Customer Reviews

The Rock

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Enjoyed reading this book so much I went out and bought his other 3 books.

As a woman in my 40's you might not think I would be reading an adventure book such as this with all it's fighting and killing, but a book that makes you think about the past, present, and future all at the same time by using national sites and recent events, for it's story line, had me wonder "what if" this really happened? Would we be able to stop it? Can we stop fighting long enough to help mankind or would our bickering get in the way? (like in the book)

Try his other books too, he had me wondering about our historical events so much that I am thinking about looking up past events in history to view them in a different light. Is his book fact written in fiction form? You be the judge.

I do encourage you to read his other books in order, because even though his books can stand alone, it's better if you get to know each character. Looking forward to seeing what happens to each one as the stories progress.

Ladies if you are looking for a mushy love story you won't find it here, but if you want adventure, suspense, thrills and sci fi all rolled into one book, don't wait any longer buy it!!!

I first read Doherty's Area 51 books, but then found The Rock. A wonderful book that rivals any book I've ever read. The plot jumps around, but that only helps to keep your interest because you're constantly thinking about what has happened and what will happen. Also check out his web site for more information. He has wonderful many wonderful books including The Line, The Gate, and the Omega Missle. I highly recommend all of them.

The back of the book labels "The Rock" as a science thriller. This is an accurate description as it's a combination of science fiction and techno-thriller. While similar to his other books (Area 51, Atlantis, etc. -- published under a pseudonym), this one grabs you at the beginning and doesn't let go.

Five people from across the planet are summoned to a secretive meeting with no idea of what is to happen. They soon learn that a transmission has been received with their names included. Other scientists, the military, the Russians and the President eventually get involved. What results is a race against time to preserve the future of the human race. The resolution is well presented and has a definite sci-fi feel to it.

If you enjoy the other novels by this author, you will definitely enjoy this one as well. It's a quick and easy read that can be completed in one sitting. If you find this work entertaining, check out the novels by James Rollins for other "science thriller" works.

This is one the most exciting books I have read in along time. Robert Doherty and his alias's are doing a fine job. This book has time travel, the old USA adversary The USSR, and a new Continent to explore. The new charactors are refreshing. I don't feel the book can lead esle where, the ending was too finite. But check out his other books, there are all high quality.

This aliens-among-us story was actually a little better than the normal standard fare. By "standard fare" I mean those stories where aliens are responsible for just about every mysterious artifact on the planet or every little historical event that we cannot explain. This story was refreshing in that context. Having said that, however - for me it seems to have missed the mark. I did like the mystery that was set up in the book and the way the protagonists went about trying to solve the mystery.

But as the end approached I just felt that it was not really going anywhere. It was very hard to get into the protagonists' concerns about the future of civilization. You could easily go along with the plot, but the characters were simply swept up by the plotting. It was not their intentions and motivations that drove the plot to any great degree. The characters were all reactive rather than proactive and, thus, pretty bland in my eyes.

Normally with that poor kind of plotting and characterization interplay I would go with a three-star rating. However, the story ends up being unique enough at the end to be a nice addition to this type of genre that I had wanted to give it that extra star. But then the plot elements are poorly ripped apart at the end by the misuse of a science-fictional plot device - thus I was back to three stars.

I cannot say much about this plot device simply because it would ruin the book for those who have not read it if I gave details. However, the final ending, that concerns two of the main protagonists (Levy and Hawkins), almost totally negates everything that happened in the book (at least potentially). In fact, it is almost so poorly thought of that Doherty did not realize that this could have altered everything that had gone before. Again, I might have even said too much here but anytime the ending of a book derails the beginning, I have to rethink my review.

When all is said and done the somewhat poor characterization combined with the potentially backfiring ending, I had to leave the book with three stars.

This book is a fun read. Not too serious, just good escapist adventure. An interesting plot where the mystery effectively lingers.

Just sit back, enjoy, and don't worry about deep thinking. It's probably there if you want it, but it's a good read if you just want to be entertained.

This book was one if the finest I have ever read. The ending is so amazing that I found myself still thinking about it days after. Doherty has once again brought suspense in with the way of the special forces soldier. Great characters!!

Liked it! It was an easy one day read that kept me entertained the whole day.

The Rock by Robert Doherty (real name Bob Mayer,of course) is some good science fiction, involving some interesting views of things such as Meteor Crater in Arizona, and the 1908 Tunguska Explosion in Siberia. The Rock also had an interesting military element, reminiscent somewhat of "Stargate" at some points

Robert Doherty (aka, Greg Donegan and Robert Mayer) has written a fairly taut novel about a mysterious message eminating from Ayers Rock (near Alice Springs, Australia), a famous (and real) aboriginal holy place. The message calls for immediate contact with 5 disparate individuals scattered across the U.S. who have no known connection with one another. As the four unknowing scientists plus one military man are whisked away to Ayers Rock, they soon begin to see what has summoned them may not only be other-worldly, but could hold the future of the planet in its hands.

Doherty could have spent a little more time with character development of our five heroes, but instead chooses to pump up the action right from page one. My only other real criticism of the book is that it bogs down a little in the middle as Doherty begins to tie up some loose ends.

The book contains a lot of action and a few moments of chills and thrills. The ending is more that adequate and has a twist that most readers will not expect. This is solid sci-fi from a tried and tested veteran writer. (See the "Area 51" and "Atlantis" Series for some outstanding work from Doherty/Donegan/Mayer.)