In the land of flaunted sex, money, and flexible rules, an ambitious but lonely Rick Daly faces his demons. Rick Daly has established a business in the exotic surroundings of the Philippines, while simultaneously discovering Marilyn Delgado, the woman of his dreams.However, a clash of cultures and his own naiveté lead to disaster. Falsely accused of a sexual crime, Rick loses both his freedom and … freedom and his business. To add insult to injury, a prison escape merely amounts to switching jails.
In a world where the rich prosper, honest individuals are forced to the wall, and a cynical disregard for all but the dollar is destroying society from within, crime soon follows punishment for Rick. Close to losing his soul, will Rick’s ultimate success in drug and arms dealing finally lead him to face up to reality?
Difficult to put down and including erotic scenes, this is a high octane adventure, which will take the reader into a sea of cultural and ethical flashpoints, while exposing huge cracks in the world’s political and social order.
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A story that has a lot going on. The blurb did not fit the story but it is still worth the read. I liked the characters and how they are described. Sometimes too much was going on for me and that was a bit confusing. You really have to keep up with the events and characters.
It is well written and has a nice storyline. The way the author describes the places and characters in this story was really a nice touch. That made the story worth the read.
I have to give credit to author John Richard Spencer for his unflinchingly honest approach to what can be difficult subject matter. Some of the more extreme issues in the book are handled in a straight-forward manner, which I think is deserving of those real-life issues. Authors that dilute important issues or even leave out detail all together does nothing to highlight the importance of those aspects.
Brownout 666 was a very detailed read, and protagonist Rick Daly isn’t a character who is easy to like. He does and says a lot of things readers will undoubtedly disagree with, but having such an anti-hero I felt is vital to the overall plot and trajectory of the novel.
Difficult to read at times, but overall a thought provoking and powerful read.
Brownout 666 my John Richard Daly is a novel that is not always easy to read, but it is engaging, wild, funny, and fast-paced. A crime novel with a twist, the main character Rick Daly, is not the most honourable or moral of guys, but you can’t help but root for him, because of his naivety and his stupidity when it comes to women (we’ve all been guilty of that).
Rick is trying to make a life for himself in the Philippines, but his womanising ways and dodgy dealings in business, there is only one place he was going to end up…prison! There is nowhere that will expose cultural differences like prison, as Andy soon finds out. Just when he thinks things couldn’t get any worse, they absolutely do.
Graphic and gritty, but with a bit of humour thrown in, it was an interesting and entertaining read.
I don’t normally read these types of books, and this is a difficult book to categorise anyway, but I’m very glad I read it. Spencer has done a great job with such controversial subject matter. There is a solid plot, at least in my opinion, and an interesting setting with much more besides. Those who love crime action and and books that are difficult to classify will, I think, not be disappointed. Well worth a read, and I’ll be going back through it another time as I’m sure there was a lot I missed first time around. I’m looking forward to more other books Spencer will write in the future.
Having never visited the Philippines, I was curious to read about what really goes on within the under-belly of the country, the gritty heart of the rumors we hear of in the Western world. This book did not disappoint. The protagonist may be of Australian descent, but I was able to empathise with him as an outsider. I felt like I was right there with him throughout the good and the unfortunate times, I can only imagine how hard it is to have your voice heard in a strange land. The book is a thrilling eye opener into a world I knew nothing about. I enjoyed Spencer’s indulgent descriptions of not only the landscape, but of the various women he encounters (who become a real pivotal point to his journey).
Brownout 666 is a really involving but pretty dark read. The author unapologetically lets protagonist Rick Daly engage in some seedy underworld activities, and credit to him for not sugar-coating the story the way most do these days. In my opinion the best books leave you feeling conflicted rather than forcing the relative emotions onto the reader at every twist and turn. On one hand I couldn’t condone some of the actions, but on the other I really felt for Rick and the spiral to the bottom he found himself on.
A great challenge for those who are sick of the predictable mainstream fiction market.
In Brownout – 666: Are We Slaves to Our Symbols?, by John Richard Spencer, we find Rick Daly trying to thrive in the Philippines. He is an Aussie that does not understand the civil unrest of this poor country. As a teacher he thought he had it rough, as a white man with an interest in girls he finds they fight brutally. A woman scorned sends his life in a tailspin as her jealousy is just uncontrollable. Though many of these girls can only find work in ill-reputable places. In America it is the same, though some of his problems followed him. Will he find freedom and love?
I found In Brownout – 666: Are We Slaves to Our Symbols authentic as Rick Daly was continually fleeced by those around him. He underestimates women, which reading about his life you would think he would catch on to their scheming ways. The author paced out Rick’s life, while giving a description glimpse into his ventures. I found it interesting that they would call it a brownout whereas we would call it a blackout. This novel will delight those who love crime action, with a taste of romance.
One of the first things to hit me as I began reading Brownout was that it was as if I was watching this on the big screen. The language is so well crafted and visually stimulating I did feel I was deep in the thick of the action and the story was happening around me. Spencer’s literary dexterity is truly a marvel, and Brownout is an incredible read. Whether describing the lush landscape of the Philippines, the vivid scenes of destruction, or the subtleties of character interaction, everything was handled with the greatest of skill.
A truly enjoyable book I will definitely read again.
Well this was a very interesting book for me. I say interesting because the protagonist is a White man trying his luck in the Philippines and oh no he just gets into trouble all because of his sexual escapades and his ambition to be a successful furniture business man over there. I felt sorry for him because hey, I guess his weakness is women but I also felt angry at him for being so careless and clueless about it all. I had felt kind of nervous about delving into this book because of its abominable titling (the triple 6 number but my soldier-esque reader spirit assured myself that it is just a work of fiction and that with God as my guardian angel, the devil will not seize me in any way.)
I guess if I put my analytical skills to use, I will interpret this book as a man’s unfortunate experience of being White and living overseas where he is being taken advantage of because of the idea that White man means lots of wealth and success and that if you nab one to marry, then he will be a step-up for you and your family. I wondered about the author of this book if he is writing from a negative experience he had with Filipino women because his tone isn’t very positive in regards to them. I don’t know, I’ll let you decide for yourself when you make the choice of purchasing this ebook after my review.
I have sympathy for the protagonist but in a way, I also felt frustrated with him and his continuous stupidity of seeking casual sex with random women and never thinking about the consequences that result from his actions. I understand that he is young, masculine, and ambitious but sometimes you have to practice moderation. The ending of this book was enough to make me sigh and erase some of my discomfort with him. It also explains the bizarre title of the book itself. If you are looking for a sexual book then this is your book right here. If you are intimidated by bizarre sexual content, then I advise you to stay away. In the end it does have a positive message about staying strong through hard times and that you have to be careful when you go to a foreign country.
This is an epic story concerning the Daly family, taking in a lifetime of their experiences and many international changes of scene. As soon as you pick it up it’s straight into the action and following Rick Daly on vacation in Thailand. There he finds beautiful women, lots of sex and is the victim of a robbery. These, you realise quickly, are repeating themes. The story switches between that of Rick and his Uncle Christopher, cataloguing each’s own set of circumstances, trials and tribulations. I won’t reveal too much by way of a spoiler, but characters are introduced throughout the story, with their own understanding of the highly charged emblem of the swastika. This is a complex, twisting tale involving crime, punishment and injustice, told in an innovative way. Although the story’s backdrop navigates the globe, it reads like an insiders’ guide to the Philippines and Filipino culture, so much so that you can almost feel the hot sticky temperatures and taste the food!
Books like this usually don’t catch my interest and tend to be slower paced than I typically enjoy. This book, however, is very different. I found it to be very fast paced, and full of moments that kept driving the story forward from the very first few pages until the end. I do feel the characters could have felt a bit more diverse, as some of them seemed to lack individual goals or development beyond the basics. This didn’t detract from the story, though, as the main character was developed well and as a unique voice. Though this is an adventure, there is a lot the main character, Rick, goes through internally and we really see this character struggle and grow throughout. Spencer did a great job writing this, I look forward to reading more from this author.
Author Mr. John Richard Spencer appears to be making his literary debut with this book BROWNOUT-666. There is no biographical data available so we can only imagine the depth of experiences that allow him to write such a vivid novel about strange circumstances.
One aspect is certain: without taking a breath John jumps into his chosen setting of the Philippines and sets the tone for this intriguing story – ‘An uncanny tone pierced the stifling tropical air. A brilliant flash tore the firmament asunder. Then, amidst the blasted debris, a deafening cacophony arose. The sudden arrival of a rocket-propelled grenade was all too apparent. Chilling screams and the acrid smell of burning flesh accompanied the shattering of glass. Smoke billowed from the second-floor balcony of the Intercontinental while a line of tanks cautiously surveyed the scene from the Paseo de Roxas. Swirling overhead in elongated circles WW II vintage warplanes, known as Tora Toras, were bombing Malacanuang Palace. The December sunshine competed with flashes of artillery fire while rebel soldiers took key installations, one after the other. It was the second day of the coup against the yellow lady, Cory Aquino, who in 1989 was at the zenith of her power and folly. The wish of death had been palpably hanging over this otherwise idyllic paradise for a good many years. From high on verdant hills the fortresses of the privileged and wealthy gazed nonchalantly on the slums of the others below. Priests in their pulpits preached brotherly love, countless unwanted babies made their way into the world, the armies of beggars looked as hopeless as ever and virtually anything could be bought, or arranged, for a price. Yes, for the Philippines, it was almost business-as-usual. Somehow rising to his feet in the blinding dust, the thirty-something, six-foot tall and slightly muscular Rick Daly strode over the detritus of the balcony and slipped inside the body of the building. He was too dazed to speak. He merely nodded in an inane fashion at every movement or gesture directed his way. After fifty meters or so an immovable obstacle made its existence known. The bar, surprisingly, still boasted intact bottles of whiskey along with surrogate promises. Habit or shock caused Rick to grab the first full bottle and pour a generous portion down his throat.’ And so we meet the central character of this book.
John’s outline of the plot reveals not only story but also his philosophy: ‘In the land of flaunted sex, money, and flexible rules, an ambitious but lonely Rick Daly faces his demons. Rick Daly has established a business in the exotic surroundings of the Philippines, while simultaneously discovering Marilyn Delgado, the woman of his dreams. However, a clash of cultures and his own naiveté lead to disaster. Falsely accused of a sexual crime, Rick loses both his freedom and his business. To add insult to injury, a prison escape merely amounts to switching jails. In a world where the rich prosper, honest individuals are forced to the wall, and a cynical disregard for all but the dollar is destroying society from within, crime soon follows punishment for Rick. Close to losing his soul, will Rick’s ultimate success in drug and arms dealing finally lead him to face up to reality?
The flavor of the book is achieved by John’s survey of a high octane adventure, which will takes us into a sea of cultural and ethical flashpoints, while exposing huge cracks in the world’s political and social order, supplanting it all with erotica that adds its own flavor to the story. There is a screenplay potential within these pages. Recommended.
Brownout 666 offers a view into the life of a man on a journey of self-discovery in the Philippines. Just when he feels that he has created success, an incident occurs that causes him to be falsely accused of a sex crime. He goes to jail. Loses his everything. And ends up in drugs and arms dealing. That’s kind of a quick overview for a book that really was difficult to read. It didn’t hold my interest and I felt the book was far too long for this type of story at 501 pages. I would warn readers of the sex. If you are someone who is uncomfortable with sex scenes, this is not the book for you. Even though the author wraps everything up in the end and reveals the reason for the odd title, as well as the ultimate (positive) changes the protagonist goes through, I was kind of over it by that point.
Brownout 666 by John Richard Spencer
Starts with about the author. Love all the travel to the locations in the book as I’ve not been to most.
Interesting learning about culture and traditions of the lands visited.
Rick starts out running his own furniture business in the Philippines and he has Marilyn there to actually oversee it all. Story also involves sex and drug trade.
It’s just a front and he ends up in trouble and is able to buy his way out of the country and lands in Australia where he finds works but again is in trouble.
The original problem is fixed and they deport him to the USA, NY where he finds some menial tasks til he heads out to Chicago to find his relative.
They introduce him to where they work and he does very well at the company.
Loved the yoga sections towards the end.
Repulsive part for me was hearing in detailed descriptions of the rapes and sodomizes, Really turned me off from reading but managed to drudge through it.
Just didn’t seem to be so necessary to have THAT much detail.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
Bad boy Rick has a way of disguising himself as a good boy but no woman is interested in that kind of man.
This novel is a journey of cultural and ethical society in the Philippines as Rick Daly ventures on a self discovery mission, generations of mysteries and buried secrets from crime passions to the exploits of humanity.
The novel reads like an erotic exploit of Rick Daly, the main character womanizer personality. He was bound to test the commitment of the people involved in his business and life. Rick is a mysterious man as readers love and hate him throughout the novel. It’s the character who walks through life expecting his motives to be untouchable.
Nosing around with some heavy criminals his intelligence rises to thrust upon the power of drugs and arms dealing.
Omg, the romance scenes ignited my fire, and I wanted more description, more of the man I could
later bury into my fantasies. Readers will enjoy a backstory which reels with fulfilling, sophisticated by Rick’dialogue connecting passions between the beautiful series of women prided Rick’s womanizing ways.
Over five hundred pages of creative award winning literature.
“Rick, the world isn’t about laws; it isn’t even about right and wrong. It’s about winners and losers, pure and simple.”
Focusing on a group of unlikely family, acquaintances and friends, the pivot person is Rick Daly, an Australian former teacher who moves to the Philippines to begin a furniture export company. Learning the hard way his business seems successful, despite his proclivities being in the way at times.
His uncle, retired after 40 years, ekes out a living with his three children. He’s proud of his nephew and loves to hear from him. Rick, through no fault of his own, runs into people who connect to his uncle’s life, learning lessons and philosophies from the oddest collection of souls: Fillapina, German, greedy, poor, happy and sad. Who are the winners and who are the losers? Only time and circumstances can tell.
Rick’s secretary, Marilyn, puts more belief in reputations than actual life. Her family and friends rarely connect with her reality. She and Cecelia, the maid dance jealousy around each other, both in a way, living as untruthful life as Rick is. Even the police, friendly with Rick, become the “enemy” in this world.
Arrested on an untruth, Rick is incarcerated, and with more untruth, finds himself on the run for the rest of his life. The question we are left with is can we stomach his choices, for good and for bad, or just accept that’s the way it is, adjust the lens and move on.
There is so much ennui in this book and it is quite disconcerting that the author simply assumes that in the long run, greed wins over truth. His title, Brownout, as most of us know, is a reduced or cutting off of electricity, and the acceptance and adjustments learned to accommodate this issue. Does this book “tell it as it is” or how it is seen? Have we become such jaded fools to coast through life? Does anyone win in that case? This story is uncomfortable to say the least. I’m not sure I liked it. It‘s a book that might stay with you, but, in this reviewer’s opinion, it’s on that’s going to leave a bad taste in your mouth. And, because of that, I can’t give it higher than a 3/5
Brownout is a challenging read, and at times a little uncomfortable, but I salute the effort to rise above cheesy, formulaic page-turners and tackle difficult issues head-on. Rick is an interesting and flawed character and the story charts his journey and struggles.
There is a darkness to the story and also at times quite graphic, but there is also an unflinching reality to it as well that the author has embraced rather than shied away from. All in all I found it to be a very worthwhile read, and not one I will forget any time soon.
“Rick, the world isn’t about laws; it isn’t even about right and wrong. It’s about winners and losers, pure and simple.”
Focusing on a group of unlikely family, acquaintances and friends, the pivot person is Rick Daly, an Australian former teacher who moves to the Philippines to begin a furniture export company. Learning the hard way his business seems successful, despite his proclivities being in the way at times.
His uncle, retired after 40 years, ekes out a living with his three children. He’s proud of his nephew and loves to hear from him.Rick, through no fault of his own, runs into people who connect to his uncle’s life, learning lessons and philosophies from the oddest collection of souls:Fillapina, German, greedy, poor, happy and sad. Who are the winners and who are the losers? Only time and circumstances can tell.
Rick’s secretary,Marilyn, puts more belief in reputations than actual life. Her family and friends rarely connect with her reality. She and Cecelia, the maid dance jealousy around each other, both in a way, living as untruthful life as Rick is. Even the police, friendly with Rick, become the “enemy” in this world.
Arrested on an untruth, Rick is incarcerated, and with more untruth, finds himself on the run for the rest of his life. The question we are left with is can we stomach his choices, for good and for bad, or just accept that’s the way it is, adjust the lens and move on.
There is so much ennui in this book and it is quite disconcerting that the author simply assumes that in the long run, greed wins over truth. His title, Brownout, as most of us know, is a reduced or cutting off of electricity, and the acceptance and adjustments learned to accommodate this issue. Does this book “tell it as it is” or how it is seen? Have we become such jaded fools to coast through life? Does anyone win in that case?This story is uncomfortable to say the least. I’m not sure I liked it. It‘s a book that might stay with you, but, in this reviewer’s opinion, it’s on that’s going to leave a bad taste in your mouth. And, because of that, I can’t give it higher than a 3/5
[I received this book from the publisher and chose to read and review it]
If you are looking for an exciting new read then look no further than Brownout 666 by John Spencer. It starts off with a bang, throwing you right into the action, setting the tone for a novel that is full of sex, violence, drugs, and tension. The main character Rick is a Western guy looking to make his fortune in the Philippines, but his lust for women and a few shady dealings gets him into some serious trouble. And when you get into trouble in the Philippines, you really get into trouble.
The characters were interesting, the plot was unpredictable and unexpected, particularly as the title and the synopsis gives so little away. Brownout 666 should be a surprise to you too, so I’m not going to give any more away. Just pick up a copy and get ready for quite the ride.
I love a good thriller novel and ‘Brownout – 666’ by John Spencer certainly grabbed my attention in the first few chapters and kept me engaged right through to the conclusion, It was fast-paced, exciting, and in some places, completely shocking. Rick, the protagonist, grows and changes as the novel progresses, but you will be wondering whether his growth is genuine or just a necessity thanks to his circumstances. You see, Nick is a man seeking his fortune in the Philippines and he isn’t exactly looking to do things the right way. Naive and a slave to women, he soon finds himself in prison, and it is not long before her discovers how different things in a Philippines prison are from those in Western countries.
This was a really decent piece of thriller writing, but it is not for the shy and retiring type. There were quite a few graphic sex scenes, and Rick’s behaviour can range from the distasteful to downright awful. But, it is an engrossing piece of fiction that will reward you with a unique plot and a diverse cast of characters.