Book Alert: Scarecrow

Shane Schofield, USMC, is a hero. The protagonist of two of Matthew Reilly's other books (Ice Station, Area 7) is fast, rugged, peculiarly talented, and a lot more solid (read: has more character) than the rapidly-aging James Bond whom I grew up with. The books just mentioned are also fast, rugged, perhaps a bit over-the-top, and lots of fun. Quick cerebral, for the concentration-challenged. Think of blitz vs standard chess.

So what's new about Scarecrow?

Well, think of a bounty hunt worth about US$20m per head, with 15 names on the target list. Think of teams of the best bounty-hunters in the world and a secret that is literally 'to die for'. Think of a thousand litres of boiling oil and a group of mysterious industrialists who own the world. Think terrorists, a new cold war, nuclear threats, laser-guided massive ordnance, an exploding aircraft carrier, and car chases that are just begging to be made into movie fillers. This book is a movie in book form. Maybe three, altogether. The only problem is that you need both hands to read it, so no popcorn unless you want to miss out on details.

And, oh yes, wait till you see who dies half-way through the book.