From Publishers WeeklyPresident Barry Soetoro, the villain of bestseller Coonts's provocative thriller, is due to leave office in five months when he uses a convenient terrorist attack to declare martial law, adjourn Congress, suspend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and become the dictator of the United States. He fires CIA director Jake Grafton (last seen in 2013's Pirate Alley) and throws him in a federal detention center in West Virginia along with hundreds of conservative politicians and political commentators. Grafton's ex-CIA pal, Tommy Carmellini (also last seen in Pirate Alley), decides he's going to bust his old boss out of jail. Meanwhile, Texas secedes from the union and begins seizing U.S. military bases. Soetoro's opponents have a long list of gripes: he's a "self-proclaimed black messiah," "Soetorocare" is a disaster, and EPA regulations are "designed to save the climate at the expense of the working men and women of Texas." Coonts's excellent action scenes, which shift between Tommy's jailbreak scheme and the civil war with Texas, grind to a halt as characters stop to give fervent speeches about freedom. Those who don't care for Obama or his policies will find a lot to like. Agent: Deborah C. Grosvenor, Grosvenor Literary Agency. (June)\n Praise for Flight of the Intruder "[Coonts'] gripping, first-person narration of aerial combat is the best I've ever read. Once begun, this book cannot be laid aside."- The Wall Street Journal "Coonts' pilots are the real McCoy and his compassion for them sustains his story from first page to last . . . a sometimes exhilarating, often nightmarish tale."- Kirkus s "A winner."- The Philadelphia Inquirer "Kept me strapped in the cockpit of the author's imagination for a down-and-dirty novel."- St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Extraordinary! Once you start reading, you won't want to stop!"- Tom Clancy, bestselling author "Packed with action, emotion, suspense, and tragedy."- Clive Cussler, bestselling author "Coonts makes us see, smell, hear, taste, and feel battle."- Cleveland Plain-Dealer Praise for Pirate Alley "A first-class thriller."- Denver Post "SwashbucklingThriller lovers will enjoy this one for its fast pace, colorful locale, and satisfying conclusionCoonts takes us on a heck of a good ride."- Kirkus s "A stomach-clenching nail-biter that will leave readers exhausted and satisfied."- Publishers Weekly "[With] a plot that's ripped straight out of the newsthis is one for your must-read list."- Sunday Gazette-Mail "A realistic and frightening multilayered story...[that will] change the way you view pirates, cruise ships, and Washington forever."- Jim DeFelice, bestselling author of American Sniper Praise for The Disciple "Coonts carefully builds his plot using a wide cast of characters, from insider Iranian spies to cutting-edge aircraft pilots and government officials both high and low. Hardly a page passes without nerve-stretching tension or flat-out action. One can only hope the U.S. president, the head of the CIA, and the Israeli prime minister will have this book on their nightstands for easy reference in case fiction turns to reality, an all-too-real possibility as evidenced by recent headlines."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) Praise for The Assassin "Exciting. The action moves swiftly to its Hollywood ending."- Publishers Weekly Praise for The Traitor "An assured international thriller."- Publishers Weekly Praise for Liars and Thieves "Coonts knows how to write and build suspensethis is the mark of a natural storyteller."- The New York Times Book "Former Grafton sidekick Tommy Carmellini, ex-burglar and CIA operative, has been promoted to star in what's sure to be another excellent, long-lived seriesTommy is smart, brave, skilled, and possessed of enough self-deprecating, wise-cracking wit to endear him to readersreaders of the Jake Grafton series will easily make the leap to Tommy Carmellini, and new readers can be expected to sign up for this hipper hero."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Tommy is a self-deprecating and wise-cracking narrator who brings a welcome energy to the genre. And fans will be pleased to see a now retired Jake Grafton and his wife, Callie, make an appearance."- Library Journal Praise for Liberty "GrippingCoonts's naval background and his legal education bring considerable authority to the story, and the narrative is loaded with detailed information about terrorist networks, modern weaponry, and international intriguethe action is slam-bang."- Publishers Weekly "An action-packed thriller[a] high-octane tale."- Midwest Book "Frighteningly realistic."- Maxim Magazine Praise for America "This master of the techno-thriller spins a bone-chilling worst-case scenario[Coonts] rivals Clancy for fiction-as-realism and Cussler for spirited action[He] never lets up with heart-racing jet/missile combat, suspenseful submarine maneuvers, and doomsday scenarios that feel only too real."- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Coonts' action and the techno-talk are as gripping as ever."- Kirkus s "Give a hearty 'welcome back' to Admiral. Jake Grafton.Thrilling roller-coaster action."- The Philadelphia Inquirer Praise for Fortunes of War "[Coonts is] a natural storyteller [with] a rare gift....Fortunes of War is crammed with action, suspense, and characters with more than the usual one dimension found in these books."- USA Today what books should a beginner read Liberty's Last Stand
63 of 66 people found the following review helpful. What becomes of the USA?By Barrett TillmanIn the movie version of Tom Clancys classic The Hunt for Red October, Admiral Joshua Painter (Fred Dalton Thompson) says, This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and well be lucky to live through it.He could have been speaking in Steve Coonts compelling new novel, Libertys Last Stand. In it, Coonts fans will find a thriller master on top of his game. Intricately plotted with a wealth of credible characters, this excellent what if novel is deeply layered, addressing political, cultural, military, and legal aspects with equal facility.Coonts enduring protagonist Jake Grafton is head of the CIA facing a chilling threat. President Barry Soetero uses terrorist actions to declare martial law, dismiss Congress, squash dissent, and imprison political opponents. One detainee is Grafton, tortured to confess plotting against the regime.Graftons invaluable asset is agent Tommy Carmellini, hero of five novels himself. But before Carmellini can attempt a rescue, events spin out of control. Texas secedes; the U.S. military is divided; rebels hijack a nuclear submarineand thats for starters.History students know that each revolution is unique, never to be duplicated. And throughout the book, Coonts honors the Universal Law of Unintended Consequences.But at the end we do not know the outcome of the spreading secession movement. Coonts the masterful story-teller leaves us to wonder: What becomes of the United States of America?60 of 63 people found the following review helpful. ConsequencesBy M. BoothWhether or not the reader agrees with the author's side of the current political controversy, this is an interesting book on many levels. Those who believe in government conspiracies will cheer every page. On the other hand, those who deny that the federal government would engage in such activities as eavesdropping on phone conversations and incarcerating individuals without due process whom it sees as threats will loudly decry the story as extreme. Really, no one should be surprised that in the book, Texas seceded because a petition with hundreds of thousands of Texans' signatures supporting secession has been and still is in the Texas legislature now. The story has many characters, but each is described distinctly. The author is concerned why people would choose to rebel or why they would choose to accept extreme government measures and takes the time to explain why the characters made the choice they did. Jake Grafton Tommy Carmellini, the two recurring characters in Coonts's novels, are central to this story too.78 of 84 people found the following review helpful. Coonts' Best YetBy T. UrygaBought it Saturday, 2 days before the official release and read it straight through.I'm still smiling today!If you've paid attention to the news headlines over the last decade...the last year in particular... and read this book, you'll wonder where Mr. Coonts hid his crystal ball.If you're worried about the elections this fall, you'll want to read this book.And it takes off from there...believable, technically and doctrinally accurate. Thought provoking, and a level-headed treatment of many of the "what if?" questions patriotic Americans have been asking for most of a decade.If you've read his previous books, you'll know the characters.If you served in the military, you will probably identify with some of the characters in their moral quandaries.Understand, this is not a gentle, politically correct book.That it was published as written will surprise many. I suspect the author had to battle with the publisher to do so. I'm glad he did.In fact, I'm waiting for the media fireworks when more folks read the book and the reviews start coming in.Ten bucks says this incredible work makes it on Drudge Report.I don't want to spoil it, so I'm not giving much detail on the plot. But rest assured, it's Coonts' best work ever.Buy it. This is one nobody's going to loan you because it's a keeper you can read again and again when you feel like smiling at rats getting their just desserts.