Rating:  Summary: Good book, but somewhat unrealistic Review: This book is a good book, especially if you haven't read a lot of realitic military fiction. This book has a character that is a lot like James Bond, the invincible spy. After a while, this character's unrealistic achievements ruin the book. Many of the things don't make sense if you think about them. One of the things that is most incongrous is that a group of soldiers is able to overrun CIA's specially trained guard troops, but then is consistently defeated by a signle agent.
Things like this happen throughout the book, and all the while people are dying. It seems that one character is able to handle the world, something that everyone should know isn't true. If you want a book with a lot of shooting action, this is for you. If you want a book with real substance, you's be better off looking somewhere else.
Rating:  Summary: Couldn't possibly be worse.... Review: This book is so bad I'm not even going to say more than, "it's my first & last Stephen Coonts novel."
Rating:  Summary: A fun read for lovers of violence Review: This violent tale of betrayal and desperation has more corpses than it does words. There are shootings and strangulations, massive bloodlettings, as well as a hitman crushed beneath the wheels of an automobile. At one point our hero even uses an ink pen to puncture the throat of a bad guy. Bombs go off, assault teams infiltrate the suburbs, and so on. You get the idea.
Beneath all this bloodshed there's something resembling a story, but certainly not enough of one to get in the way of the violence. Coonts has an easy writing style, which makes for fun reading. He's also really good about not taking himself too seriously, which is a temptation that overwhelms many an author. If anything, Coonts seems to be having a good time, here, throwing in the corpses to keep things moving. His tone is jokey and carefree, so you'll enjoy a laugh or two along the way. It isn't high literature, but I wasn't under that impression when I opened the book.
Rating:  Summary: Beach Read Review: Throw logic to the winds. Open a cold drink, find a comfortable seat and relax. A page turner, no more, no less.
Rating:  Summary: rambunctious adventure! Review: Tommy Carmellini has a way with words, women & weapons. He is also a cannon on the loose when he finds his boss & his best friend have become targets.For ardent Admiral Jake Grafton fans, you will be glad that he & Callie, are back to assist in sorting out who's after whom & who ordered the mayhem, even as a presidential convention gets under way in New York City. Rebeccasreads recommends LIARS & THIEVES as packed with rib-tickling humor, loads of weaponry, plentiful & bloody skullduggery, spasms of hysterical liberalism, frequent sly deceits, with an unabashed undercurrent of honor.
Rating:  Summary: Fasten Your Seat Belts When You Start This Book! Review: While I was sorry to see that Jake Grafton has been replaced as the hero in Coonts' latest book, Liars And Thieves, the author takes you on a thrill-a-minute ride that should only be read with your seat belt on. Tommy Carmellini, the new hero (who has appeared as a minor character in Coonts' Cuba) is a smart, talented, witty, CIA agent and ex-burglar who will likely become as popular as Jake Grafton. Liars And Thieves provides enough action and excitement to leave you gasping for breath and wanting to turn the pages as fast as you can. My only criticism is that on a few occasions the plot required me to stretch my limits of credulity a bit too much. Putting this minor flaw aside, the plot, which involves Carmellini helping a beautiful ex-girlfriend who is being blackmailed and of his being asked by the CIA to investigate a massacre at a safe house that was (supposedly) protecting a former KGB archivist who defected with important secret files. is a book Coonts fans and fans of suspense thrillers in general should enjoy very much.
Rating:  Summary: The shift to Carmellini is well done. 4 ½ stars Review: With Liars & Thieves, Coonts features Tommy Carmellini as the lead character, pushing Jake Grafon, the famed hero and mainstay of many of Coonts' works, to a secondary (but still important) role. Although Carmellini had been a character in recent novels, Grafton still was in the spotlight. Now Coonts makes the shift from Grafton to Carmellini with great effect, leveraging the traditional strengths of the Grafton character while extending and deepening Carmellini's character. Liars & Thieves is told from the first-person perspective of Carmellini, which serves to effectively provide a deep look into his heart and the inner workings of his mind. Character development on some of the secondary characters adds to the storyline as well. Bottom line: Liars & Thieves is a strong read. Despite some editing snafus, it provides a fresh perspective along with a sense of familiarity. The action is fast paced, with twists that keep the reader turning the pages. Don't wait for the paperback......read Liars & Thieves now.
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