Saucer: The Conquest by Stephen Coonts

A year after the saucer incident, Rip Cantrell and Charlotte “Charley” Pine are trying to get their lives back on track. Rip is confused and doesn’t know what to do, while Charley decided to take a job flying a space shuttle to the moon as part of a French project to establish a viable lunar base. Unfortunately, the lunar base is merely a ruse for a madman’s plan to rule Earth. Now Charley and Rip are the only ones in a position to stop the madman and save the earth.

Another great book from Stephen Coonts. While not quite as good as the original book, Saucer, this book is definitely a page-turner and is very difficult to put down until you know the Earth is safe again. Before reading this book, you really should read the first one to get a complete understanding of the characters and their motivations. And while this book is not a romance novel by any stretch of the imagination, it does allow you to see how Charley and Rip grow closer to each other during the course of the book. Now real question is, will Coonts follow up this story with another Saucer book? Only time will tell.

Details: St. Martins, September 2004

Bottom line: A great book

Saucer by Stephen Coonts

While working in a Middle Eastern desert, Rip Cantrell sees a flash of light reflected from a piece of metal. When Rip investigates the reflection, it turns out to be a flying saucer buried underground. A US satellite spots the saucer and the government dispatches a team of Air Force personnel, including former Air Force test pilot Charlotte “Charley” Pine. When attacked by several military groups representing both government and private interests, Rip and Charley manage to escape and fly the 140,000-year-old saucer away from the desert in the nick of time. They return to the US only to come face-to-face with a billionaire who plans to auction the saucer to the highest bidder. Now Rip and Charley must dodge bullets and mayhem while they search for a way that insures that all mankind will benefit from this incredible discovery.

Okay, this isn’t a romance story, but it is one of the best books I’ve read in years. The story is like reading about a kid’s dream of finding their own personal flying saucer and all of the subsequent adventures he has. This tale has a believable plot that makes it seem plausible that someone could find and fly a saucer. I’ve had a similar story bouncing around in my head for years – too bad it wouldn’t be acceptable as a Blaze or even an HQN :( . If you enjoy science fiction or techno-thrillers, you absolutely have to read this book. Even if you don't, it's still a pretty good story.

Details: St. Martins, March 2002

Bottom line: An excellent book