Stephen Coonts' recent books featuring the 'get it done at whatever cost' Rear Admiral Jake Grafton have gained Coonts a wide and loyal audience. Coonts has gained a well-reserved reputation for writing edge-of-your seat thrillers that are enjoyable and engaging to read. In his book, Saucer, Coonts has deviated from his tried and true format by writing a thriller that does not feature Grafton, and which could easily be classified as science fiction. I'm a big Coonts fan, and I was a bit leery about reading Saucer for fear that it would not enthrall me as the Grafton books do. I need not have worried. Saucer is a thrilling and highly captivating novel that highlights Coonts' imaginative and literary prowess.
As the title suggests, Saucer is about a 'flying saucer'. The saucer in question is discovered in the Sahara desert by Rip Cantrell, a seismic surveyor. After uncovering the ship, Cantrell soon discovers that it is over 140,000-years-old! Before you, or Cantrell knows it, a United States Air Forces UFO investigation team, Roger Hedrick, an Australian billionaire, and the Libyan army are all vying to get hold of the ship - and its secrets.
To keep the ship from falling into the wrong hands, Cantrell, aided by the alluring Charlotte (Charley) Pine, try to figure out how to fly the ship out of harm's way. A former Air Force test pilot, Charley manages to fly the saucer to, of all places, Missouri. There she lands the saucer on a farm belonging to Cantrell's uncle, who just happens to be a genius who is able to figure out some of the more advance technological features of the saucer. To spice things up, Coonts has the Air Force UFO team taken prisoner by the Libyans, and he has Hedrick kidnap Charley and the saucer. It falls upon Cantrell to rescue his beloved Charley, and to get the saucer back - and that's only part of this thrilling adventure!
Granted, the story might be a bit corny, but you'll find it impossible to put down. Saucer is a fun book to read, and a nice change of pace from the current trend of novels based upon current affairs. It's nice on occasion to read fiction as pure escapism - without a care as to the plausibility or its relevance to everyday life. Saucer is a carefree book that is perfect for wiling away a lazy day and helping you to escape from your everyday cares.
Related Reviews:
America, by Stephen Coonts.
When the U.S.S. America, a new, super-stealthy nuclear-powered submarine loaded with six tomahawk missiles topped with electromagnetic bombs, is hijacked, Rear Admiral Jack Grafton is charged with the task of getting the sub back before it can launch it weapons. (Large Print)
Hong Kong, by Stephen Coonts.
Admiral Jake Grafton is tasked with investigating his old friend, Virgil 'Tiger' Cole. The U.S. Consul-General to Hong Kong, Cole may be part of a revolutionary movement to overthrow the Chinese government. And when someone in the movement kidnaps Callie, Grafton's wife, he must race against the clock to save her... (Large Print)
