Two years ago Matthew Reilly warned that his next novel would be 'lean, mean and totally out of control'. Now he delivers, and how. The prologue of Scarecrow introduces a group of seriously rich folk conspiring to get even richer by rekindling the Cold War. They also set loose a nasty bunch of bounty hunters to eliminate military experts standing in their way. Three pages later the mayhem begins. Shane Schofield (aka Scarecrow), hero of Ice Station and Area 7, barely escapes an ambush in Siberia, and during scant pauses between shooting down helicopters and sinking an aircraft carrier, he uncovers the plot and why he's on the hit list. One by one the others are eliminated. He must stay alive and defuse rogue missiles before the inevitable deadline. As usual, Reilly strings together a spectacular series of action set pieces à la James Bond. Baddies are bloodily dispatched - shot, blown up, shredded, stabbed, strangled and decapitated - on almost every page. Goodies have miraculous escapes. Criticism that the frenetic, non-stop action is improbable, and that the characters are celluloid rather than flesh and blood, misses the point. Reilly's books are deliberately aimed at a generation brought up on action films and video games. Ice Station's popularity proves the formula works.
Graeme Moore is fiction manager and buyer at Dymocks Melbourne.
The Spell of Rosette by Kim Falconer In a future Earth ravaged by pollution and climate change, the only hope for the survival of humanity lies in a parallel dimension.1 October, 2008
The Chaos Crystal by Jennifer Fallon This is the final volume of the ‘Tide Lords’ quartet. From the first volume, The Immortal Prince, onwards Fallon has taken her readers on a journey further and further away from the usual fantasy expectations.1 October, 2008
Wanting by Richard Flanagan Richard Flanagan’s fourth novel is set in his native Tasmania, and returns to the troubled early history of the colony in the mid 19th century.1 October, 2008
Lemniscate by Gaynor McGrath An odd title (which refers to the infinity symbol) and 50 or so pages of stilted, naive dialogue and irritating moralising, did not make me want to continue reading this novel.1 October, 2008
In Bed With by Adams Jessica People will buy this collection of erotic short stories, because of the author names they are familiar with.1 October, 2008
Grace Notes by Jenny Pattrick Grace Notes by Jenny Pattrick is a lively read, with well-rounded characters, feisty dialogue and excellent sense of location.1 October, 2008
The Best of Australian Poetry 2008 by David Brooks It’s the sixth year of UQP’s ‘Best Australian Poetry’ series, and guest editor David Brooks, whose recent novel was shortlisted for the 2008 Miles Franklin award, invites us to once again sample the cream of contemporary Australian poetry.1 October, 2008
The Art of Graeme Base by Julie Watts Like a child reading Animalia for the first time I devoured this illustrated biography of a talented and fortunate man in one extended reading and then went back to examine choice pages.1 October, 2008
The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet By Colleen McCullough According to a recent poll of 15,000 Dymocks booklover members, Pride and Prejudice is considered one of the best books ever written and yet one that I am shamefaced to admit has never quite made it to the top of my reading pile.1 September, 2008
The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens If you’ve read Laurens’ ‘Bastion Club’ series you’ll find Edge of Desire similar to the previous seven books.1 September, 2008
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