Customer Reviews

The Malacca Conspiracy

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

It's the Fourth of July, and rather fitting that I've just turned the final page of Don Brown's new geopolitical thriller, The Malacca Conspiracy, as the book has a decidedly patriotic feel. With our nation's capital, Washington, DC, as one-quarter of the exotic, landscape quartet along with the far-flung destinations of Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, Mr. Brown has the reader traveling the globe without ever having to leave the comfort of her bedroom slippers.
And true to form, the rockets glare and the fireworks explode off each page of this novel leaving me satiated, but still wanting more. From reading all five of Mr. Brown's novels, I have discovered that he is the master of the plot, moving the story along seamlessly with grace and detail, and the skill of the masters of his time. He had me chomping at the bit to know what was going to happen next.
The book has something for everyone. With a flair for the dramatic and penchant for sniffing out percolating controversy, Don Brown keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. Gentleman readers will love the high-stakes action and the geopolitical implications. Although the author has a knack for seeing the future having predicted the 2008 shooting war between Russia and Georgia in his novel, Black Sea Affair, I hope his crystal ball is on the fritz this time around, and our country is safe from the any of his fictional fireworks.
As for the ladies, don't be fooled by political and military undertones. The author has brought back two popular characters from his first three books in The Navy Justice Series, Zack Brewer and Diane Colcernian, and the sexual tension between the two sizzles like the burgers and dogs on your grill. Happy 4th and enjoy this and all four other Don Brown novels.

Don Brown's 5th book in the Navy Justice series is the best yet! A complex plot involving terrorism in the Malaccan Strait, combined with several sub-plots (including the ongoing romance between Zack and Dianne), makes for a thrilling page turner. You won't want to miss it!

As someone who loves reading Christian fiction, I also have a huge affinity for mystery. Don Brown's whole Navy Justice series has been fantastic! I was very excited when I found out the next link in the series had been added. The Malacca Conspiracy surpassed my expectations. While the huge cast of characters could be a bit confusing at times, the reader could still easily keep reading and get swallowed up by the action. This reader hopes that there is more to come!

I downloaded this book because it was free. I figured that at most it would cost me the time that I spent reading it. After getting about 2/3 of the way through, I couldn't take it anymore and I realized my time was more valuable than this book. This book is awful, and I felt like I was reading the script to a made for TV movie. The premise of the book is excellent (a secret cabal wants to control the shipping lanes between the Indian and Pacific Oceans by taking over the government of Indonesia). However, the execution is lacking.

First of all, this is an extremely black and white, good Christian guys vs. bad Muslim guys book (and I do mean guys - more on that later). There are no subtle nuances. If a character prefers the crescent to the cross, he's a bad guy. All of the good guys quote Bible verses at some point, but the bad guys never reference the Qur'an nor do they ever actually practice their religion. In fact, they only ever mention their religion when they talk about destroying the good guys (the typical "praise Allah" stuff). It's almost as if the author thinks Islam is a cult or secret society, as opposed to the 2nd largest religion in the world. I could live with that if it wasn't for...

The contrived and utterly ridiculous subplots. For example, the main character, who is a middle-aged lawyer in the Navy, wants to go on a mission with a Navy SEAL team because he's worried about his girlfriend. Wow, really? I think I saw that on an episode of JAG 15 years ago. Then there's the good girl who saw the bad guys' plans and spends the rest of the book worried for her life. Like I said, made for TV movie. I might be able to live with *this* if it wasn't for the fact that...

The characters are all pretty flat. The good guys are all macho and Christian and the ladies are all damsels in distress, including the one (and only) female military officer. As for the bad guys, there's no subtlety involved. Having the bad guys club baby seals while making fun of the Special Olympics would be more subtle than the lengths this author goes to in making sure that you know the bad guys are bad. On top of that, the author seems to introduce certain characters just so that he can kill them a few pages after they're introduced. For example, there's this character who hasn't seen his wife in over a year, yet somehow has a three week old son, the extra-marital implications of which are not examined. The reader is just supposed to feel bad that this guy hasn't seen his wife or met "his" son. I don't think the author was implying anything, though, because the strange timing doesn't even come up, and his superior officer actually congratulates him on his new son. But it doesn't matter because he dies at the end of the chapter anyway (don't worry, I didn't spoil anything ;). There are a bunch of these characters who show up in the book that only serve as martyrs to make the bad guys appear truly evil, and don't actually advance the plot.

Finally, there are parts that are just incredibly inaccurate, and it's obvious that the author is using most readers' ignorance to help the plot. For example, there's an argument between the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense (of course), one of whom is actually worried about Iran and North Korea launching military strikes from their embassies in Washington, D.C. That's interesting considering neither country has formal diplomatic relations with the U.S. and therefore no embassies in the U.S. Also, there's a part where a bad guy proclaims his country as the first Muslim nuclear power (and of course promises to wipeout a certain Middle Eastern country) even though he had just visited Pakistan a chapter earlier! This book is littered with these inaccuracies, and this is the main reason why I put the book down before I got to the end.

I really wanted to like this book because I love political thrillers, but this book was so predictable I found myself reading on just to see if I was guessing the next plot twist correctly. There was really nothing thrilling about it. If you enjoy reading books that are full of sound bites and buzzwords, then this is the book for you. Otherwise, save your money and your time and stay away from this steaming pile.

Overall, Don Brown's The Malacca Conspiracy is a 349-page fast-paced exciting and plausible action thriller. Were it not for a couple loose strings and an ending a little too corny for my taste, I would have rated this story 4.5 star quality.

A former Navy Officer, with inside knowledge of the Navy and political operations, Brown brings this story to life by weaving some little know facts and plenty of excitement into the fabric of the novel.

Who knew that 200 million Muslims live in Indonesia, that it is the most populated Muslim nation on the earth, the fourth most populated country in the world or even know where it is located on a world map? Who knew how strategically important the shipping lanes in that country are to the world economy?

The author develops a believable haunting story line and set of characters that will leave you thinking and maybe worrying about the events of this novel for a long time to come.

What happens when an insane power hungry tin-horn Indonesian general has the will to use a viable plan take over his country, to tamper with the stock market, control oil supplies and obtain and use nuclear weapons to bring America to her knees and make Indonesia the first Islamic super power?

How will America react to threats to its citizens and political demands to sever ties with close allies?

As the plot unfolds, The Malacca Conspiracy will answer those questions and more while developing interesting, brave, ruthless and believable characters. Enjoy!

I will admit that I was drawn to this novel purely because of the title. Malacca is in Malaysia where my mother is from. Therefore I thought this book would have more of the story taking place in Malaysia. Alas, that was not meant to be. However, what I did find instead was a good military suspense novel. I haven't read any of Brown's other books in the Navy Justice series (which I think this book is either a part of or loosely tied to) but I didn't feel lost at all while reading.

The story contains very realistic situations involving terrorists attacks, nuclear bombs and religious extremists. It's all too familiar with what is going on in the news today. The terrorists are shown as extremists who seem to be very violent and power hungry. I personally didn't feel that Brown is attacking Islam or Muslims in the story. There's a lot of action and violence in the story though nothing too graphic. We get everything from nuclear bombs to shark attacks in the book. There was a scene which I found to be very interesting as one of the suicide bomber pilots was flying right over the town i live in (the joys of living in the DC metro area). I did find one jarring mistake with the wrong number of one of the major interstates in the book (it's Interstate 495 and not 485 as it's typed in the book). This wouldn't normally be a problem but since I drive on it every day AND it's one of the major interstates in this area, it's a glaring mistake. This is especially noticeable when everything else about the area seems to be correct.

There were times when I did feel that the president and other government members seemed a little too publicly Christian-like than they normally would be in real life. I'm not saying that there aren't top ranking public officials who aren't Christians but it seemed like everyone up there was and everyone was ok with publicly talking about their faith. Other than this it's a fast paced action filled book. I think that most people will enjoy reading stories that are straight from the headlines. It's good to read about a story about what could happen as opposed to reading about idealized lifestyles all the time.

In "The Malacca Conspiracy", by Don Brown, a group of Indonesian generals plot the overthrow of their country to install their own of form of sharia law. By using insider knowledge of pending oil attacks, they invest in the stock market to earn the capital to purchase nuclear weapons from allies who share a common faith. As the world is held hostage, the United States executes a daring plan to thwart the evil-doers.

Robert Molster works full time on the New York Stock Exchange, and moonlights as an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve. He is the first to realize that someone is profiting from the attacks on the oil industry. He is quickly activated into service, and finds himself in Washington DC briefing the highest members of the American government. With no one else willing to speak up, this young man's hunches could lead America down the wrong path of retribution.

Commanders Zack Brewer and Diane Colcernian were expecting a quiet reunion in Singapore, when the world erupts around them. They quickly find themselves in the nerve center of America's response to the dastardly attacks. Will they find the culprits - or will this be the demise of Zack or Diane?

I finished the book on a five-hour cross-continental plane flight. The book was very entertaining, but certain aspects were simply not believable. The overall plot is very plausable, but there is simply no way a special operations team would arm a lawyer to be a "shooter " in an operation - although it does make a really great story. If you're willing to make this logical leap, it's a great book.

This is first military-related fiction I have read in quite a while. From what I could tell, though, Brown really seemed to know his stuff! The plot is well though-out and intriguing. It made you think what you would do if faced with certain decision leaders often have to make. It even included some romance, which was not inappropriate. I did expect a gripping, suspenseful story, which it was right at the end, but wasn't until then. It could have used more.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

I enjoy reading books that highlight the postive aspects of the military after spending my time serving my country in the U.S. Army. I also take personal offense in any book that portrays the military inaccurately. This book makes the military look good and the few inaccuracies that I found seem to be used for poetic justice. Yet, it is highly likely that a JAG officer would get to join a SEAL team on a mission no matter how hoo-ah he is.

I also enjoy a good suspense, and this book was full of suspense. In my opinion, it was almost too suspenseful as the writing was choppy and the scenes came at me hard and fast. At first, I thought this would make a good movie, but there were too many characters to follow. I was relieved that the ending did bring some closure to some of the characters, but there were so many more characters that were introduced in a scene and never heard from again.

I agree with some of the reviewers that this book seemed to be a pro-American and anti-Islamic. The book is a work of fiction and is allowed to use themes and ideas as part of the story. Whether I agree with the view is a different story. If someone is not a Christian than reading Christian fiction may be offensive. I found that very little of the story directly pointed to God. There were hints here and there as much as there were parts of the story that showed characters worshipping Allah. Authors are allowed to write from their point of view, and if you don't agree with it, you are free to not read it.



To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I must post that Zondervan has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. I also must say that the opinions are all mine.

On the back cover it says, "Hang on...and hold your breath!" - they weren't kidding!! Action happens from the very first chapter and doesn't stop until the end. I'm grateful to have received a review copy of a book that shows evil trying to take over and the people fighting back the darkness, for the sake of freedom and safety for all.

It took me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of this author's writing technique. Don Brown's style keeps the reader engaged and has them on track by noting the location a scene taking place. For example, it might say 'Rasa Sentosa Resort, Sentosa Island, Singapore 11:16a.m.', which helps make sure the reader's mind is set for the situation ahead.

This author masterfully weaves together a chilling, action adventure story told from a panorama of different points of view. I was astounded at how Don Brown wrote all these scenes from different parts of the world and kept it all on track. It was like watching a movie and having it smoothly pan from one event to the next, connecting them all seamlessly. I loved it!

This author shows evil being unleashed on this planet by people who would do unimaginable things to themselves, and others to achieve their goal! Most of these deeds are unbelievable to our way of thinking and were quite disturbing to read. Don Brown served five years in the U.S. Navy and "gained an exceptional vantage point of both Navy and the inner workings of 'inside-the-beltway' political operations as an action officer assigned to the Pentagon." This explains his insider point of view and how he took the reader behind closed doors in meetings with the President and the Security Council, while planning the next military action.

Don lays out a terrorist attack, a surprise to many, and a global nightmare for all. What does it look like when a mad man takes power and has several nuclear war heads at his disposal, then starts making demands?

Don Brown brings back two of his favorite characters from The Navy Justice series, Zack Brewer and Diane Colcernian, to help catch the person masterminding these attacks at sea. Zack and Diane are sent to the front lines to gather clues in helping catch the evil doer and uncover where the next attack would take place.

Robert Molster - N.Y. Merchantile exchange, is contacted as an adviser for any unusual activity at the stock exchange market that might shed light on the group behind these brutal attacks. Robert's documents show how one sect made $40 billion overnight. "They could buy a ton of nuclear weapons for forty billion...if somebody was willing to sell...my guess is for that kind of money, they could find a seller!" It was scary and fascinating how the stock market could be manipulated and used to fund terrorist attacks.
Also, it was intriguing, and a little scary, to read how information is gathered and told to the president and his counsel, so they can come up with a counter-attack. This author has a believer in the White House.

Mark Williams is president and the bible verse he is standing on is in Philippians, "anxious about nothing, but in all things bring your petitions and requests to God. And the peace of God, that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

He addresses the nation and says, "Islamo-fascists may have temporarily bruised us, evil cannot, and shall not, ever quench the heart and the spirit of America. We are grateful to God almighty that we still live as a nation."

Don Brown has a gift for getting into the skin of whoever's point of view he's writing from. I was drawn into all the scenes he wrote about, even he minor ones. It's amazing how our military has to be on alert 24/7, trained to look at things differently than you and I do. I also understood why things are kept top secret and current info isn't broadcast on the nightly news. There would be so much panic and people would be paranoid of everyone around them, it would create such havoc. It was unnerving how many years the evil ones planned their attacks. And, sleepers are activated by a phone call to perform the evil task at hand.

This novel was one thrill ride full of action, suspense, drama and some romance. It was definitely entertaining and scary to think how many of these things could happen in current time. It also reminded me to pray more for our military, the people that run our country and for our President. This was a book that made you think and appreciate our government and our military, and to get on our knees to pray for our nation. I can't wait to read another book by this master storyteller.

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network [...]