The Spiral Path

I've long been a fan of Ms. Putney's historical novels. When she made the switch to contemporary, I skipped The Burning Point based on subject matter. With The Spiral Path, this author has given me a book to love as much as I had her earlier stories. Yes, there is still a controversial subject, but one the reader might be better able to get through. I won't reiterate the plot summaries given elsewhere on this page. What I will say is that I couldn't put this book down. A compelling page-turner, the book grabs you from the start and stays with you after you've closed the covers. The author expertly crafts multi-layered lead characters and puts them through an emotional & mental wringer. She augments them with a super cast of supporting characters that adds texture and depth to the story. Her rich descriptions of New Mexico bring the land and its people alive in the minds of the readersThis book will easily make my list of best books of 2002. I give it two thumbs up. If Ms. Putney continues to write stories like The Spiral Path, I will continue to read them.

I finally finished THE SPIRAL PATH and all I can say is WOW!This book is so richly textured and multi-layered, I hardly know here to start gushing!Hollywood couple Rainey Marlow and Kenzie Scott are in the middle of a divorce. But Rainey has adapted a novel into a screenplay and there's only one person who can play the hero - Kenzie. Surprisingly, he agrees although he nearly backs out when, after reading the script, he finds how wounded this hero really is and he is advised that taking this role would not be good for his image. Rainey urges him to reconsider and he eventually agrees. Thus begins a personal journey of healing not only for Kenzie, but for Rainey as well. It's clear to the reader that Rainey and Kenzie are absolutely made for each other, but it takes over 300 pages for Kenzie to realize this.I'm ready to start a journal and go find a labyrinth to walk. Although I guessed one of the "big secrets" fairly early, it did nothing to diminish the over all enjoyment of this book.For those of you who haven't read one or Mary Jo Putney's contemporaries, I would compare her to one of my favorite contemporary authors, Diane Chamberlain whose stories are multilayered and usually "two in one." The device Mary Joused to tell the story and to unravel Kenzie's past is nothing short of brilliant. Much of the writing and story also reminded me of Kristin Hannah. There were a several secondary characters I particularly liked - - Sir Charles as well as Rainey's friend Val and their friend Tom, a novice monk. I think they both deserve a book of their own!Suffice to say, this book is very highly recommended and sure to be on many "Best of 2002" lists.

What do you do when your favorite auto-buy writer comes out with a book about movie stars-and you don't like Hollywood books? That was my dilemma when I received a copy of The Spiral Path. Then again, considering that Mary Jo Putney was the writer, someone who could no doubt make a vacuum cleaner infomercial riveting, I figured that it would have to be better than the typical Tinsel town story of glitz and glamour. Turns out that it was way better than that. The Spiral Path is a compelling, emotional story that deals with overcoming the traumas of a man's childhood, healing and learning to trust someone enough to love them unconditionally. With deft skill, Putney moves the reader back and forth through time, using flashbacks to tell the the beginning of Kenzie Scott and Raine Marlowe's relationship and marriage. Through the filming of the movie we see Kenzie slowly unraveling as he is forced, really for the first time, to confront the horrors of his past . Something Kenzie has to do if he is to have any hope for a future with Raine. The metaphor of a labyrinth (a place constructed or filled with confusing or intricate passageways) plays well through this book. Not only as a place that Kenzie retreats to for healing, but also to describe the twists and turns in the story. Just when you think you've reached a climatic point, as in a maze you turn the corner and realize there's more waiting. Even with all those ups and downs, I found that the pace and energy of The Spiral Path strong to the end. As a longtime fan of Putney's historical work, I am delighted that her contemporary work has the same depth and elements that has made her historicals keepers in my collection. The Spiral Path is a welcome addition to my keeper shelf.

That was all I could say as I read this book. This is probably the finest thing I have ever read in print. Mary Jo Putney's contemporaries know how to tackle the tough topics, but this one really blows the glass ceiling off the romance genre. Forget the cover, and the teaser on the back, this book will blow your mind. Though the plot description reads like any other husband-wife reconcilliation line, that is definiately not what this is. Rainey asks her soon-to-be-ex-husband to do her a favor and star in a independant film she is directing, little realizing that some details of the life of the character (John Randall, a fictional British soldier) are too close to Kenzie's darkest places. Raine herself is a pretty deep and intersting character, and the very realistic depiction of the world of filmmaking will keep you riveted, but the real star of the movie is John Randall, and the real star of the book is the actor who plays him, Kenzie Scott.Kenzie Scott is nothing like any romance hero you'll read about anywhere else. He is vulnerable in ways that no hero has ever been before, and he is a man spiraling down a mental path to self-destruction. It's his story that grabs you and pulls you down with him as he falls. Rainey is his lifeline, but it's Kenzie that opens up a world of pain and dicovery, and takes the reader to the depths and heights of the human heart. You have to buy this book, and buy a copy for your mother, and your sister, and if they will read it, for your father and brother. Get one for anyone you know who is walking, "The Spiral Path."

I've always liked Mary Jo Putney's historical romances. When I read her first contemporary romance, The Burning Point, I was a bit disappointed. Since the pacing and dialogue used in historicals and contemporarys are very different, I've found that authors who can write well in one genre can't necessarily easily jump into the other. It looked like Ms. Putney was going to fall into the category of a writer who can write great historicals but not very good contemporarys. However, I decided to give this latest entry a try, and I'm really glad I did.This is a very well-written book. The pacing is excellent and the dialogue is consistent with common spoken language (a common failing in poorly-written contemporarys). The story was interesting, and the story-within-a-story worked very well. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written contemporary romance novel. But don't pick it up unless you have time to read the whole thing - otherwise you will find yourself staying up until all hours to finish it.