Customer Reviews

Love, Lust and Terror: Tales from the Compound

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"Love, Lust and Terror: Tales From the Compound" is another exciting novel written by the talented and experienced Gloria Shepherd. I read and reviewed "The Compound" last year and I could not wait to review this one. The story is complex and wholesome and closes out the series with an uplifting tone.

"LLT: Tales From the Compound" is the story of Carly (Manning) Morgan, her husband Ken Morgan and his adopted brother Russell Taylor. The elite COMPOUND (Covert Military & Political, Operational & Unconventional, National Security Detachment.) continues to handle the spread of democracy doing the things that are supported but denied by the Government across the globe.

Carly and Ken continue their relationship and are married with a son named Danny. Carly and Ken are in love but Carly feels that Ken is not giving himself to their relationship. Russell can see the strain that his brother's bride is experiencing but he has to allow their relationship to progress on its own Russell's "bad-boy" image attracts Carly as well and she admires and eventually falls in love with him for those attributes. It is as if Carly's perfect mate would have Ken's looks and Russell's personality.

Carly's admiration for Russell evolves into an erotic scene that unfolds between the two only to have Ken walk in and witness the two people that he has always loved and trusted over all others - betray him. Ken is whisked across the globe on a dangerous assignment. Ken welcomes the assignment because it allows him to focus on things other than the betrayal that has broken his heart. Ken survives a plane crash and is eventually rescued. During his days in seclusion Ken's will to survive is strengthened by a desire to set things right and deal with the strange love triangle that has evolved.

Ken returns to his home and it is apparent that the tryst between Carly and Russell is far from over and Carly is also carrying Russell's first and only child. The trio eventually works through the complex emotions and things are slowly normalizing until Carly is kidnapped. Her captor is one of the hundreds of enemies that Ken and the COMPOUND has made and he holds Carly captive and eagerly awaits the arrival of Ken, so that he can torture and kill him. Ken and Russell arrive and launch a rescue mission to retrieve Carly. However, they are captured and brought to Carly's location and a twisted scene of horror followed by justified vengeance unfolds.

The trio returns to the compound and Carly has found Ken's natural father. The small group starts a new family as Russell and Carly's daughter is born. As you have read, this is a masterpiece in regards to plot, character development, story progression and action. A suitable sense of closure will prevail as you read the last words. The story ends but it has the ability to continue as the characters, with so many enemies and missions in the background, start their new lives, still together. Through what I have written one could imagine and visualize the scenes that play out. But, if you read the book from cover to cover, there is so much more than one reviewer can point out. "Love, Lust and Terror: Tales From the Compound" is a "buffet" of images, emotions and characters that will satisfy anyone's hunger for great literature.

Tyrone V. Banks of Betsie's Literary Page

Gloria Shepherd is brilliant!! A style all her own . . . Both The Compound and its sequel Love, Lust & Terror are amazing! I rank her writing talents right up there with three famous and previous favorites of mine--Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and James Patterson. She has quickly become a new favorite author of mine. Ms. Shepherd's colorful and creative writing captures her reader's interest and imagination with every exciting, energy-packed page turned. What a unique talent, in my opinion. Ms. Shepherd is quickly becoming one of the best authors in the industry! If you're looking for reading filled with human ambition, adventure and at times a provocative twist, then Gloria Shepherd's novels are a must read!

LOVE, LUST & TERROR-TALES FROM THE COMPOUND by Gloria Shepherd is all that it promises to be. It's chock full of romance, lust, love and international intrigue, a page-turning thriller and a heart-stopping romance. Ms. Shepherd has delivered an in-depth soul-searching thriller that will rival any Tom Clancy or Sidney Sheldon book on the market. She knows how to win the battle, the war, and your heart. She writes with passion, conviction, and determination. And in the end you have a heart stopping thriller you can't turn away from. Ms. Shepherd is the ultimate story teller of our decade. She knows what you want and gives it in spades.

In this tale of love, lust and terror, The Compound actually stand for the COvert Military & Political, Operational & Unconventional, National Security Detachment. These soldiers answer directly to the US President and Secretary of State. This story is about Commanders Ken Morgan and Russell Taylor, who are members of the elite Special Forces. The men, along with the Compound, carry out the nation's more obscure and dangerous missions.

In Part One, Ken Morgan barely survives a plane crash. His partner and adopted brother, Russell Taylor, attempts to rescue Ken. All the while Ken's wife, Carly, goes to Leningrad and organizes her own search for her missing husband. But while there she places Ken in even more danger, leaving him to fight for his life once again, and fight alone.

In Part Two, after Ken is rescued life deals him another blow when he discovers Carly and Russell have been having an affair and appear to be in love. The problem is, Carly still loves Ken; he is her soulmate. And while her passions are intense for Russell, there will never be another Ken. This situation eventually turns into a unique family unit and a love triangle that becomes even more in-depth than any of the three could ever imagine.

In Part Three, when we think nothing more could happen to the trio, we are greatly surprised as Carly is kidnapped and shipped to Greece, and there is a demand for her ransom. The captor doesn't want money, but instead he wants Ken to turn himself over to the Red Chinese in exchange for Carly's life, to be sold and tortured. Russell accompanies his brother on this dangerous mission to save her, and to save him, once again. This time with the aid of the military unit who arrive in the nick of time, the three are again free and saved from death's grip.

In Part Four, after Ken, Russell, and Carly return to the States, and while recovering from their injuries, Carly decides to give her men a gift of her own. She is going to locate the parents who abandoned Ken and Russell years earlier. With this gift she hopes the brothers will finally have some closure on their past. She locates Ken's father, and before long Ken and Carly are back to working their Texas ranch. After much reflection, Russell decides to join Carly, Ken and his newly-found father on the ranch, making them now a true family unit.

I read and re-read certain passages from the book and was fascinated by the different interpretations and emotions I felt throughout the many intense and somber areas. When I thought I couldn't hold my breath any longer waiting to see what happened next, the author amazed me by providing a comedic moment easing the tension.

A suspense-filled page turner! This book has every element to keep you guessing. From foreign intrigue to bedroom seduction, there is a surprise around every corner. The heroes and heroine are caught in a web of danger and terror that defies the imagination. S. Hunter ? Ft. Collins, CO

A riveting, page turning continuation of The Compound. International intrigue with a taste of down home U.S.A. Sexual tension is high with dynamic characters. A terrific weekend read. Jill M. ? A Colorado Reader

A riveting, page turning continuation of The Compound. International intrigue with a taste of down home U.S.A. Sexual tension is high with dynamic characters. A terrific weekend read. Jill M. - A Colorado Reader

I came across Ms. Shepherd?s first book The Compound and loved it, so I was anxious to read the sequel, LOVE, LUST & TERROR. I was not disappointed. LOVE, LUST & TERROR brings to life the adventures and excitement of the Special Forces and takes the reader to far-off lands where danger is an all-too-common occurrence. The characters are well written and evoke emotions from laughter to sorrow as they make their way through the many adventures that await them. The relationships among the characters are modern and allow the reader the opportunity to get to know them on a personal level. I give this book a 5 star rating. It is definitely a must read.

Love, Lust & Terror draws you in subtly at first, then intensely, and finally you?re so immersed you can?t read fast enough to get to the outcome. The combination of intertwined relationships, sense of duty, thrilling action-packed rescues, and the emotional heart wrenching tortures of the mind and body create a stunning follow-up to the beginning of these three lives as in The Compound. Diane M. D. ? A Fan