Customer Reviews

Doomsday Conspiracy

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Commander Robert Bellamy, crack Naval Intelligence agent, has been assigned the top secret job of locating ten people who witnessed the crash of a UFO in Switzerland. The job sends him to six countries, and, as soon as Robert and leaves them, each of the witnesses is violently murdered. He then realizes that several highly-placed representatives from around the world are behind the plot, and that his name has been added to the hit list.

This suspenseful page-turner kept me spellbound and I was unable to put it down. I felt like I was running with Robert as he used his skills and cunning to solve puzzle after puzzle, criss-crossing the globe in a frantic race against time. The exotic locations are described beautifully, and the large cast of characters is intriguing. The sci-fi parts are the weakest, and reflect the time in which the book was written, but the over-all reading experience was truly exciting, scary, and satisfying. I recommend The Doomsday Conspiracy to all fans of Sidney Sheldon's books; this one is different and one of his very best.

Kona

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book read by David Dukes. He does an admirable job of conveying Sheldon's minimal dialogue and page-turning episodic scenes. The plot is classic Sheldon with a Sci Fi twist, which I confess startled me at first, had me laughing for a second and then once I suspended disbelief held me until the end of the story, although loosely. The main character, Commander Bellamy is a supposed excellent field agent for naval intelligence, his final assignment before throwing in the towel leads him on a world wide search for a bus load of tourists who have witnessed what the Navy wants people to believe was a weather balloon. Shades of Roswell! Unfortunately with series like 'Roswell' and Sci Fi Channel mini-series like 'Taken', this plot line has definitely been done before in full technicolor conspiracy which reduces the power of the book to intrigue and keep the pages turning. Bellamy's past---he is grieving over a failed marriage whose reminiscences at times can be downright sickening---perhaps makes him a bit dim-witted regarding the fate of the people he tracks down---he discovers the identity of all of them before he realizes that something isn't quite right with his assignment in the first place. What takes weeks for him to puzzle, the reader already suspects and expects.

Similarly, the ending is ultimately disappointing because it seems rushed; so much time is spent on Bellamy's quest and his superior's subsequent action but little time is devouted to the climatic finish. The last tape cassette consists of Sheldon's notes to the reader, itemizing strange events and cover-ups that are associated with the US space program and hint at a real-life Doomsday Conspiracy.

Nevertheless, despite its flaws, the novel entertains as only a Sidney Sheldon novel can. Its not one of his best, but I think this is probably due more to the over exposure of the subject matter.

The science fiction aspects of this book were a little silly, and when I realized that the author was going in that direction I almost quit reading. But he is a good enough writer with enough twists and turns to the plot to keep me reading.

Not the best fiction I've ever read, but it was entertaining enough to cause me to read it all.

Recommended for light reading. It sure beat watching television!

This is the first book I've read by Sidney Sheldon. It's also the first book that I've read in less than two days. From the first page on I couldn't put it down. I found it very interesting with only a few pages getting a little strange with a small science fiction twist that I thought was a little corny. I thought the ending was excellent. I hope to read more by Sheldon and hope that they are as good as this one. Without hesitation, I'd recommend this book. It's worth the price and the time to read it. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed.

I never never read Science Fiction! When I read this book 4 years ago, I found that from the first page, I could not put it down. It may be fiction, but it still made we wonder about our government and all the things that are hidden. I really liked this book and I recommend it. It is different from the usual soap opera love stories.

This book is quite different from most of Sidney Sheldon's other work in that it has a man as the main character and a science fiction twist. It is the same as his other novels in that SS has such creative and interesting ways to twist the plot and surprise. Not being a fan of science fiction, I still found it to be fascinating escapist fun. The ending is too far-fetched and did spoil my enjoyment some, but until then, it was a hell of a ride. It also had me looking suspiciously up at the stars for a night or two.

This book is proof that writers unfamiliar with the SF genre should not attempt to write in it. The Doomsday Conspiracy is filled with dated Pulp Sci-Fi cliches that would have any SF author since the 1920's laughed out of print. Clumsy uses of literary "technique" and a ridiculously presented ecological "Message" make this book one to avoid even for those unfamiliar with Science Fiction. If SF is what you want try Greg Bear or Vernor Vinge instead.

Roger Belahmy is asked by those he trusts most in the US government to seek out seven bus passengers that witnessed a fallen weather balloon in Switzerland, only to learn the underlying truth behind the assignment. He has little to no clues to start out his quest, but soon learns his success in locating and reporting back on each individual becomes their respective death warrants. Roger, who was once very happy with his life suddenly makes sacrifices that initially costs him his wife, and nearly his own life. His acquired military, travel, and multilingual skills ultimately become his only method to survive.

Doomsday Conspiracy is a combination of twists and turns, with an outcome that was a bit surprising. It's a blend of adventure, mystery, betrayal, and even a little bit of science fiction. Sydney Sheldon creates a good adventure around the world for the reader to tag along to see what happens. It is definitely recommended reading that will likely keep the reader anxiously wondering the fate of Roger in his quest to discover the truth and the goal to survive against insurmountable odds.

I bought it, so I read it. Every agonizing page. Filled with cliches, stereotypes, unimaginative characters, ridiculous plot twists, 6th grade level writing and a totally unbelievable premise. Are all these reviewers, who are giving this book four or five stars related to Sheldon, or are they simply middle school students having to read a book for the first time? Be warned, if you buy this book for anything other than to start a fire, you'll be incredibly disappointed. I gave it one star, because it was the lowest score available.

I don't read Sheldon for the sci-fi and I think he should stick with what he knows. The male lead in the Commander was a refreshing change. The storyline of UFOs was a little hokey in the beginning and it got worse as the book went on(-2 stars). I enjoyed the suspense and thrill of the chase while the Commander tracked down each of the witnesses and then became the "Hunted" in the second book (+2 stars). Definitely kept me interested and reading, but I hated the idea of the aliens and their spaceship. Just not the type of thing Sheldon should be writing about. This book is average for a Sheldon and I wouldn't recommend it.