Hidden Agendas (Tom Clancy's Net Force, No. 2)

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Summary: Can summarize This Book in One Sentence...
Review: About 300 Pages of great story telling, but then an extra 200 page of complete nothing.

Most of the book was great and entertaining, but for a good part of it I read stuff that didnt seem to have any relevance to the plot whatsoever and could quite frankly be left out of the book without changing the story at all.
But I did enjoy the book overall, even though it should only have been a 300 page book.

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Summary: Night Moves Prequel Improved But Predictable
Review: As a Clancy fan, and having panned "Night Moves" in an earlier review, I felt obligated to give another of his Net Force books a read. "Hidden Agendas" is, chronologically, the prequel to Clancy's earlier work. He might have done well to release it first. The characters in this book are better developed and the plot an improvement over his earlier effort. However, as inferred by another Amazon reviewer, this is the stuff of a movie script perhaps more than popular literature.

In "Hidden Agendas" the Net Force battles a computer wiz nee: body-building street thug and his employer, an apparently legitimate U.S. Congressional official with secrets to share. A "cloak 'n dagger" chase" traces its way across the U.S. and Europe before settling in an "OK Corral" confrontation that simultaneously brings all of the principals together in an obscure African nation.

Clancy does a nicer job here of developing his characters. He provides the origin of the relationship between Alex Michaels and Toni Fiorella as well as the unlikely match between Sergeant Fernandez and goddess-genius Joanna Winthrop. Even Jay Gridley's VR (virual reality) computer scenarios are less excentric. Col. John Howard is perhaps the most believable character (if you ignore the tree falling on him during a wilderness exercise in Washington). And we're less distracted by the wanderings Howard's son, Tyron, than in the earlier release.

Clancy doesn't let the intermittent romantic steam rust his proficiency for detail on weaponry and military tactics. However the motive of the key antagonist, Thomas Hughes, is never made completely clear. Despite a skeptical start, I enjoyed this volume better than "Night Moves."

Rating:
Summary: Not Clancy but OK for a light read
Review: First thing to establish is Tom Clancy did not write this book. I don't know why he puts his name on it, but the "Net Force" books are OK if you want something that is easy to read and doesn't make you think too hard.

The books are best read in sequence - I made the mistake of buying "Night Moves" and reading that first, before I realised it was a series.

I like the parallel stories a lot and the romantic angle between Alex and Toni prevents it all from being military tactics (which I also enjoy a lot).

One disappointing thing for me about "Net Force" is the name of the military head "Col. John Howard". Well, I am Australian and "John Howard" is the name of our Prime Minister. Whenever I read the name, I imagine a short, balding little weazel! Maybe Clancy and Steve Perry should check stuff like that out before they name their characters!

Conclusion: Good for a light read when you don't want to concentrate too much.

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Summary: Hidden Agendas by Tom Clancy
Review: Hidden Agendas follows on from the first book where the head of Net Force (Steve Day) was assassinated by terrorists, in steps Alex Michaels to take over the ship with has trusted team of computer experts, Toni Fiorella and Jay Gridley. Without giving to much away, someone was not only able to get their hands on top secret information but is posting it on the net, sending the world into chaos. Michaels and his team are sent on a wild goose chase on the info they are being allowed to gather on the suspect, it seems no-one is safe from these terrorists. I have read both books and find them quick paced and hard to put down. There is Action , suspence, humor and a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. If the first two books are anything to go by, I'm buying the rest and I can't wait for the TV series.

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Summary: Hidden Agendas By: Tom Clancy
Review: This was an interesting book. It was easy to follow and not that hard to comprehend. It starts in the year 2010 and tells of the Net Force, the group that is in charge of the safety of the Internet. A conflict arises when they have to figure out who is hacking into the Internet.

One character who stands out in my mind is Alex Michaels. He is the Commander of the Force. He is an honorable man who wouldn't stop working until he found out who was hacking into the Internet. Also, he wouldn't let his affair with a co-worker interfere with his job. This shows that he is both a hard worker and an honorable man.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. Once I got into it, it was extremely difficult to put down. When I chose this book, I thought it was going to be stupid, so I didn't want to read it, but I'm glad I did. I would recommend this book more to adults then children. It doesn't seem like a book someone younger would enjoy, but I think that older people would enjoy reading it.