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Matthew Reilly's Area 7 is a real roller-coaster ride military adventure, but don't look for great character development, or even consistency, like a advanced marine security team which goes from wearing "combat attire" to, a few hundred pages in when they're discovered, wearing their service dress. Still "Scarecrow" Schofield, USMC has got himself on a Presidential detail and a job to do when some Air Force Special Forces guys go renegade, and get their hands on a Chinese bio-weapon likely to change the world as we know it, in the remote Utah desert.

P90s are not assault rifles, and don't have 100 round magazines. It is a shame though, when the beginnings are full of technical references which only serve to slow down the story, to prove the author has done a bit of research, that he doesn't take the time to explain the differences of this class of weapon, so the audience, unknowing, now knows why these dastardly traitors have chosen these weapons for the confines of Area 7.

As it links to one of his prior efforts, Reilly makes mention of a evil-doer, one British SAS officer, who killed the father of Scarecrow's current sidekicks, who of course went on to become a Marine himself. Unfortunately, over half way through the book this youngster points out he has issues with the hero, because of the death of his father, yet up till then, I certainly hadn't noticed any such antagonism or difficulties between the two marines. For the US market, having a Brit villain of elite status is, of course, not only stereotypical of Hollywood, but works magic and is an instant winner.

Since the author is Australian, an Australian SAS man just wouldn't work. A New Zealand SAS guy, well, its just too much work to explain that out. But... the significant component here is... South Africa, which works quite nicely, and is suitably ironic as well. Though, I am at odds with any South African military, combat veterans, much less their special forces, leaving a door wide open to let everyone know where they've been. It seems, the only clever thing these blokes did was cause a text-book diversion, which, being classic should have been determined by these Air Force special forces guys.

But, otherwise, they instantly conjurer up the evil that is required, being left-overs from the Apartheid regime and all that. But when a book is written in a certain way, and propels the action forward, and in the positive aspects of Hollywood culture and practice, keeps you interested and, even if predicable, has that stickability, you do keep reading. Reilly does this well.

So, despite some misgivings I would look forward to any script Reilly might pen for Hollywood. It's about spectacle, and Newton's Third Law. With that, I wouldn't hesitate buying it for certain third parties who are into that sort of thing.

Juni0r