Area 7

Matthew Reilly

It is America's most secret base, hidden deep in the Utah desert. An Air Force installation known only as Area 7.

And today it has a visitor: the President of the United States.

He has come to inspect Area 7, to examine its secrets for himself.
But he's going to get more than he bargained for on this trip.
Because hostile forces are waiting inside...

Among the President's helicopter crew, however, is a young Marine. He is quiet, enigmatic and he hides his eyes behind a pair of silver sunglasses.

His name is Schofield. Call-sign: SCARECROW.
Rumour has it, he's a good man in a storm.
Judging by what the President has just walked into, he'd better be...

'Epic. Action - packed adventure ... unbelievably pacy'

Mirror

'Nonstop thrills ... cliffhangers galore'

Publishers Weekly

Review by Nigel (010102) Rating (7/10)
Review by Chrissi (011201) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nigel
Shane Schofield is back in this story, which sees him protecting the President from all and sundry during a visit to the secret installation Area 7, which is just right of Area 8. Fans of Matthew Reilly will love this book as it sees Shane back in his element, which is a dark underground labyrinthine environment, fighting against the odds.

The book is OK and is more believable than Ice Station, however, there are still some scenes that are very hard to accept. Put this to one side however and you have a very entertaining thriller that most fans of the genre will read in one sitting, as it is very well written and flows along nicely.
Nigel (1st January 2002)

Review by Chrissi
This is the second Shane Schofield story, and as promised, the poor guy's life is not getting any easier. After the Antarctic escapade, which saw him as front-page fodder for the Washington Post, complete with death certificate, he is rather less than inconspicuous in this instalment.

His duties are now with the President as part of the security unit travelling with him and the secret service. Just so that it is all tidy, Gant and Mother are also there, nicknamed his harem, by the other soldiers that they work with.

Anyway, the President is out visiting the lesser known places where voters may be found, in this particular instance secret bases with strange and unknown functions. Built underground to prevent the experiments from being seen from above, these bases are ex-cold war bunkers, now turned over to new kinds of research. Unfortunately the people there are not overly keen on meeting their president, and certainly not keen on voting for him, preferring as they do, to kill him and make off with the research. But...

Personally, if I were Schofield, I would never venture into an enclosed space ever again, I would have such a bad case of claustrophobia that you would not see me beneath trees, never mind in an underground bunker...

But after all the bangs and booms, it is a darn good story, and like Ice Station (although not as good - I had to read it again after Area 7), it will keep you going from start to finish.
Chrissi (1st December 2001)