"He led his men into hell in "ICE STATION," He protected the President against all odds in "AREA 7," This time it's different. Because this time "SCARECROW" is the target..."
THE GREATEST BOUNTY HUNT IN HISTORY
FIFTEEN NAMES
There are 15 targets, the finest warriors in the world-commandos, spies, terrorists.
And they must all be dead by 12 noon, today. The price on their heads: almost $20 million each.
ONE HERO
Among the names on the target list, one stands out. An enigmatic Marine named Shane Schofield, call-sign: SCARECROW.
NO LIMITS
And so Schofield is plunged into a headlong race around the world, pursued by a fearsome collection of international bounty hunters-including the 'Black Knight', a notoriously ruthless hunter who seems intent on eliminating only Schofield. The race is on and the pace is frantic as Schofield fights for survival, in the process unveiling a vast international conspiracy and the terrible reason why he cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to live...
"Lightning-paced."
--"Entertainment Weekly"
"Move over, Jack Ryan and Dirk Pitt-Marine Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield is the next great action hero."
--"Dallas Morning News"
ReviewsArea 7; Temple; Contest; Ice Station-fans of Reilly's novels know that no one writes faster-moving adventure fiction, so it's a shock to read, in an interview with Reilly included at the back of this novel, that he aimed to "create a new level of speed and pace" here. He has succeeded-the text is all fury, akin to taking a James Bond film, cutting out everything but the action and running that at double speed. The plot is preposterous and secondary, a frame on which to hang one extraordinary fighting/escape scene after another. The world's greatest bounty hunters are offered, by a cabal of the world's richest humans, $18.6 million per head to bring to the cabal's headquarters in France the heads of 15 men. One of the heads belongs to U.S. Marine captain Shane Schofield, aka Scarecrow, hero of Ice Station and Area 7. It turns out that he and the other targets have the world's fastest reflexes, allowing them to disarm nuclear missiles about to strike-an ability that can defuse the cabal's plan to launch nuclear attacks on major world cities, instilling chaos and creating a new international arms race for profit. Character, too, is secondary here, though Reilly does take the unusual step of killing off one major series hero. And even the traditional novel form is secondary in this entertainment entity; this is as much video game as novel, complete with meticulous diagrams of most of the many locales (a penal installation in Siberia; an office tower in London, etc.) and literary sound effects ("An ominous deep-seated thromming emanated...."). What's foremost, along with the action, is quick-cut entertainment: up to 20 paragraphs per pages, with some paragraphs running only one word, sweep readers from beginning to end. Reilly's admirers will love this one, and anyone interested in the outer limit of action writing should check it out; that the villains are headquartered in France should add to its populist appeal. (Mar. 24) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. Reilly's latest slam-bang actioner delivers more thrills than most other adventure novels. Shane Schofield, a.k.a. Scarecrow and the hero of Ice Station and Area 7, finds himself on a hit list of 12 men, all members of elite military units from around the globe. A bounty of $18.6 million a head spurs the hopes of professional assassins. There's only one catch-the men on the list must be dead by noon on October 26th, Eastern Standard Time. The novel starts three hours before the deadline and is essentially one long action scene-a bold experiment. Plot points and exposition occur even as Scarecrow fights for his life, creating a tale that never lets the hero, or the reader, take a breath. Overall, this is an over-the-top roller-coaster ride that would make a pulse-pounding movie if you had a budget of $6 billion. For all fiction collections.-Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. Two years ago Matthew Reilly warned that his next novel would be ‘lean, mean and totally out of control’. Now he delivers, and how. The prologue of Scarecrow introduces a group of seriously rich folk conspiring to get even richer by rekindling the Cold War. They also set loose a nasty bunch of bounty hunters to eliminate military experts standing in their way. Three pages later the mayhem begins. Shane Schofield (aka Scarecrow), hero of Ice Station and Area 7, barely escapes an ambush in Siberia, and during scant pauses between shooting down helicopters and sinking an aircraft carrier, he uncovers the plot and why he’s on the hit list. One by one the others are eliminated. He must stay alive and defuse rogue missiles before the inevitable deadline. As usual, Reilly strings together a spectacular series of action set pieces ŕ la James Bond. Baddies are bloodily dispatched—shot, blown up, shredded, stabbed, strangled and decapitated—on almost every page. Goodies have miraculous escapes. Criticism that the frenetic, non-stop action is improbable, and that the characters are celluloid rather than flesh and blood, misses the point. Reilly’s books are deliberately aimed at a generation brought up on action films and video games. Ice Station’s popularity proves the formula works. Graeme Moore is fiction manager and buyer at Dymocks Melbourne. C. 2003 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors "The text is all fury, akin to taking a James Bond film, cutting out everything but the action and running that at double speed. As much video game as novel. Reilly's admirers will love this one, and anyone interested in the outer limit of action writing should check it out."--"Publishers Weekly"
"James Bond and Dirk Pitt can step aside-a new action hero has arrived to take their place in Reilly's latest roller-coaster ride. This thrill fest is highly recommended for all fiction collections-even the most jaded readers will need to fasten their seatbelts and hang on for dear life."--"Booklist"
""Scarecrow" should come with a blood pressure cuff shrink-wrapped to it. Nonstop action, adventure, and a HUGE surprise for fans of Reilly's other Schofield novels-what more could you ask for from a novel? You'll give up television forever after reading "Scarecrow.""--Bookreporter.com
"Lightning-paced."--"Entertainment Weekly"
"Move over, Jack Ryan and Dirk Pitt-Marine Shane "Scar |
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