Forbidden Summit

by Payne Harrison

Cheyenne Mountain is the nerve center of America's early warning system. Four unidentified aircraft are sighted and tracked on a controlled descent over North America. Intelligence officer Frank Hannon is puzzled by the official response--or lack of it. So begins his personal investigation into the ultimate government cover-up. A journey that ends on a lonely desert mesa--where the truth is waiting.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

344 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1997

About the author

A native Texan, Payne Harrison admits to having a "jaded past" as a newspaper reporter. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Texas A&M and an M.B.A. from SMU, and served as an officer with the U.S. Army in Europe.
His journey to being a New York Times bestselling author started with his sending an excerpt of his book STORMING INTREPID to a New York publishing house, unsolicited and without an agent. That led to a multi-book publishing deal, an appearance on the TODAY show, hitting the Times list, and a paperback auction.
He has had a dual career as a novelist and a forensic litigation consultant, which has required him to use "both hemispheres of the brain."
He and his wife live in Dallas, Texas.

Reviews

[Rayrumtum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A government cabal seeks to exploit unique scientific knowledge from an unusual source. This sets the stage for a climatic high tech battle in the last part of the book.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Payne Harrison, who wrote the captivating late Cold War technothriller Storming Intrepid, returned with another captivating entry. The Cold War is well and truly over, but NORAD is still up and running. It is there that Air Force intelligence officer Frank Hannon is alerted one night to something unusual in America's skies. It starts him on a journey that takes him to the American southwest, into the arms of reporter Miranda Park, and towards a closely guarded secret.

Forbidden Summit is an intriguing mixture of genres. It's one part spy story with Hannon and Park each stumble onto separate ends of the plot. With all the military personnel and hardware in use, it's also a techno-thriller leading to an extended but page-turning action sequence. It is also, last but not least, dabbling in science fiction with a realistic take on just how plausible something long suspected but officially denied might be.

In short, if you're looking for a good thriller (albeit one with a bit of genre mixing), give Forbidden Summit a read. It's one heck of a ride.

[BJ Haun · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 65% of the way through this book before I decided it was time to put it down. I was already not really having fun reading it, then I got to a line that brought me to a dead stop. I read it again just to make sure someone had actually written that line, then figured I had had enough.

I can't even write what that line is because my friends with my mom on Goodreads.

So yeah...hard pass on this one for me.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner of a book as were his first two novels.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great. Kept you in the dark all the way to the end. The "Chase" lasted far too long, but the military operation that takes place near the end was very good. The solution to the mystery is interesting and quite different, but stretched believability just a little bit. The final two chapters are great.

[Oliver Rabacal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed novel I hope this one goes to the movies too due to its GRAPHIC action, Military action with UFO Extraterrestial gist. I have seen again what I have seen in the Thunder of Eresbus "When you are being hunted by the police the best hiding place is the police station." I learned that from Payne Harrison.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unlikely tale involving a U.S.A.F. officer stationed at Cheyenne Mountain and a news reporter. The officer, Frank Hannon, sees some unusual blips on his radar screen one night and reports it to his superiors who don't seem to be exited about it. Frank decides he needs to investigate.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Action, villians, and lots of govt. cover-up.

[Jake Gnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast pace book in the tradition of Tom Clancy.