Reviews (8)
Good, strong outing from Odom. These are the kind of books I wish we would see nowadays. StonyMan information being hacked, etc.
The AI was a little too human. I think it would have been more suspenseful had it been less human since you wouldn't quite know what was going on.
The space scene was also a little bit much.
But overall, a strong StonyMan title.
I really enjoyed this one an excellent plot which has already been described by previous reviews and a pretty good main villian.Aside from him there are numerous excellent characters introduced the programmer and Bear's previous partner the standouts.The assault on the Stony Man base is extremely well done with Hal and Leo jumping in on the action and how much better the base is prepared this time after the last disaster (go Cowboy!).As has been previously said the last bit is a bit much. I probably would have given this a ten rating but the placing of Jack and David into the Space Shuttle was just rubbish even with the nice bit of writing on what happens whilst at the cannon in space with the ongoing storyline.So minor disappointment with that section but still a solid 9 for me recommended reading.
I was reluctant to read more Stony Man books after the disappointment of Stony Man 2, but I decided to take the plunge with the third book in this series. And am I glad I did!
Odom is really on his game with this novel. An engaging plot, solid action, growing suspense, techno-thriller elements, and the whole Stony Man gang are thrown into this story, along with a power crazy villain in Jerred Quillian. No page is wasted with filler, and all members of the teams get in on the action, some more than others, and each mission is wrapped up by the end. The opening chapter really drew me in. I liked how the story developed, it didn't fall apart like in Odom's first Stony Man effort. Stony Man 3 is a book that is memorable. And the final assault on Quillian's base was very cool.
This book isn't without its flaws. I thought the artificial Intelligence of the computer program was presented as far to human, making the make-believe a little too unbelievable.
The armies attacking the farm, and the lab in silicon valley, seemed to just materialize out of thin air, with no description as how Quillian got these armies in place so quickly, and without anyone detecting them.
Aside from these issues, I was very pleased at the quality of entertainment Odom provides with this book. Far superior in every way from the first two books in my opinion, I say check this one out.
The US Air Defense computer system is hacked into, sending American fighters chasing electronic phantoms along the American-Russian border. This leads to an international incident, as American and Russian fighters are shot down. Enter the Stony Man team.
The plot rolls along nicely on this one. The team splits up, each member making their own contribution. The hacker menace struck a real chord, and seemed more plausible than some of the novels. In fact this was damn near a 10-star book.
Unfortunately, the plot was derailed with 50 pages to go. I know that this is not a popular view, but I really have an issue with Jack Grimaldi. I find it impossible to believe that a civilian can fly any sort of aircraft. The controls for a F-16 must be totally different that a Harrier, but Grimaldi flies these better than any Navy Top Gun. Come on, this is unrealistic.
"Stony Man III" took this to a new extreme, however, when Grimaldi is installed as a payload specialist on the space shuttle Atlantis. Wha? He's an astronaut, too??? That knocked the book down 2 stars.
Except for some unbelievable moments, "Stony Man III" was a very good book, and one of the tops in the series. Good action and good (for the most part) writing make this one a worthwhile read.
I think this is one of the best Stony Man books I have read to date. The attack on Stony Man Farm was much needed in my opinion and served to assure readers that such a thing as happened before won't happen again. Jared Quillian was an outstanding villian and the final battle was spectacular in true stony man style, and I have to say this will alwayse be one of my favorites.
An exciting Stony Man that can be favorably compared to a good Bond movie. In fact, strands of Mel Odom's plot can be seen in the later Bond movies Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. I love those Bond movies where 007 has to call in an assault force to help him breach the impregnable fortress so the final battle at Quillian's island was terrific. My only problem with the book was the sci-fi artificial intelligence subplot. It was way too far-fetched and only detracted from the main story.
This, in my opinion is one of the best Stony Man's. The attack on Stony Man Farm was exciting.
A good story by my favorite Bolan author. I did find the sequence of McCarter and Grimaldi going into space to far fetched for the Bolan novels.
