Rating: 
Summary: Far-fetched but Entertaining
Review: "Hong Kong" begins rather amateurishly, with dialogue and scenes reading out of a cheap, B-rated spy movie. Stephen Coonts quickly warms up to his trade, however, and shows his masterful skill at crafting a thrilling, though far-fetched, tale of the classic democratic triumph over Communism, through whatever means necessary. Interesting twists and turns await the reader, but the sheer amount of possibilities and details imagined by Coonts left me pleasantly suprised and even more attracted to the story. Particularly interesting for those who have a fancy for Sino-US economic and political relations, such as myself. In a phrase, a modern Ian Fleming "James Bond" novel.
Rating:
Summary: Far-fetched but Entertaining
Review: "Hong Kong" begins rather amateurishly, with dialogue and scenes reading out of a cheap, B-rated spy movie. Stephen Coonts quickly warms up to his trade, however, and shows his masterful skill at crafting a thrilling, though far-fetched, tale of the classic democratic triumph over Communism, through whatever means necessary. Interesting twists and turns await the reader, but the sheer amount of possibilities and details imagined by Coonts left me pleasantly suprised and even more attracted to the story. Particularly interesting for those who have a fancy for Sino-US economic and political relations, such as myself. In a phrase, a modern Ian Fleming "James Bond" novel.
Rating:
Summary: If Stephen Coonts wants to preserve Jake Grafton...
Review: ...he should use him as a boss for characters young enough to do the action sequences the way he was with Toad Tarkington a few books back. I'll admit, he skillfully avoids having Grafton turn into an ideologue in his old age the way Clancy sometimes does with Jack Ryan. In this book, Grafton has a logical reason to want to kick butt and take names--after all, a Hong Kong crime lord has kidnaped Jake's wife Callie while they're over there for a symposium she's involved in as a professor. One aspect of the action sequences here sort of pushes the envelope of plausability, though: semi-autonomous battle robots straight out of Greg Bear or The Terminator. It's a bit of an "aw come on"--funnybook technology from an author we've come to know as a lot more realistic than that. One thing you'll notice here--the aforementioned Tarkington is still only a Commander. If you're familiar with that character from earlier Coonts books, what we have there is the eternal post-adolescent who even marriage to the right woman hasn't matured. Even Rita Tarkington's maturity and working for a boss like Grafton hasn't settled this overgrown frat boy down, and I'm glad to see him reduced to a bit part here.
Rating: 
Summary: CLASS ACT
Review: As an Englishman who remembers Hong Kong under the British flag, Stephen Coonts has got the balance absolutely right. Characterization, plotting, settings - all really first class. This (as another reviewer has remarked) is an improvement on his last "Cuba". The only other writer I know in the league of Coonts is another ex-flyer and a Brit, John Templeton Smith - read his 'White Lie'. Seems these pilots with a turn of phrase are a pretty exceptional bunch.
Rating: 
Summary: Still willing to read Coonts, though
Review: Coonts is a skillful writer. The plot contains many characters and moves fast. I had not read him before this. Even though I didn't like this book, I would be willing to try him again. In fact, the beginning of the book was so good, it was embarrassing to see Coonts mess it up by introducing killer robots into the story. Very poor literary judgment. So, don't buy this book. There are better buys. That should be the end of my review, but I have something to say about the book. Read-on only for a laugh. When I put this book down, I said in disbelief, "So let me get this straight, that wise, old Chinese woman is the owner of the Double Happy Fortune Cookie Company, where she writes the fortunes herself, and is also the mother of that guy who stood in front of the tanks at (pardon the spelling) Tianemen Square; and that guy is now the leader of a revolution to overthrow the Communists?" Coont's idea of making the leader of a Chinese revolution an heir to a multi-million dollar fortune cookie business was just bad. Of all the business that could have played a part in the Chinese revolution, Coonts chose the Double Happy Fortune Cookie Company? WHAT?!?!
Rating:
Summary: Hong Kong misses the mark.
Review: Coonts tried to apply the political/military formula for a thriller that worked so well in his last book, Cuba, and he fails to produce an inspiring or exciting story.Jake Grafton's wife is kidnapped by Hong Kong hoodlums right in the middle of a Chinese civil war. A lot of the novel is about the characters involved in the civil war, yet that isn't the focus of the book. So that means that the parts about the civil war aren't that satisfying. There is no conclusion to that part and you don't care about those characters. Even the bad guy that takes Grafton's wife is really a minor character, and when she is saved, it seems just like a minor point compared to the epic struggle of a civil war in China. Hong Kong is not a good book because Coonts hints at a wide-spread regional conflict with many involved characters, then abandons them at the end to focus on Grafton. Also, the first part of the book in which the civil war was set up seemed liking nothing more than an anti communist rant. I hate communism just as much as the next American, but I don't need to be preached to by a novel about it. I can safely assume that most readers already agree that China's government is bad and should be replaced. While Coonts provides entertaining novels, he still isn't as good as Clancy or the old Larry Bond books.
Rating:
Summary: Fortune cookies and revolution
Review: David Poyer, Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts have made China this season's enemy du jour. This entry involves the least amount of military might, but does utilize a sci-fi robot to carry the day for the revolution that occurs, when big business can't take communism any more. Grafton's task this time is more personal, the rescue of his wife from a gangster. But it somehow seems too easy, though you won't find it hard to keep turning the pages.
Rating: 
Summary: The names just bothered me
Review: Even though the author had an explanation for the spelling of his characters' chinese names, I (as an Chinese American) found this book a really hard read while Mr. Coonts uses Vitnamese, Taiwanese, and Korean (?) names for his Chinese characters, and randomly exchanges Cantonese and main-land Chinese names. For example, one Chinese person was named Ng. In all, I think it is apparent that the author had little knowledge of the contemporary Hong Kong and China. Unlike other reviewers, I was not bothered by the robots. I thought it was good imagination, and most likely the weapon of future combat.
Rating:
Summary: Coonts is simply irresponsible ............
Review: Having lived in HK for many years, I think I am qualified to say a thing or two about this energetic city. Given my current home, I have a special interest in this book and it is so disappointing. While many other readers are bothered by the robots, I didn't even get that far in the book. Coonts at the very least should live in this city for one day and do some real research. Many of his facts are incorrect and his portrayal of Hong Kong and its relationship with the Chinese communist government is simply laughable. How can a writer be so irresponsible? I'd rather flush my money down the toilet than buy another book from this guy.
Rating:
Summary: Potential but not good enough
Review: Hey, I like novels by Coonts and the Hong Kong scenario is an interesting one so this book had real potential. Then it went downhill fast. Poor characterisation and assuptions that you have read the previous books and knew who people were. And then we get involved in a half baked revolution that has killer robots mowing down the bad guys...
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