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Shane Schofield #5
Scarecrow Returns
Deep in the Arctic, a long-forgotten Soviet military base enshrouds a weapon of unimaginably destructive force—a Cold War doomsday device with the power to obliterate the planet. When a mysterious and brutal terrorist group known as the Army of Thieves seizes control of the remote base and unleashes the weapon upon an unsuspecting world, there is only one team close enough to sabotage them: a ragtag band of Marines and civilians led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow.� Outnumbered, outgunned, and with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Scarecrow has only a few short hours to bring down the Army of Thieves—or see the Earth go up in flames.
Filled with nonstop action and told in Matthew Reilly’s characteristically white-knuckle prose, Scarecrow Returns is a work of gripping suspense and complete exhilaration.
Filled with nonstop action and told in Matthew Reilly’s characteristically white-knuckle prose, Scarecrow Returns is a work of gripping suspense and complete exhilaration.
350 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2012
301 people are currently reading
4471 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Reilly
87Ìýbooks6,100ÌýfollowersBorn in Sydney in 1974, Matthew Reilly was not always a big fan of reading. It was only after he read To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies in Year 10 that he realised reading could transport you to another world. Following this revelation, Matthew soon began creating stories of his own and set about writing his first novel, Contest, at the age of 19 while still at university studying law.
Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.
In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!
Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.
His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.
Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.
He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.
Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.
(source: Amazon)
Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.
In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!
Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.
His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.
Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.
He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.
Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 651 reviews
December 31, 2024
A practically abandoned top-secret military base on an island in the arctic gets taken over by the terrorist organization known as The Army of Thieves. The base houses a weapon of mass destruction, and it’s just been re-activated.
Not a lot of people can make it in time to the island to stop the weapon, or at the very least slow the terrorists down long enough for the cavalry to arrive. A SEAL team doing training in the arctic is sent first, hoping to do as much damage as possible. The only backup plan they have is pretty much just a few marines escorting civilian contractors to test prototypes of new equipment in extreme weather conditions. One of those marines is Scarecrow, who was sent there to keep him out of danger. But considering what’s at stake, he knows he’ll have no choice but to step headfirst into danger once more.
This story takes the series back to where it started in terms of concept. This book actually moves the story back down in scale and while it’s still over the top, it’s not too much over the top like in the previous two stories. This honestly feels like the breath of fresh air this series really needed. It’s a small isolated setting, the perfect setting for a base under siege story, but reversed this time around. A group of enemy forces too big to handle with the limited resources they’ve got at their disposal. But it’s Scarecrow’s MacGyver-like wits and ingenuity that once again takes center stage.
Matthew Reilly goes back to the roots of what made the original Scarecrow book so entertaining in the first place and executes it to perfection. It’s like he’s trying to show just how much he’s grown as a writer since writing the first book of the series. It’s worth mentioning that Matthew Reilly always wants his next book to be better than the previous one in the series. And this book might be the reason why he hasn’t written another Scarecrow book. Because how can you improve upon perfection? Though I have to admit, some part of me also wants Matthew Reilly to jump back into this series and prove me wrong.
Not a lot of people can make it in time to the island to stop the weapon, or at the very least slow the terrorists down long enough for the cavalry to arrive. A SEAL team doing training in the arctic is sent first, hoping to do as much damage as possible. The only backup plan they have is pretty much just a few marines escorting civilian contractors to test prototypes of new equipment in extreme weather conditions. One of those marines is Scarecrow, who was sent there to keep him out of danger. But considering what’s at stake, he knows he’ll have no choice but to step headfirst into danger once more.
This story takes the series back to where it started in terms of concept. This book actually moves the story back down in scale and while it’s still over the top, it’s not too much over the top like in the previous two stories. This honestly feels like the breath of fresh air this series really needed. It’s a small isolated setting, the perfect setting for a base under siege story, but reversed this time around. A group of enemy forces too big to handle with the limited resources they’ve got at their disposal. But it’s Scarecrow’s MacGyver-like wits and ingenuity that once again takes center stage.
Matthew Reilly goes back to the roots of what made the original Scarecrow book so entertaining in the first place and executes it to perfection. It’s like he’s trying to show just how much he’s grown as a writer since writing the first book of the series. It’s worth mentioning that Matthew Reilly always wants his next book to be better than the previous one in the series. And this book might be the reason why he hasn’t written another Scarecrow book. Because how can you improve upon perfection? Though I have to admit, some part of me also wants Matthew Reilly to jump back into this series and prove me wrong.
March 8, 2021
In this book a terrorist group gets hold of a huge cache of guns and artillery - as well as a doomsday weapon - and prepares to wipe out the planet. A black ops group led by Captain Shane Schofield (Scarecrow) is assigned to save the day. If you like non-stop action with detailed descriptions of weapons and fighting this is the book for you. My favorite character is the cute little combat robot "Bertie" who comes in very handy in tough situations.
July 15, 2019
When the newly formed terrorist group, Army of Thieves inhabited Dragon Island in the Arctic preparing for mass destruction, the only person close enough to stop them in the time frame was a group of marines and civilians, led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign Scarecrow. His determination and skill was legendary; with Mother at his side, a few other marines plus the nervous civilians, they headed for Dragon Island, knowing what was ahead of them would likely see them all killed.
Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves is the 4th in the Shane Schofield series by Aussie author Matthew Reilly and it was crazy! Full on, nonstop action, killings, devious plans � the formidable enemy that Scarecrow faced saw him at his usual compelling best! Suspense, tension � an unbelievable thriller which is Reilly’s forte and one I definitely recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed Mother’s character, and loved little Bertie, the robot 😊 I’ve had this autographed copy since December 2011 and am pleased to have finally read it.
Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves is the 4th in the Shane Schofield series by Aussie author Matthew Reilly and it was crazy! Full on, nonstop action, killings, devious plans � the formidable enemy that Scarecrow faced saw him at his usual compelling best! Suspense, tension � an unbelievable thriller which is Reilly’s forte and one I definitely recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed Mother’s character, and loved little Bertie, the robot 😊 I’ve had this autographed copy since December 2011 and am pleased to have finally read it.
January 3, 2025
Scarecrow Returns (Shane Schofield #5) by Matthew Reilly
Synopsis /
Deep in the Arctic, a long-forgotten Soviet military base enshrouds a weapon of unimaginably destructive force—a Cold War doomsday device with the power to obliterate the planet. When a mysterious and brutal terrorist group known as the Army of Thieves seizes control of the remote base and unleashes the weapon upon an unsuspecting world, there is only one team close enough to sabotage them: a ragtag band of Marines and civilians led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow.� Outnumbered, outgunned, and with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Scarecrow has only a few short hours to bring down the Army of Thieves—or see the Earth go up in flames.
My Thoughts /
When you want to start a brand new year of reading off with a bang.
Australia author, Matthew Reilly, brings all the non-stop action!
You know you're in for an entertaining read when the 'bad guy' contingent are called 'The Army of Thieves'; and the protagonist is the underdog, outmanned and outgunned. But, The Army of Thieves has not come up against the likes of Marine Captain Shane Schofield (aka, Scarecrow) � and the author has gifted Scarecrow the ultimate prizes � MacGyver-like ingenuity and smarts, a loyal highly trained highly skilled fearless side-kick in Gunnery Sgt Gena Newman (aka, Mother), a tiny little human-like robot called 'Bertie' (who saves his life in this episode more than once), and of course, an UNLIMITED, NEVER ENDING supply of ammo!
Our Army of Thieves is a multinational group � made up of mercenaries, radicals, rebels, terrorists and zealots. And, similar to the 13th-century legend of the Pied Piper, who led away the rats from the town of Hamelin and when refused payment for his services, led away 130 children and disappeared with them in the mountains; the members of The Army of Thieves will follow their acid-scarred leader unequivocally to their deaths if the Lord of Anarchy so desires.
With a narrative suitably similar to the Xbox Cloud Gaming game Fortnite, to conquer the enemy you need to 'learn the map', 'land smartly', 'keep moving', 'use headphones', 'manage your inventory', 'gather resources' and, 'watch for the storm'.
Reilly writes his characters like he writes his narrative � full speed ahead. Characters come and characters go, some play bigger parts than others, some get blown up, some get shot, some even seemingly return from the dead � there's no discrimination � it's all equal opportunity!
The book is interspersed with drawings of maps, weapons and bunker facilities all of which aid in bringing authenticity to the story.
There is a modicum of a plot hidden in amongst all the mayhem, courtesy of the remote island situated somewhere in the Arctic Circle which has a very hostile landscape, called Dragon Island.
"We have five hours to save the world."
Will your nerves last the distance?
Synopsis /
Deep in the Arctic, a long-forgotten Soviet military base enshrouds a weapon of unimaginably destructive force—a Cold War doomsday device with the power to obliterate the planet. When a mysterious and brutal terrorist group known as the Army of Thieves seizes control of the remote base and unleashes the weapon upon an unsuspecting world, there is only one team close enough to sabotage them: a ragtag band of Marines and civilians led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow.� Outnumbered, outgunned, and with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Scarecrow has only a few short hours to bring down the Army of Thieves—or see the Earth go up in flames.
My Thoughts /
When you want to start a brand new year of reading off with a bang.
Australia author, Matthew Reilly, brings all the non-stop action!
You know you're in for an entertaining read when the 'bad guy' contingent are called 'The Army of Thieves'; and the protagonist is the underdog, outmanned and outgunned. But, The Army of Thieves has not come up against the likes of Marine Captain Shane Schofield (aka, Scarecrow) � and the author has gifted Scarecrow the ultimate prizes � MacGyver-like ingenuity and smarts, a loyal highly trained highly skilled fearless side-kick in Gunnery Sgt Gena Newman (aka, Mother), a tiny little human-like robot called 'Bertie' (who saves his life in this episode more than once), and of course, an UNLIMITED, NEVER ENDING supply of ammo!
Our Army of Thieves is a multinational group � made up of mercenaries, radicals, rebels, terrorists and zealots. And, similar to the 13th-century legend of the Pied Piper, who led away the rats from the town of Hamelin and when refused payment for his services, led away 130 children and disappeared with them in the mountains; the members of The Army of Thieves will follow their acid-scarred leader unequivocally to their deaths if the Lord of Anarchy so desires.
With a narrative suitably similar to the Xbox Cloud Gaming game Fortnite, to conquer the enemy you need to 'learn the map', 'land smartly', 'keep moving', 'use headphones', 'manage your inventory', 'gather resources' and, 'watch for the storm'.
Reilly writes his characters like he writes his narrative � full speed ahead. Characters come and characters go, some play bigger parts than others, some get blown up, some get shot, some even seemingly return from the dead � there's no discrimination � it's all equal opportunity!
The book is interspersed with drawings of maps, weapons and bunker facilities all of which aid in bringing authenticity to the story.
There is a modicum of a plot hidden in amongst all the mayhem, courtesy of the remote island situated somewhere in the Arctic Circle which has a very hostile landscape, called Dragon Island.
"We have five hours to save the world."
Will your nerves last the distance?
June 22, 2012
Scarecrow Returns is Reilly's first Shane Scofield novel since Scarecrow (2003), almost eight years earlier, and naturally I was looking forward to it. When I heard about this novel's premise, though, I had some doubts. It felt like a return to his older books (like Ice Station), which I'd enjoyed, but which he seemed to have moved past to more complex stories (like Scarecrow and the Jack West books). Additionally, two decades after the Cold War's end the idea of a Soviet superweapon would seem to have passed its "sell-by" date � much as has long become the case with villains left over from the Third Reich - while I wasn't sure what to make of the "Army of Thieves" who comprised the villains, these seeming to be an especially senseless bunch.
Fortunately, the book exceeded my expectations in all these areas. Like the books of "Reilly 1.0" (as Reilly himself refers to his earlier work), Scarecrow Returns is a three-way collision between teams of special-forces soldiers at a high-tech facility in a remote, hostile landscape, but Reilly manages to keep the material fresh, and the plot and action unfold with a smoothness reflecting his now lengthy experience in telling this kind of tale. The battles are as readable as any Reilly has written (at least, when read with the aid of the numerous illustrations), while being as grand in scale and over-the-top as readers have come to expect � which is to say, unequaled by any writer working similar territory today. Reilly's particular variant on the trope of the "left-over Soviet superweapon now on the loose" is a good one, and his villain is in line with his predecessors, at least, when we get behind the mask. The novel also benefits from a number of new touches, ranging from a scene-stealing combat robot named Bertie, to a French vendetta against our hero � and a few memorable plot twists (which I won't spoil here). Additionally, cartoonish as Reilly's characters are, the characterizations are nonetheless a bit fuller and more nuanced here, and their personalities do have a bearing on the tale.
That is not to say that everything is perfect. Reilly is as casual as ever about the technical detail (as in his descriptions of the KH-12 satellite and SS-23 missile), and the editing falters a bit in one of the early action sequences. Such nit-picks aside, Reilly's use of a plot of this kind to explore a real geopolitical issue struck me as less clever this time around, the rationale behind the action comparatively muddled, especially when compared with the almost psychic perceptiveness of the villain. Still, on the whole it's a very satisfying read if you're up for this kind of adventure, and fans of previous books are likely to find it well worth their time. However, given the extent to which events in the previous novels bear on the story in Scarecrow Returns, readers new to the series might want to check out the previous installments first.
Fortunately, the book exceeded my expectations in all these areas. Like the books of "Reilly 1.0" (as Reilly himself refers to his earlier work), Scarecrow Returns is a three-way collision between teams of special-forces soldiers at a high-tech facility in a remote, hostile landscape, but Reilly manages to keep the material fresh, and the plot and action unfold with a smoothness reflecting his now lengthy experience in telling this kind of tale. The battles are as readable as any Reilly has written (at least, when read with the aid of the numerous illustrations), while being as grand in scale and over-the-top as readers have come to expect � which is to say, unequaled by any writer working similar territory today. Reilly's particular variant on the trope of the "left-over Soviet superweapon now on the loose" is a good one, and his villain is in line with his predecessors, at least, when we get behind the mask. The novel also benefits from a number of new touches, ranging from a scene-stealing combat robot named Bertie, to a French vendetta against our hero � and a few memorable plot twists (which I won't spoil here). Additionally, cartoonish as Reilly's characters are, the characterizations are nonetheless a bit fuller and more nuanced here, and their personalities do have a bearing on the tale.
That is not to say that everything is perfect. Reilly is as casual as ever about the technical detail (as in his descriptions of the KH-12 satellite and SS-23 missile), and the editing falters a bit in one of the early action sequences. Such nit-picks aside, Reilly's use of a plot of this kind to explore a real geopolitical issue struck me as less clever this time around, the rationale behind the action comparatively muddled, especially when compared with the almost psychic perceptiveness of the villain. Still, on the whole it's a very satisfying read if you're up for this kind of adventure, and fans of previous books are likely to find it well worth their time. However, given the extent to which events in the previous novels bear on the story in Scarecrow Returns, readers new to the series might want to check out the previous installments first.
December 4, 2015
Easily the strongest book in this high octane, action-packed series. The Scarecrow (Shane Schofield) and his sidekick, Mother (Gena Newman), are working in a remote location in the Arctic Circle, in part because France has a bounty on his head. Meanwhile, a terrorist organization (the Gang of Thieves) has liberated men from two prisons and stolen what seem to be unrelated mostly military items, and seized an abandoned Russian base, where they seek to unleash a weapon to destroy much of the northern hemisphere. Scarecrow is dispatched as s back-up to a full recon force, and become the only hope when the force is destroyed. Then, a French submarine arrives with its top assassin, Renard, to kill Scarecrow. Miraculously, not only does he survive, but manages to enlist Renard and team's help. My favorite part of the book was the robot, Bertie, who saves Scarecrow and others more than once. Reminded me of #5 from the movie, Short Circuit. 4.5 stars.
November 20, 2012
Q. What do you get when you cross a GI-Joe with an Energiser Bunny, a Michael Bay movie, and explosions straight out of Team America?
A. Shane Schofield � codename: Scarecrow
Matthew Reilly’s sequel to ‘Scarecrow� is every bit as exciting and tense as its predecessor with our dependable hero once again at the coalface of worlds end with little more than a maghook and small band of civilians and marines to counter an army � The Army of Thieves. The mission pits Scarecrow against a formidable foe and a new nemesis � impossibly evil, lead by deranged convictions and a skewed sense of patriotism � his methodology for extrapolating information will wrench even the hardest gut. This is perhaps the most defined and menacing bad guy of all the Scarecrow and Jack West books to date.
In crafting a montage of mayhem courtesy of a secluded island (Dragon Island) populated by blood thirsty heathens Reilly embodies all that is suspense and genre-centric thriller. That being said, one of the more interesting plot threads surrounds the horrific death of Gant in the previous book and Scarecrow’s struggle to overcome loss. Overall this is a well balanced chapter to the Scarecrow chronicles in which pervious characters return (Mother) and new ones emerge (via a French connection) from unlikely sources.
Riddled with twist and turns you’d be hard pressed to pick, and an array of weapons so vast, one suspects Reilly raided the draws of the pentagon, ‘Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves� is completely unbelievable yet compelling and pumped full of action. Realists need avoid, this one is for the adrenaline junkies � 4 stars.
A. Shane Schofield � codename: Scarecrow
Matthew Reilly’s sequel to ‘Scarecrow� is every bit as exciting and tense as its predecessor with our dependable hero once again at the coalface of worlds end with little more than a maghook and small band of civilians and marines to counter an army � The Army of Thieves. The mission pits Scarecrow against a formidable foe and a new nemesis � impossibly evil, lead by deranged convictions and a skewed sense of patriotism � his methodology for extrapolating information will wrench even the hardest gut. This is perhaps the most defined and menacing bad guy of all the Scarecrow and Jack West books to date.
In crafting a montage of mayhem courtesy of a secluded island (Dragon Island) populated by blood thirsty heathens Reilly embodies all that is suspense and genre-centric thriller. That being said, one of the more interesting plot threads surrounds the horrific death of Gant in the previous book and Scarecrow’s struggle to overcome loss. Overall this is a well balanced chapter to the Scarecrow chronicles in which pervious characters return (Mother) and new ones emerge (via a French connection) from unlikely sources.
Riddled with twist and turns you’d be hard pressed to pick, and an array of weapons so vast, one suspects Reilly raided the draws of the pentagon, ‘Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves� is completely unbelievable yet compelling and pumped full of action. Realists need avoid, this one is for the adrenaline junkies � 4 stars.
November 16, 2011
Never judge a book by its Hollywood-grade blockbuster-like cover -- this is an exceptionally enjoyable piece of literature. Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves should win the Pulitzer Prize for best special effects or something. The author stated in book acknowledgement that he writes to entertain -- Mr. Reilly, sir, you did more than entertain. You made Action an art form. I challenge any of those award-winning postmodern Latin American writers whose names I cannot spell to write a faceoff scene between genetically-modified killer polar bears and a gun-mounted cute talking robot.. Must invent new high-tech weapons and fancy stream of consciousnessathingy not allowed
I read “Ice Station� the first book in this series when I was in high school and Oakley wraparound shades were the pinnacle of fashion. Fast forward to 2011, Captain Shane Schofield call-sign Scarecrow is back to save the world for the fourth time (yes, it’s a tie between him and Bruce Willis) with his trusty team of US marines. My favorite character from the series has always been Mother (she’s a six-foot-two skinhead super-ripped lady and the name is short for, ahem, Motherker) but this book has a new character named Bertie who just totally stole my heart. The story is supersonically fast-paced although somewhat predictable if you had read other books by Matthew Reilly in which case you’re a fan and probably wouldn’t mind anyway. The gasworks scene will put Snake Plissken to shame!
I read “Ice Station� the first book in this series when I was in high school and Oakley wraparound shades were the pinnacle of fashion. Fast forward to 2011, Captain Shane Schofield call-sign Scarecrow is back to save the world for the fourth time (yes, it’s a tie between him and Bruce Willis) with his trusty team of US marines. My favorite character from the series has always been Mother (she’s a six-foot-two skinhead super-ripped lady and the name is short for, ahem, Motherker) but this book has a new character named Bertie who just totally stole my heart. The story is supersonically fast-paced although somewhat predictable if you had read other books by Matthew Reilly in which case you’re a fan and probably wouldn’t mind anyway. The gasworks scene will put Snake Plissken to shame!
February 8, 2021
It has been a long time since I have read a Scarecrow novel and I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading his stories.
This is what you want and anticipate from a Scarecrow novel. Action, action and more action.
Lets hope we get a new Scarecrow novel soon.
This is what you want and anticipate from a Scarecrow novel. Action, action and more action.
Lets hope we get a new Scarecrow novel soon.
October 28, 2011
There is a small quote at the start of this book that sums up the great new installment in the Scarecrow series:
"The President looked at a wall clock. I was now 5 pm, or 6 am at Dragon. 'Are you telling me that in five hours an unknown force is going to set off some kind of superweapon that will ignite the atmosphere or the northern hemisphere?'
'That's correct sir,' Gordon said. 'We have five hours to save the world.'"
I was looking for a fast paced adventure/thriller novel a few years ago, I was recommended James Rollins. His books are fast. Then I discovered Andy McDermott, his books are Rollins on caffeine. Matthew Reilly books are what you get from the amphetamine addicted, ADD offspring of both authors. Simply, Matt is in a class of his own in terms of intense and fast paced thrillers.
Sure these are a big budget action movie on the page, a veritable Michael Bay blockbuster on speed, but that is exactly what makes these books so great. Unlike a Bay movie, however, you don't feel cheap and dirty afterwards.
Scarecrow is my favourite of Matt's series of books. The Jack West Jnr books have become steadily better adventure novels, but Scarecrow is a straight up thriller, and only becoming more intense with each outing. Fans have had a long wait for this latest adventure. The Army of Thieves book was an eight year wait, but the 10 hour non-stop thrill-fest was worth the wait.
"The President looked at a wall clock. I was now 5 pm, or 6 am at Dragon. 'Are you telling me that in five hours an unknown force is going to set off some kind of superweapon that will ignite the atmosphere or the northern hemisphere?'
'That's correct sir,' Gordon said. 'We have five hours to save the world.'"
I was looking for a fast paced adventure/thriller novel a few years ago, I was recommended James Rollins. His books are fast. Then I discovered Andy McDermott, his books are Rollins on caffeine. Matthew Reilly books are what you get from the amphetamine addicted, ADD offspring of both authors. Simply, Matt is in a class of his own in terms of intense and fast paced thrillers.
Sure these are a big budget action movie on the page, a veritable Michael Bay blockbuster on speed, but that is exactly what makes these books so great. Unlike a Bay movie, however, you don't feel cheap and dirty afterwards.
Scarecrow is my favourite of Matt's series of books. The Jack West Jnr books have become steadily better adventure novels, but Scarecrow is a straight up thriller, and only becoming more intense with each outing. Fans have had a long wait for this latest adventure. The Army of Thieves book was an eight year wait, but the 10 hour non-stop thrill-fest was worth the wait.
August 26, 2016
Awful rubbish, even by techno-thriller standards.
Good grief this is terrible. I have not purchased this book, nor do I plan to ever buy anything written by Reilly, this book really is that bad.
First how I came to read it (or rather the first thirteen pages and skimmed the rest); I was waiting for my niece in a bookstore and decided to sample the book. That's several minutes I'd like Mr. Reilly and his publishers to return.
OK, it's a techno-thriller so characterisation, plot plausibility, dialogue et cetera aren't going to be emphesised but there should be at least some *attempt*. Further the author should at least do *some* research; those thirteen pages were so full to egregious mistakes that it's a wonder even the average editor didn't catch them.
How did the AoT cram two hundred people into a pair of Ospreys? How did the ECB cram ninety tonnes of banknotes onto a Gulfstream? (and *why*?). Does Reilly know what Spetsnatz are and what they're used for?
Then there's the baddies hacking an ICBM in mid-flight and redirecting it to it's launch silo; just silly for several reasons...........
I won't comment on the details of the doomsday plot except to say it mixes Tesla and the non-existent uranium compound "red mercury" and is as plausible as most uses of those tropes. Oh and there's the obligatory French-bashing and shadowy government plot.
Good grief this is terrible. I have not purchased this book, nor do I plan to ever buy anything written by Reilly, this book really is that bad.
First how I came to read it (or rather the first thirteen pages and skimmed the rest); I was waiting for my niece in a bookstore and decided to sample the book. That's several minutes I'd like Mr. Reilly and his publishers to return.
OK, it's a techno-thriller so characterisation, plot plausibility, dialogue et cetera aren't going to be emphesised but there should be at least some *attempt*. Further the author should at least do *some* research; those thirteen pages were so full to egregious mistakes that it's a wonder even the average editor didn't catch them.
How did the AoT cram two hundred people into a pair of Ospreys? How did the ECB cram ninety tonnes of banknotes onto a Gulfstream? (and *why*?). Does Reilly know what Spetsnatz are and what they're used for?
Then there's the baddies hacking an ICBM in mid-flight and redirecting it to it's launch silo; just silly for several reasons...........
I won't comment on the details of the doomsday plot except to say it mixes Tesla and the non-existent uranium compound "red mercury" and is as plausible as most uses of those tropes. Oh and there's the obligatory French-bashing and shadowy government plot.
October 27, 2011
High Speed Low Drag! It's really the only way to describe Reilly's latest Scarecrow novel.
Reilly is the master of action, not realistic action, but crazy off the planet, balls to the wall, slightly obscene, blood curdling, adrenaline pumping ACTION! You come away from one of his novels with a high heart rate and that woozy post roller coaster feeling. This is what Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves promises and by f#$k it's what it delivers.
Beware.... fans of Brad Thor, Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn or dare I say it Jack Silkstone. You are not going to enjoy this book. It's not full of realistic tactics. cutting edge technology, life like characters and contemporary scenarios. No it's full of fast paced, crazy ming boggling action, and larger than life good guys and bad guys. It's like a Michael Bay movie on LSD!
To really enjoy this novel, and you will enjoy it if you take this advice, you need to hang up your realism hat and go into it with an open mind and a need for speed. If you do that, then you're probably going to come away from it thinking....... Scarecrow...... F#%k Yeah!
Nice one Matt!
Jack
Reilly is the master of action, not realistic action, but crazy off the planet, balls to the wall, slightly obscene, blood curdling, adrenaline pumping ACTION! You come away from one of his novels with a high heart rate and that woozy post roller coaster feeling. This is what Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves promises and by f#$k it's what it delivers.
Beware.... fans of Brad Thor, Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn or dare I say it Jack Silkstone. You are not going to enjoy this book. It's not full of realistic tactics. cutting edge technology, life like characters and contemporary scenarios. No it's full of fast paced, crazy ming boggling action, and larger than life good guys and bad guys. It's like a Michael Bay movie on LSD!
To really enjoy this novel, and you will enjoy it if you take this advice, you need to hang up your realism hat and go into it with an open mind and a need for speed. If you do that, then you're probably going to come away from it thinking....... Scarecrow...... F#%k Yeah!
Nice one Matt!
Jack
January 10, 2012
Ok,
I am a great lover of Matthew Reilly’s books, I have read them all. I find them exciting, action packed, edge of your seat reads that always leave me breathless but with the urge to go and join the marines.
And Scarecrow and the Army of the Thieves didn’t disappoint………much.
It had all the things that make the Scarecrow novels brilliant, fast paced writing, huge action sequences, thrilling escapes and diabolical bad guys, but this one just seemed, I don’t know, a little forced. The writing just seemed a little sloppy. For example, there was one line that actually made me stop reading and think to myself, did he actually use that?
Remember that this is a book about a small group of marines that are trying to save the world. They have just used (SPOILER) driven a truck off a cliff to enable them to use a couple of magnetic grappling hooks to create a suspension bridge. To describe this Matthew Reilly used the sentence
“It looked totally weird�
The line just seemed so out of place and just no where near Reilly’s usual standards.
Not that I should really comment, I couldn’t write a novel as good as this if I had an entire lifetime and this is the 5th Scarecrow novel.
I guess I have just had my expectations raised so high by previous Reilly offerings that this one couldn’t live up to them. Though I should point out that I am not saying this book was rubbish, not at all. If you picked this book up and read it I guarantee that after the first 30 pages you won’t put it back down.
I am a great lover of Matthew Reilly’s books, I have read them all. I find them exciting, action packed, edge of your seat reads that always leave me breathless but with the urge to go and join the marines.
And Scarecrow and the Army of the Thieves didn’t disappoint………much.
It had all the things that make the Scarecrow novels brilliant, fast paced writing, huge action sequences, thrilling escapes and diabolical bad guys, but this one just seemed, I don’t know, a little forced. The writing just seemed a little sloppy. For example, there was one line that actually made me stop reading and think to myself, did he actually use that?
Remember that this is a book about a small group of marines that are trying to save the world. They have just used (SPOILER) driven a truck off a cliff to enable them to use a couple of magnetic grappling hooks to create a suspension bridge. To describe this Matthew Reilly used the sentence
“It looked totally weird�
The line just seemed so out of place and just no where near Reilly’s usual standards.
Not that I should really comment, I couldn’t write a novel as good as this if I had an entire lifetime and this is the 5th Scarecrow novel.
I guess I have just had my expectations raised so high by previous Reilly offerings that this one couldn’t live up to them. Though I should point out that I am not saying this book was rubbish, not at all. If you picked this book up and read it I guarantee that after the first 30 pages you won’t put it back down.
August 21, 2019
Really? Are you kidding me?
I wish Mr Matthew doesn't write on true facts, otherwise we are doomed.
Wow its just surprise for me, this dragon island and that army of thieves.
Its a another rollercoaster ride with a shot here and there by Matthew Reilly and i began to read him again, and its right to say that you should not read his book if you have planned something for a day or night (sleep).
This book's story staged perfectly, every event and action scene, sometimes i had to read twice a sentence to picture what happened exactly in that sentence like a director making a movie scene and that's what i love about these Shane Schofield books.
But i was so sad and angry on the death of Gant the lady love scarecrow that i emailed Mr Matthew Reilly and showed my anger and disappointment, but I did not get a reply and i was happy for that, cuz i really didn't want to do that, afterall she is his character, but still feels bad for Scarecrow.
I wish Matthew Reilly will again write a novel featuring Scarecrow.
And if you really like action packed novel with some facts and roaming around world with military's latest weapons and technology, and some hard core action heroes to praise, Don't look any further just lift up this book and a flask of tea or coffee, and forget the world worries.
I love his books.
I wish Mr Matthew doesn't write on true facts, otherwise we are doomed.
Wow its just surprise for me, this dragon island and that army of thieves.
Its a another rollercoaster ride with a shot here and there by Matthew Reilly and i began to read him again, and its right to say that you should not read his book if you have planned something for a day or night (sleep).
This book's story staged perfectly, every event and action scene, sometimes i had to read twice a sentence to picture what happened exactly in that sentence like a director making a movie scene and that's what i love about these Shane Schofield books.
But i was so sad and angry on the death of Gant the lady love scarecrow that i emailed Mr Matthew Reilly and showed my anger and disappointment, but I did not get a reply and i was happy for that, cuz i really didn't want to do that, afterall she is his character, but still feels bad for Scarecrow.
I wish Matthew Reilly will again write a novel featuring Scarecrow.
And if you really like action packed novel with some facts and roaming around world with military's latest weapons and technology, and some hard core action heroes to praise, Don't look any further just lift up this book and a flask of tea or coffee, and forget the world worries.
I love his books.
April 8, 2017
After reading Hell Island, I was excited to begin reading about Scarecrow on Dragon Island. A remote island situated about the North Pole, Dragon Island is, or was, the Russian's secret experiment lab, having been taken over by a rogue army. The Army of Thieves. Scarecrow is on assignment close by trying to keep a low profile but when the Defense Department says fly, Scarecrow flies.
I swear, I get half way through and I think the battle is over and Scarecrow as well as his team have saved the world again. Only to be reminded that the next half of the book means they now have to save themselves. God, I LOVE the way Matthew Reilly thinks. Just when I think he couldn't come up with anything more interesting, he writes us a bigger and better mission than the last. Action packed as always.
I swear, I get half way through and I think the battle is over and Scarecrow as well as his team have saved the world again. Only to be reminded that the next half of the book means they now have to save themselves. God, I LOVE the way Matthew Reilly thinks. Just when I think he couldn't come up with anything more interesting, he writes us a bigger and better mission than the last. Action packed as always.
December 7, 2011
I was sent this book to review by a local newspaper. I didn't like it. A GI Joe episode on steroids with similarly two-dimensional characters. The review I wound up writing was however not the rant you might imagine but an attempt to write a responisble, honest review that diplomatically stated my opinion while giving enough information for a reader to determine if they might like the book. Nothing like my reviews on goodreads, in other words.
January 5, 2015
It's been a while since I've read something so good! I've quickly reminded of why Reilly has always been one of my favourite authors. God, this was one fast read, very fast. Extremely action-packed,unpredictable...just a terrific read for any action-thriller lover. Had I had the time, I would have read it in a single sitting. It's just that good.
I can't recommend it enough!
I can't recommend it enough!
March 1, 2012
This thriller is a thrill ride of military action and escalating tension. While the ending may be pre-ordained the roller coaster is one fast fun book to read. Unbelievable plot, but Reilly pulls it off. Read it in a New York minute.
June 30, 2012
Really enjoy the completely over the top action, just when you think it can't get crazier, it does
December 3, 2012
All I can say is that this "novel" reminded me of a video game..only less realistic...
October 21, 2021
First time read 2015
Second time read 2021
Second time read 2021
July 4, 2021
Scarecrow Returns (Shane Schofield #4) by Matthew Reilly
Synopsis /
Deep in the Arctic, a long-forgotten Soviet military base enshrouds a weapon of unimaginably destructive force--a Cold War doomsday device with the power to obliterate the planet. When a mysterious and brutal terrorist group known as the Army of Thieves seizes control of the remote base and unleashes the weapon upon an unsuspecting world, there is only one team close enough to sabotage them: a ragtag band of Marines and civilians led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign "Scarecrow." Outnumbered, outgunned, and with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Scarecrow has only a few short hours to bring down the Army of Thieves--or see the Earth go up in flames.
My Thoughts /
As always, do not read this book if you cannot suspend your disbelief about the seemingly improbable events that occur during action sequences. The one thing you can always count on with this series is non-stop action and an escape from reality!
Scarecrow Returns is book 4 in the Shane Schofield series, written by Australian author, Matthew Reilly. Filled with nonstop action and told in Matthew Reilly's characteristically white-knuckle prose, Scarecrow Returns is a work of gripping suspense and complete exhilaration.
a good plan with less time is better than a bad plan with more time
In book 4, Scarecrow finds himself in a three-way collision between teams of special-forces soldiers on a medium-sized semi-mountainous island - Dragon Island. A high-tech facility on an island in the Arctic Circle - a remote and hostile landscape. Once again, our indomitable hero finds himself up against the seemingly impossible, all while having to save the World (yet, again) for the fourth time! Make no mistake, this is the book equivalent of a BIG budget blockbuster action movie where the actors drink nothing but V or Red Bull! Even from where he stood, Schofield could see they had the crazed yellow-red eyes of ganja-weed users.
In this episode, a ‘little� group calling themselves the ‘Army of Thieves� have decided that mayhem and murder is the way of the future. After several brazen heists, the Army of Thieves have taken over a defunct Russian cold war base on the Island. But you know that’s not going to be all. Nope, Dragon Island has a doomsday device. And now the bad guys have it. And once again, time is at a premium: The President looked at a wall clock. I was now 5 pm, or 6 am at Dragon. 'Are you telling me that in five hours an unknown force is going to set off some kind of superweapon that will ignite the atmosphere or the northern hemisphere?' 'That's correct sir,' Gordon said. 'We have five hours to save the world.'
Along with Captain Shane Michael Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow�; Gunnery Sergeant Gena Newman, call sign “Mother� also makes a welcome return. Mother is Scarecrow’s fiercely loyal second in command. Standing at least six-foot-two, head shaven, muscular, tough as all nails � she didn’t get her callsign ‘Mother� because of any (ahem) motherly maternal instincts. In this episode, Mother finds her male equivalent - Master Sergeant Jean-Claude Francois Michel Huguenot, callsign, “Le Barbarian� - a huge hulky French special forces soldier.
The language, like the plot, leans towards the utterly bonkers - In the Pentagon, status radiates outward � if you’re in A-Ring, the centremost ring, you’re somebody. D-Ring, on the other hand, is a backwater. If you’re in D-Ring, you’re nobody, an oompa-loompa in the vast military system. There can be no doubt that Reilly’s writing is hugely entertaining.
As in all other previous Scarecrow novels, just when you think things can’t get any more outrageous � in this episode there are, genetically-modified killer polar bears and, a gun-mounted talking robot called Bertie.
You also get: -
- 310 AK-47 assault rifles;
- 4.5 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition for those rifles;
- 90 RPG-7 grenade launchers
- 9 strela-1 amphibious anti-aircraft vehicles (each equipped for four 9M31 surface-to-air missiles);
- 12 zala-421-08 unmanned aerial surveillance drones;
- 18 machine-gun-mounted jeeps;
- 9 shipborne torpedo launch pods containing four APR-3E torpedoes each; and
- 2 MIR-4 DSRV (deep submergence rescue vehicle) mini submarines.
And lastly, (especially for a GR friend - you will know who you are) � I have started a Glossary of Terms, just in case you decide to start the series-
AFDV- Assault Force Delivery Vehicles;
DARPA - Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency;
DSRV - Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle;
MRE - Meals Ready to Eat;
MSD - Minimum Safe Distance;
RPG - Rocket-propelled grenade; and
SDV - Swimmer Delivery Vehicles
Synopsis /
Deep in the Arctic, a long-forgotten Soviet military base enshrouds a weapon of unimaginably destructive force--a Cold War doomsday device with the power to obliterate the planet. When a mysterious and brutal terrorist group known as the Army of Thieves seizes control of the remote base and unleashes the weapon upon an unsuspecting world, there is only one team close enough to sabotage them: a ragtag band of Marines and civilians led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign "Scarecrow." Outnumbered, outgunned, and with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Scarecrow has only a few short hours to bring down the Army of Thieves--or see the Earth go up in flames.
My Thoughts /
As always, do not read this book if you cannot suspend your disbelief about the seemingly improbable events that occur during action sequences. The one thing you can always count on with this series is non-stop action and an escape from reality!
Scarecrow Returns is book 4 in the Shane Schofield series, written by Australian author, Matthew Reilly. Filled with nonstop action and told in Matthew Reilly's characteristically white-knuckle prose, Scarecrow Returns is a work of gripping suspense and complete exhilaration.
a good plan with less time is better than a bad plan with more time
In book 4, Scarecrow finds himself in a three-way collision between teams of special-forces soldiers on a medium-sized semi-mountainous island - Dragon Island. A high-tech facility on an island in the Arctic Circle - a remote and hostile landscape. Once again, our indomitable hero finds himself up against the seemingly impossible, all while having to save the World (yet, again) for the fourth time! Make no mistake, this is the book equivalent of a BIG budget blockbuster action movie where the actors drink nothing but V or Red Bull! Even from where he stood, Schofield could see they had the crazed yellow-red eyes of ganja-weed users.
In this episode, a ‘little� group calling themselves the ‘Army of Thieves� have decided that mayhem and murder is the way of the future. After several brazen heists, the Army of Thieves have taken over a defunct Russian cold war base on the Island. But you know that’s not going to be all. Nope, Dragon Island has a doomsday device. And now the bad guys have it. And once again, time is at a premium: The President looked at a wall clock. I was now 5 pm, or 6 am at Dragon. 'Are you telling me that in five hours an unknown force is going to set off some kind of superweapon that will ignite the atmosphere or the northern hemisphere?' 'That's correct sir,' Gordon said. 'We have five hours to save the world.'
Along with Captain Shane Michael Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow�; Gunnery Sergeant Gena Newman, call sign “Mother� also makes a welcome return. Mother is Scarecrow’s fiercely loyal second in command. Standing at least six-foot-two, head shaven, muscular, tough as all nails � she didn’t get her callsign ‘Mother� because of any (ahem) motherly maternal instincts. In this episode, Mother finds her male equivalent - Master Sergeant Jean-Claude Francois Michel Huguenot, callsign, “Le Barbarian� - a huge hulky French special forces soldier.
The language, like the plot, leans towards the utterly bonkers - In the Pentagon, status radiates outward � if you’re in A-Ring, the centremost ring, you’re somebody. D-Ring, on the other hand, is a backwater. If you’re in D-Ring, you’re nobody, an oompa-loompa in the vast military system. There can be no doubt that Reilly’s writing is hugely entertaining.
As in all other previous Scarecrow novels, just when you think things can’t get any more outrageous � in this episode there are, genetically-modified killer polar bears and, a gun-mounted talking robot called Bertie.
You also get: -
- 310 AK-47 assault rifles;
- 4.5 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition for those rifles;
- 90 RPG-7 grenade launchers
- 9 strela-1 amphibious anti-aircraft vehicles (each equipped for four 9M31 surface-to-air missiles);
- 12 zala-421-08 unmanned aerial surveillance drones;
- 18 machine-gun-mounted jeeps;
- 9 shipborne torpedo launch pods containing four APR-3E torpedoes each; and
- 2 MIR-4 DSRV (deep submergence rescue vehicle) mini submarines.
And lastly, (especially for a GR friend - you will know who you are) � I have started a Glossary of Terms, just in case you decide to start the series-
AFDV- Assault Force Delivery Vehicles;
DARPA - Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency;
DSRV - Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle;
MRE - Meals Ready to Eat;
MSD - Minimum Safe Distance;
RPG - Rocket-propelled grenade; and
SDV - Swimmer Delivery Vehicles
September 30, 2013
In this novel, Shane Schofield and squad are tasked with taking down a mad man who is hell bent on creating global chaos. In a smart move, the bulk of The Army of Thieves� tasks place over the course of a single day. It’s a supremely effective plot device when it comes to a thriller. The characters, and the reader along with them, don’t even get time to blink. The pacing is truly relentless.
My favourite Reilly character continues to be Gena ‘Mother� Newman and she makes a welcome return here. Mother is Scarecrow’s fiercely loyal second in command. She’s six foot four, tough as nails and kicks all manner of ass. Put it this way, she ain’t called Mother because of her strong maternal instincts. In the Army of Thieves, Mother finally encounters her male equivalent, a hulking French special forces soldier, Master Sergeant Jean-Claude Francois Michel Huguenot, Le Barbarian. The scenes where they are dishing out their own particular brands of hyper-violent justice are breath-taking. It appears Mother may have met her match.
Thinking about it, this is probably the darkest Scarecrow novel to date. The fallout from previous stories has finally caught up with Shane Schofield and the toll is starting to show. I’ll avoid spoilers but suffice to say Scarecrow isn’t just battling external forces. He has same inner demons that require just as much attention. There are a handful of really dark moments that were genuinely unexpected. It’s nice to see the continued evolution of Scarecrow’s character.
The previous Scarecrow novels have been a firm favourite of mine for a while now. Reilly is an expert when it comes to crafting novels that are chock full of non-stop action. Every time you think things can’t get any more outrageous, Reilly pushes things just that little bit more, constantly upping the ante. For example, there are polar bear fights in this novel, people. POLAR BEARS. There are rats as well, but the less said about them the better.
The plot leans towards the utterly bonkers but it’s always wonderfully so. There is no doubting that Reilly’s thrillers are hugely entertaining. The best advice I can give any new reader is try to give yourself entirely to the over-the-top plot. If you can’t manage that then this isn’t the book for you.
The narrative is full to bursting with high-octane outlandishness that I’ll agree is hugely silly but is also massively enjoyable. If however, you acclimatise yourself to this, there are plenty of extreme set pieces that are guaranteed to put a smile on the face of your average thrill seeker. You remember that wonderful feeling you get when you watch a great action movie for the first time? Matthew Reilly’s writing captures that sensation on every single page. As an aside, Hollywood NEED to be making movies with this character now, they could be spectacular. I strongly urge you to try this novel out. If you enjoy The Army of Thieves there are another four Scarecrow novels that have already been published. I can heartily recommend each of them but I would suggest you consider reading them in published order if you can. All of Matthew Reilly’s novels are most definitely worthy of any thriller fan’s time.
My favourite Reilly character continues to be Gena ‘Mother� Newman and she makes a welcome return here. Mother is Scarecrow’s fiercely loyal second in command. She’s six foot four, tough as nails and kicks all manner of ass. Put it this way, she ain’t called Mother because of her strong maternal instincts. In the Army of Thieves, Mother finally encounters her male equivalent, a hulking French special forces soldier, Master Sergeant Jean-Claude Francois Michel Huguenot, Le Barbarian. The scenes where they are dishing out their own particular brands of hyper-violent justice are breath-taking. It appears Mother may have met her match.
Thinking about it, this is probably the darkest Scarecrow novel to date. The fallout from previous stories has finally caught up with Shane Schofield and the toll is starting to show. I’ll avoid spoilers but suffice to say Scarecrow isn’t just battling external forces. He has same inner demons that require just as much attention. There are a handful of really dark moments that were genuinely unexpected. It’s nice to see the continued evolution of Scarecrow’s character.
The previous Scarecrow novels have been a firm favourite of mine for a while now. Reilly is an expert when it comes to crafting novels that are chock full of non-stop action. Every time you think things can’t get any more outrageous, Reilly pushes things just that little bit more, constantly upping the ante. For example, there are polar bear fights in this novel, people. POLAR BEARS. There are rats as well, but the less said about them the better.
The plot leans towards the utterly bonkers but it’s always wonderfully so. There is no doubting that Reilly’s thrillers are hugely entertaining. The best advice I can give any new reader is try to give yourself entirely to the over-the-top plot. If you can’t manage that then this isn’t the book for you.
The narrative is full to bursting with high-octane outlandishness that I’ll agree is hugely silly but is also massively enjoyable. If however, you acclimatise yourself to this, there are plenty of extreme set pieces that are guaranteed to put a smile on the face of your average thrill seeker. You remember that wonderful feeling you get when you watch a great action movie for the first time? Matthew Reilly’s writing captures that sensation on every single page. As an aside, Hollywood NEED to be making movies with this character now, they could be spectacular. I strongly urge you to try this novel out. If you enjoy The Army of Thieves there are another four Scarecrow novels that have already been published. I can heartily recommend each of them but I would suggest you consider reading them in published order if you can. All of Matthew Reilly’s novels are most definitely worthy of any thriller fan’s time.
March 3, 2016
Marine Captain Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield has been slowly mending in mind and spirit since that last devastating incident. He had even been teaching some of the new recruits. Now his superiors have sent him with a research team up in the Arctic. It seems that the French are still a little bit peeved at Scarecrow and have a bounty on his head. After the third assassin attempt, the government thought it might be prudent for him to lay low for awhile. However, a little group calling themselves the Army of Thieves have decided that mayhem and murder is the way to go. After several brazen and bold heists, the Army of Thieves have taken over a defunct Russian cold war base. Only it has a doomsday device that was just sitting there and now the bad guys have it. We have five hours to stop them by any means necessary. Luckily Scarecrow just happens to be in the neighborhood and can help out.
But you know nothing is that easy and we are put through the emotional wringer as the five hours spin out in action sequence after fantastic action sequence. Shane is like the energizer bunny and he never gives up. With his sidekick "Mother" on board, he is determined that world won't end today. The bad guys thought they had it all planned out, but they never took into account Scarecrow. There is one eensy-beensy little problem, those pesky French aren't going to be shook off quite that easy. Who knew that they would go so far to send a war class sub to the Arctic to take care of Shane once and for all. Who knew??? Of course they send their best assassin, they evidently had been saving her for last. That is right, a woman and she has a bigger Mag-hook than Scarecrow does!! But as every good Marine knows, it isn't the size of the of the Mag-hook, but how well you wield it, so he ain't skeert. Her call name is Renard by the way with is French for fox. ( if you read the last book you know why this is special.) So is this a sign of better things to come for Shane? I hope so, he sure deserves it after that last cut.
So can Shane's little band of heroes save the world? I hope so, they only have five hours left and the clock is ticking. Make sure you get yourself strapped in for this off the chart adrenalin rush of a read. Please check with your doctor if you have known heart issues, pregnant or may become pregnant before you read this book. The heart pounding thrill ride could induce heart attacks or labor. :-)
But you know nothing is that easy and we are put through the emotional wringer as the five hours spin out in action sequence after fantastic action sequence. Shane is like the energizer bunny and he never gives up. With his sidekick "Mother" on board, he is determined that world won't end today. The bad guys thought they had it all planned out, but they never took into account Scarecrow. There is one eensy-beensy little problem, those pesky French aren't going to be shook off quite that easy. Who knew that they would go so far to send a war class sub to the Arctic to take care of Shane once and for all. Who knew??? Of course they send their best assassin, they evidently had been saving her for last. That is right, a woman and she has a bigger Mag-hook than Scarecrow does!! But as every good Marine knows, it isn't the size of the of the Mag-hook, but how well you wield it, so he ain't skeert. Her call name is Renard by the way with is French for fox. ( if you read the last book you know why this is special.) So is this a sign of better things to come for Shane? I hope so, he sure deserves it after that last cut.
So can Shane's little band of heroes save the world? I hope so, they only have five hours left and the clock is ticking. Make sure you get yourself strapped in for this off the chart adrenalin rush of a read. Please check with your doctor if you have known heart issues, pregnant or may become pregnant before you read this book. The heart pounding thrill ride could induce heart attacks or labor. :-)
May 16, 2013
"...he stood up and laid down a shitload of fire"
There, that's my man Reilly dishing out an action scene the way it is supposed to be. Profanity, heart thumping last-second action sequences, claustrophobia inducing movement depiction, a robot going ape shit on your enemies, Ospreys, missiles, submarines...hold on...let me catch my breath a bit, OK?.....phew!...where were we? Oh yeah, describing a quintessential Matthew Reilly book on Scarecrow.
Look, don't pick a Matthew Reilly book looking for logic in story development (the protagonists survive a goddamn direct nuke attack, OK?), smooth story flow (Look at my opening sentence of this review, that's how this author sums up every gun fight), nope, not gonna happen. This is a book you wanna pick for some raw, unadulterated action. A menu that this author prepares and puts together like goddamn Gordon Ramsay while hurling profane words at you.
I personally think that Bertie was an exceptional idea but hopefully will not be continued in another book. The Calderon angle was a bit abrupt but developed well through some sub-plot switching, the polar bears were so obviously space-fillers the author threw in to pump the book size but that's fine, I liked it; the French chickadee (as Mother refers to her) could have been given some vital statistics (Look, I need to picture a hot woman in commando fatigues ok? but since the author brings the lust angle later I pictured her as some man-shouldered ugly chick when she surfaces from the French sub and first impressions stick), Mother's marriage life was a bit dragged out as I picture her to be an hard as nails Marine but to think she goes home to be wifey to some dumb trucker makes you wanna scratch yourself hard.
Overall, an excellent action-thriller bearing Mr. Reilly's signature no-logic wham bham! stamp. I just hope he does not overdo the personal back-story thing in his forthcoming books like Mr. Flynn.
There, that's my man Reilly dishing out an action scene the way it is supposed to be. Profanity, heart thumping last-second action sequences, claustrophobia inducing movement depiction, a robot going ape shit on your enemies, Ospreys, missiles, submarines...hold on...let me catch my breath a bit, OK?.....phew!...where were we? Oh yeah, describing a quintessential Matthew Reilly book on Scarecrow.
Look, don't pick a Matthew Reilly book looking for logic in story development (the protagonists survive a goddamn direct nuke attack, OK?), smooth story flow (Look at my opening sentence of this review, that's how this author sums up every gun fight), nope, not gonna happen. This is a book you wanna pick for some raw, unadulterated action. A menu that this author prepares and puts together like goddamn Gordon Ramsay while hurling profane words at you.
I personally think that Bertie was an exceptional idea but hopefully will not be continued in another book. The Calderon angle was a bit abrupt but developed well through some sub-plot switching, the polar bears were so obviously space-fillers the author threw in to pump the book size but that's fine, I liked it; the French chickadee (as Mother refers to her) could have been given some vital statistics (Look, I need to picture a hot woman in commando fatigues ok? but since the author brings the lust angle later I pictured her as some man-shouldered ugly chick when she surfaces from the French sub and first impressions stick), Mother's marriage life was a bit dragged out as I picture her to be an hard as nails Marine but to think she goes home to be wifey to some dumb trucker makes you wanna scratch yourself hard.
Overall, an excellent action-thriller bearing Mr. Reilly's signature no-logic wham bham! stamp. I just hope he does not overdo the personal back-story thing in his forthcoming books like Mr. Flynn.
October 15, 2011
sees the return of Matthew Reilly's original all-action hero, Shane Schofield, in a full length novel for the first time in 8 years.
I've never like Scarecrow as much as Jack West but he still makes for a good action hero. Dramatic, violent past. Extremely talented in all manner of weapons and vehicles. Ability to think so fast he can coalesce hours of thinking into milliseconds. Totally unbelievable, completely badass.
This time Scarecrow is in self-exile after the incidents in make him a wanted man. On a research and testing expedition in the Arctic circle his skills are called to action when a rogue terrorist army takes over a Russian WMD site.
I won't say more as there isn't a great deal to the storyline and I don't want to give anything away. Fair to say there's plenty of guns and explosions and blood and completely unbelievable, physics defying moments. But that's why you read authors like Matthew Reilly.
The downside is that he's really getting predictable. There was one or two good twists, including a major one, but in most other points I knew what was going to happen before it happened. Yeah it's a dumb action book but sometimes you'd like a little more intelligence and surprise.
All up another good Reilly book and welcome reunion with Scarecrow. Now where's the next Jack West book?
I've never like Scarecrow as much as Jack West but he still makes for a good action hero. Dramatic, violent past. Extremely talented in all manner of weapons and vehicles. Ability to think so fast he can coalesce hours of thinking into milliseconds. Totally unbelievable, completely badass.
This time Scarecrow is in self-exile after the incidents in make him a wanted man. On a research and testing expedition in the Arctic circle his skills are called to action when a rogue terrorist army takes over a Russian WMD site.
I won't say more as there isn't a great deal to the storyline and I don't want to give anything away. Fair to say there's plenty of guns and explosions and blood and completely unbelievable, physics defying moments. But that's why you read authors like Matthew Reilly.
The downside is that he's really getting predictable. There was one or two good twists, including a major one, but in most other points I knew what was going to happen before it happened. Yeah it's a dumb action book but sometimes you'd like a little more intelligence and surprise.
All up another good Reilly book and welcome reunion with Scarecrow. Now where's the next Jack West book?
July 23, 2012
The worst piece of fiction Reilly has ever written. And that's coming from someone who has been a big fan since first reading Contest in high school. His prose is barely readable and is not of a publishable standard, in all honesty. If this was a manuscript from an unknown writer it would have been binned.
He has lost his grasp on the English language and doesn't excite or interest the audience at all. It's painful to read at some points and there are whole pages of cringeworthy prose that no publisher should be accepting as good enough. I gave up reading half-way through. There was nothing interesting me. The same cookie-cutter scenarios and whacked-out mayhem we've seen in all the other Scarecrow novels, only written to a far poorer standard with nothing enticing or exciting thrown into the mix.
For a quality thriller, try the new Tom Clancy - Locked On, a thoroughly satisfying, exciting and well-written thriller, everything that The Army of Thieves is not.
I leave it with the minimum possible score. 1/5.
He has lost his grasp on the English language and doesn't excite or interest the audience at all. It's painful to read at some points and there are whole pages of cringeworthy prose that no publisher should be accepting as good enough. I gave up reading half-way through. There was nothing interesting me. The same cookie-cutter scenarios and whacked-out mayhem we've seen in all the other Scarecrow novels, only written to a far poorer standard with nothing enticing or exciting thrown into the mix.
For a quality thriller, try the new Tom Clancy - Locked On, a thoroughly satisfying, exciting and well-written thriller, everything that The Army of Thieves is not.
I leave it with the minimum possible score. 1/5.
January 5, 2012
Another fraking awesome adventure featuring Scarecrow and Mother. Well worth the wait- crazy action, over the top bad guys and some sucker punch emotional moments.
Only 4 stars for me as there were some technical issues with the writing that pulled me out of the action a bit towards the end, but not enough to detract that much!
Only 4 stars for me as there were some technical issues with the writing that pulled me out of the action a bit towards the end, but not enough to detract that much!
February 9, 2021
Another enthralling read. I hope Scarecrow reappears later on in another book of his own.
April 23, 2021
Fantastic!! Couldn't put it down, really enjoyed it, great. So many new situations and technology to resolve them. Looking forward to another 'Scarecrow' story.
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