Atlantis Gate

I can't believe how much I LOVED this! I never read these kinds of books. I had wandered over to Bob Mayer's website to look at info on an upcoming book he wrote with Jenny Crusie, and noticed a link to the first chapter of The Gate. I almost didn't even look at it, but I was mildly curious... and once I started I was totally hooked. I don't have a Kindle (yet!), but the pdf is available on the website for $2.99 also. I ordered it at 11 PM, and thank god it didn't show up in my inbox until after I'd gone to bed, or I would have stayed up all night to finish it. As it was, I read the whole thing the next day. I kept waiting for a place where the action slowed down to stop and get some things done, but the action never got slow! There was no time in the whole book where I wasn't on the edge of my seat, impatient to know what happened next. Also, I loved that it's one of those books where everything makes sense, so that even though the plot is complex everything is logical and completely believable within the context of the story. No silly James Bond stuff, either, with five hundred guys shooting at him but he still manages to escape without sullying his suit. Real hero, real heroics. Nice. The only thing keeping this review from 5 stars is the female character, who was so boring that by halfway through I was really hoping to see her get shot- it would have been the most interesting thing she did in the book. Fortunately, she's only one very tiny piece of a spellbinding story, and certainly didn't keep me from sitting glued to my computer, reading this from beginning to end with barely a pause. Now I have the pdf of The Line sitting in my inbox, and I have high hopes of another non-stop read!

The Gate is a great book (and a great deal at only $3). From the extensive advertising at the beginning, it appears that it is the first in a long line of ebook releases from Bob Mayer (one every two weeks through October). I downloaded it on my new Kindle while stuck in the airport on my way home from the holidays... and couldn't have stumbled upon a better choice. It is set in the late 90's and revolves around the modern-day repercussions of a failed nuclear attack by the Japanese on San Francisco during World War II. It is a fast-paced thriller filled with twists and action. Bob Mayer's attention to detail combined with his dry humor make it a fast and entertaining read. I can't wait for The Line to come out next week!

The Gate was an excellant, thrill-packed literary ride. A splendid mixture of fictional action and actual or imagined historical events. Being a native of San Francisco, I paid attention to his geographic details and found only a couple of minor ones. The action, the drama, dialog and characters were well-paced and fleshed out just enough to keep the story going. North Korean commandos, Yakuza killers, rogue CIA gunmen, wacko milita-types, murder, great plot-twists, mayhem and a great plot were all handled exceptionally well. Mr. McGuire has a minor thriller classic here. A terrific film if done correctly. I finished this one and promptly began reading The Line. Entertaining page-turning nighttime reading. Check it out.

I enjoyed this book. Brought up several things I had to consider-- one was the Japanese atomic bomb program in WWII. The other was the idea of deals being made at the end of that war. Maybe the decision to drop our bomb occurred for reasons we'll never know. The story was set in present day San Francisco but it covered a lot of history.

I really enjoyed this book. I had not heard about the Japanese atomic bomb program in World War II. Went to the library to check on this and there seems to be more truth to this work of fiction than appears. Would make a great movie! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED