

Karen from Medina, MN

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I like Robert B. Parker, Walter Mosley and Elmore Leonard when it comes to books similar to Spencer-Fleming's. I find them gritty, world wise and street smart, but not lacking in a kind of romance, and good male-female tension. I think they give wonderful insight into the way men think and relate to the world. I often find them touching or affecting, as well. The provide a great sense of place, clear characters with strong personalities that are easy to believe, and settings that are well described and easy to visualize. They would probably be more correctly classed as police procedurals, but Spencer-Fleming's book might fall into this class as well.

What did you think of I SHALL NOT WANT?
I gave it a try, but fell out as soon as the time frame changed. When the scene shifted to "6 months before", the book started to feel radioactive. I kept trying, but couldn't relate to the characters, nor could I sympathize with them or easily visualize the setting.

The kids seemed like empty shells or cardboard cutouts with no personalities. The woman cop/mom didn't draw me in. The story started well enough with a literal bang, but I didn't know where the heck I was. (I like to be told the locale and have a frame of reference so I can imagine the setting. The book didn't give me those early enough.) The dialogue did not feel real or natural.

On a positive note, the author handled the action in the opening quite well. It felt descriptive and real, with good sensory adjectives, action verbs and cues. Consequently, the opening shoot-out was easy to visualize and believe.

Would you ever read a future book by Julia Spencer-Fleming?
Maybe. She's not without talent and has obviously put out a few books, but this one didn't do it for me. It didn't make me want to turn the pages.

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