Matthew Reilly, born and still resident in Sydney, studied law before turning his pen to fiction. His seven novels - Ice Station, Temple, Contest, Area 7, Scarecrow, Seven Ancient Wonders and Six Sacred Stones have all been massive international bestsellers.
The seemingly indestructible Marine captain Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield returns in this high-octane adventure from Reilly (Area 7, etc.). This time out, Schofield finds himself, along with 14 other members of the world's most elite military units, being hunted by a seemingly endless army of bounty hunters. The prize for the hunters is $18.6 million per head, and all 15 heads must be taken within six days. The search for the person behind this bounty hunt takes Schofield and his loyal band of marines around the world and in and out of one life-threatening situation after another. Reilly knows exactly what kind of book he's writing. His heroes are brave and self-sacrificing, his villains are bloodthirsty and ruthless, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Narrator Sowers is in perfect synch with Reilly's storytelling. Obviously enjoying himself, he knows just what words to punch in order to get the most out of each action-packed sentence, and he supports his Clint Eastwood-like delivery of Schofield's dialogue by giving each of the numerous secondary characters their own distinct voices and accents. Those who like their adventures fast and furious will not be disappointed by this energetic production. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's/Dunne hardcover (Forecasts, Jan. 26). (Mar.) 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 à 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
Reilly's third novel in his "Shane Schofield" series will not disappoint listeners who have come to relish the author's violent, action-packed books. From the very first page, where Shane leads his team to Siberia in an effort to keep Islamic terrorists from detonating rusting Soviet missiles, the story hits the ground running, wasting little time on character development or plot nuance. Shane and his team, including the fascinating Gena "Mother" Newman, find themselves targeted by an international group of bounty hunters chasing after an $18.6 million prize. Their goal is to bring the heads of 15 individuals (intelligence officers, military personnel, and terrorists) to a French-headquartered group known as the Majestic-12, the world's most powerful businessmen. Reader Sean Mangan, a veteran of Reilly novels, knows when to emphasize the tension and suspense, but his overall delivery is a bit on the bland side. No worries; Reilly captures listeners from the beginning and hurtles them toward a shocking and unexpected conclusion. Recommended for public and military library collections.-Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
"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 "Scarecrow"
Schofield is the next great action hero. Matthew Reilly's
well-developed characters and nonstop action more than compensate
for an implausible plot."--"Dallas Morning News"
"The pace is breakneck... will hook you right from the
start."--"Waterstone's Books Quarterly "(UK)
"This is unashamedly ball-busting reading... it certainly clears
the palette."--"Arena" (UK)
"Here's pace, jargon, diagrams, gadgets and guns to get excited
about... "Scarecrow" is breathless."--"Mirror" (UK)
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