Rating: 
Summary: Saucer - A Stephen Coonts failure
Review: I spend 20 hours a week in dialysis. Reading material helps pass the time away, and this is about all Saucer can do. The writing is amateaurish, the characters are paper dolls. While the main characters carry the plot, the romance is elementary school. In all the book was a short poorly developed story, much more could have been done with the premise. For a quick adventure it is worth the price but it would not be worth a second read.
Rating: 
Summary: SAUCER is a great read! Stephen, Music City USA, Nashville
Review: Don't believe the poor reviews given about this novel! I enjoyed it spellbound from page 1 and was fascinated by it until the last page! I give it 5 stars for plot and writing! I have most of Coonts' books and this ranks at the top with all the others! I finished it in two days, hard to put down! Thank you Stephen Coonts for another great novel!...
Rating:
Summary: a disappointment
Review: SAUCER was very disappointing--the name Coonts should guarantee more at this stage. While starting out showing promise, it soon devolves into implausibility and the cartoon characters are unable to rescue the material. This light-hearted romp takes no notice of the likelihood that the fight for possession of the world-changing technology at stake could easily lead to WW3. How that event was avoided could have been the basis for a thoughtful, suspenseful story. Unfortunately, that is not the story that was written.
Rating: 
Summary: Saucer / echoes of Robert Heinlein
Review: A super story for the sci-fi or space opera fan. Pacing is good, a great set of characters and enough technical details to make it interesting and plausible without getting into the minutia that puts you to sleep while you're waiting for something to happen. As I read this I kept remembering another great writer of science fiction, namely Robert A. Heinlein. This story with its' subtle comments, and the not so subtle comments about government(s), and the politicians in general reminded me of classic Heinlein works. If you ever read and enjoyed a Heinlein story, this will surely please. Highly recommended. Falls into the can't-put-it-down category. My only complaint would be if there isn't a part II forth-coming.
Rating: 
Summary: SORRY EXCUSE FOR A COONTS BOOK
Review: WRITTEN AT A 3RD GRADE LEVEL. COONTS IS NOW AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE BARREL AFTER BEING ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.
Rating:
Summary: Saucer fantasies realized
Review: SAUCER
By Stephen Coonts
St. Martin's Griffin
Hot on the heels of his action-packed submarine adventure "America," Stephen Coonts has whipped out this fun-little (340 page) tale of a genuine flying saucer found embedded in the rocks somewhere in a remote section of the Sahara Desert.
At first the survey crew is convinced that it's one of the U.S.'s Area 51 spooks that got lost but luckily there was an archeological dig going on nearby and one of their experts carbon-dated the rock around the saucer at 140,000 years old, give or take a week.
This, you may have surmised, predates the Wright Brothers by some 139,900 years and causes no end of ensuing developments. Not only does the U.S. military want the saucer for what secrets it might contain, but so does Libya and a wealthy Australian industrialist (the second richest man in the world) who figures to put it up for bid.
The USAF sends along a team of UFO investigators after their satellites and super-secret hypersonic SR-71 replacement sends back intriguing photos suggesting this thing might actually be what it appears to be. Luckily, one of the team is a beautiful (aren't they always?) Air Force test pilot because when the young surveyor who discovered the saucer decides to fly it out ... but wait, we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Coonts, the one time A-6 driver who made his bones with "Flight of the Intruder," has developed into a full-fledged adventure writer who understands plot construction, character development and dramatic exposition. His cast of characters include a cross-section of humanity - a nerdy president, the evil industrialist, the likeable engineer, the Dr. Strangelove-ian Air Force general, the sexy pilot and a lot of guys with guns and no scruples.
Clearly, Coonts was having fun with this, because he has the saucer crew make surprise appearances at a Denver football game and a small town in the mid-west (stirred up the locals, I can tell ya'). There's lots of flying but it may be difficult to relate to something that runs on water, goes Mach 6 and can hover in anti-gravity mode.
This is a fast, fun read that would make a terrific Spielberg movie. Heck, Steve probably already has a flying saucer parked somewhere on the back lot already.
- Wayman Dunlap
Rating: 
Summary: Standard Fare
Review: Stephen Coonts has long been associated with that particular genre of writing...the techno-thriller. But his characters have often deviated from the archetype and his story lines are more fresh than many of his contemporaries. His fans know they can expect better quality when they pick up a new Coonts. That's why with SAUCER, he may throw them off. In a very X-Files way, a seismic scientist (the oddly named Rip Cantrell) finds a UFO in the Sahara desert. As is usually the case in this sort of story, several interst groups want the saucer for themselves and Rip finds himself stuck in the middle. Hs only option is...get ready for this...to fly the saucer away. Add a beautiful female test pilot and some pretty standard Libyan military goons and you have SAUCER. Entertaining and fast-paced: yes.
Thoughtful and believable: no.
Rating:
Summary: A thought provoking diversion
Review: I have been a fan of Stephen Coonts's writing since I picked up "Flight of the Intruder". His excellent character development, thought provoking plots, and fast pacing is exactly what I like in a novel. "Saucer" opens with a mystery and it ends in a mystery. In between it takes the reader and characters through a whirlwind of greed, deception, discovery, murder, government conspircy, politics, love, loyality, and ethics. Mr. Coonts does an excelent job placing his characters in very difficult situations, then giving readers enough time to ask themselves what they would do before moving foward with the story. While slowing down the pace, the anticipation and reflection on the characters' situation added tremendously to the story. While this story of fantastic technology and flying sacuers pushes into science fiction, Mr. Coonts firm grasp on the ethics and challanges of possessing this technology brings the novel back into the realm realistic fiction. I really liked this book, but I did have trouble connecting with the characters. To me, the characterizations seemed a bit more shallow, more static than the dynamic shades of grey found in Mr. Coonts other works. Overall, this is a very thought provoking diversion that takes the reader on a wild ride of a story.
Rating:
Summary: Saucer Stirs up Global Trouble
Review: From the author of military adventure comes a tale of a slightly different ilk. Oil prospectors in the Sahara find a buried artifact that turns out to be a flying saucer about 140,000 years old. Despite this, this novel is not a science fiction novel. Instead it is a military action thriller. News of the saucer leaks. Satellites spot it from orbit. Soon many powerful forces are trying to gain control of the craft. But Rip Cantrell first found the saucer, and with the aid of a test pilot, manage to keep hold of it for a while. The saucer continues to be a focal point for military actions and the action seldom stops. Throughout the book Rip tries to retain ownership of the saucer but it is his feelings for the beautiful test pilot that really puts him at ground zero. A nice and fast-paced tale with a resolution that actually seems to work (although I wonder about the repercussions for the Japanese SDF). Rip is a likeable character but seems to bounce back and forth between country bumpkin (which he is not) and the genius that he really is. The other characters are also well defined and interesting (good guys and bad). All in all I have to recommend this one for fans of military thrillers. Science Fiction fans may also like it but the Saucer is really just a catalyst for the tale.
Rating:
Summary: Just dumb. Plain dumb. Very disappointing.
Review: I started reading this with great enthusiasm, envisioning the twists and turns that Coonts could create with the basic premise of an ancient flying saucer found buried in the Saharan sands. And what I got was a screenplay for a summer blockbuster, devoid of any complexity or depth whatsoever. I read the first 30-40 pages, skimmed the next 40, and flipped through the rest of the book before finally abandoning it altogether. Oh well.
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