Search - Area 7 (Scarecrow, Bk 2)

Back of book: It is America's most secret basse, hidden deep in the Utah desert, an Air Force installation known only as Area 7. And today, it has a visitor - the President of the United States. He has come to inspect Area 7, to examine its secets for himself. But he's going to get more than be bargained for on this trip. Because hostile forces are waiting inside. Among the President's helicopter crew, however, is a young Marine. He is quiet, enigmetic, and he hides his eyes behind a pair of silver sunglassses. He name is Schofield. Call-sign: Scarecrow. Rumor has it, he's a good man in a storm. Judging by what the President has just walked into, he'd better be ...

This book is very suspenseful and moves quickly. Scarecrow wears sunglasses because of past injuries to his face -- he is a real hero. This is an action book, which shows what a human can do in extreme conditions.

This author also wrote "Ice Station" and "Temple."

This is the second book in Reilly's "Scarecrow" series following the amazing, and at times, a bit unbelievable adventures of Marine Shane M. Schofield; call sign: "Scarecrow".

My first blush impression of this effort was it read like a military themed video game or action movie. The characters are quite capable of amazing feats and are able to survive some of the most devastating situations. The good guys seem to be all experts in a grand array of equipment and tactics, while the bad guys have a hard time hitting the proverbial broadside of a barn.

This is a quick and entertaining read, but don't look for much depth in originality of character or back-story. Anyone who reads a lot in the military/techno-thriller genre will see very, very familiar stuff here.

This was my first exposure to Matthew Reilly. Would I read him again?....probably if I was looking for pure escape with no real effort on my part. However, another visit with "Scarecrow" and company would be superseded by many other authors and their pulp heroes.

Fasten your seatbelt before you read the first page because the ride just gets faster and rougher page after page. An excellant book for the lover of adventures.

This is a somewhat inferior sequel to Reilly's "Ice Station" and features USMC Shane Schofield, Mother, and Libby Gant (now Shane's girlfriend) from that book. The setting is predominantly the American Southwest and the plot hinges on keeping the President of the United States alive in order to foil a terrorist attack that will literally set the U.S. back a couple hundred years.

Reilly's character development is almost nil and this is problematic because we can't root for the heroes if we don't know their real motivations behind their actions. Also, there's a crucial plot twist in the next novel in the Schofield series, "Scarecrow", that isn't quite justified simply because we don't know much about the characters. I think the plot twist helped the novel, but at the same time, I wondered if I should care about someone I knew so little about.

Reilly, however, is a master of action and his scenes don't disappoint. Gunfights in airline hangars as well as a flooded pit filled with Komodo dragons (yes, really) factor into the novel as well, and they're the prime reason I love his books: the off-the-wall action. It's like Indiana Jones/James Bond/Jason Bourne on meth.

Reilly does raise a few points on treason and traitors in this novel. What does it mean to betray your country? What if you feel that your country has betrayed you? I thought it was well handled, especially given the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 as well as the many state militias who openly declare their mistrust or outright hatred of the United States government. Reilly's novels make it clear that you don't always know who you can (or should) trust.

This obviously isn't Great Literature (TM) and certainly won't be compared to Chekhov or Shakespeare, but he does give Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy a run for their money.

This book just has some truly unbelievable action scenarios. It was ok - not a lot of character build up... and you are not allowed to doubt that everything would come out perfectly in the end - some books keep you guessing, this one doesn't, even when he kills off some of the good guy characters.

Great story about the President of the United States being taken hostage, A Race specific biological weapon and a rogue group of Air Force officials. Then throw in a fanatical group from South Africa and you have the makings of a wild ride.