Nightstalkers

Area 51: The Nightstalkers #1

by Bob Mayer

Staff Sergeant Winthrop Carter has just been drafted into the Nightstalkers—an elite group of soldiers that...

Actually, he’s not quite sure what they do.

Born from the Area 51 initiative, the Nightstalkers defy sanity and decorum and include among their ranks Moms, a Black Ops trainee too extreme for Special Forces; Doc, a scientific crackpot; Roland, the weapons enthusiast; and Mac, a contemporary MacGyver. All of them take their orders from the elusive Ms. Jones, who everyone claims is just a hologram.

Those orders include tracking down and sealing tears in our reality that are releasing interdimensional beings known only as Fireflies—creatures that take control of both living and inanimate matter in order to unleash wanton destruction.

Just as Carter is settling in, a rogue scientist triggers a fresh invasion of Fireflies that swarm a swanky gated community. Now it’s up to Carter and his new teammates to neutralize the threat while figuring out who’s behind the breach.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Military Fiction, Paranormal, Audiobook, Thriller

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2012

About the author

Besides my own interests, I read whatever my wife tells me to read-- she's a voracious reader and has wide-ranging tastes as my reviews show (she also always has the TV remote and she's always right about what to watch). I read a lot of nonfiction, mostly for research. Some of my favorite books are Lonesome Dove, Mystic River, LOTR, and an array of science fiction classics including the Foundation series. Our house is covered with books, although I finally broke down and started reading eBooks, strangely enough on my iPhone. Since I carry it pretty much everywhere, it means I always have an entire library of books with me.

I'm a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. I've sold over five million books. My newest series begins with New York Minute, a thriller set in New York City in 1977.

I love using history and science in my books. My Area 51 series pretty much had me rewriting our entire history of civilization.

Reviews

[11811 (Eleven) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I said oh look, another never-ending three star sci-fi series. It's about Area 51 and aliens. It must be cheesy as hell.

Not so, young Padawan. This was very well-written. Graduating from West Point probably helped with that.

This is basically military sci-fi but it didn't batter me over the head with the military angle as is too often the case for me in this genre. There are other elements to the story and overall it impressed me.

I had no intention of continuing the series since I already pre-judged its entirety at three stars but I was wrong so book two is on the list.

Got aliens?

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: Nightstalkers

Author: Bob Mayer

Publication Date: Dec 2012

Genre: Sci-Fi

Score: 2/5

This book is the lightest of light fluff. I don't even have much to say about it. It's a crazy story about this secretive non-governmental/governmental task force whose job it is to deal with paranormal events. The primary enemy is this gate to alternate dimensions that occasionally gets opened where something called fireflies come out and can either animate inanimate objects or possess living objects. And the team goes out and finds these gates and kills the fireflies. It's mostly a bunch of nonsense. There was one character in this book that sparked my interest. During one of their call-outs, the team runs into this 13-year-old girl named Scout who they adopt or actually, she adopts them, and she's smart and funny and snarky. And an all-around fun character. None of the other characters were memorable. Nothing was all that memorable from this book, but it was okay. I listened to it on audiobook and it only lasted about 6 hours. Quite short. I'm not going to be finishing up the rest of this series which I understand is quite long. Maybe the author gets better as the series goes by, but this is an inauspicious beginning.

[Matt McRoberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good novel involving some paranormal stuff and a secret military unit. Area 51 Nightsalkers had some real good action scenes, some slow parts, and some good characters.

The only disappointment i had with this was I was hoping that it was connected to Bob Mayer's Area 51 series, but this had nothing to do with that series. It's still a great story, but i had been looking forward to reading stuff set in that universe.

Area 51 Nightstalkers overall was a great read. I enjoyed it and can't wait till the next book comes out.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting idea and could have been much better than it is. I'm hoping that the series will improve. I have marked the sequels and placed them on my wish list on Audible. I'll do what I've done with other books that were a bit, "borderline". I plan to give it one more book.

The book is constructed around a special ops "team" that have to face a strange phenomenon that seems to have (in the past) been brought about by "careless scientific inquiry".

Actually that's not a new idea. There are scientists out there who sort of work on the premise that "if it can be done it ought to be done". Or even "If it might be possible it should be tried". During dialogue in the book one of the characters points out that when the first atomic bomb was set off some of the scientists present thought that they could set of a chain reaction that might destroy the world.

And they still set it off. (We'll not talk about the Hadron Collider and reports that the safety reports were biased).

Anyway that idea is one that's been done in science fiction before (not only in books but in movies and TV). It's not new but it's a good reliable place to start a short story or a book (or movie or TV show).

Anyway, scientists keep repeating the experiment apparently in ignorance of early problems or attempting to get a different outcome...(what was that Einstein said about doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome?).

There does seem to be an idea that it's not ALWAYS the same experiment (and that possibly "others" from "outside our universe" may also be involved) but for the last century+ we've apparently not grown significantly in understanding.

See these things cause "rifts" and things called "fireflies" come through the rifts. Fireflies "possess" animals and things (they apparently can't possess people). They can possess animals and cause them to attack...or "things" and cause them to attack. (At one point they possess a curling iron....).

As I said this has been going on a while...You see the tunguska blast was a rift.

Anyway the action sequences are okay. We get to know the people and that puts a little strain on our suspension of disbelief muscles. If like me you're a military and/or weapons buff you'll probably wonder why they use their chosen weapon.

I mean it's nothing huge but there's enough sour notes to make me roll my eyes now and again.

Not bad, not great, jury's still out on the series.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

It appears that the whole Area 51 series has been re-released and with this book the author has decided to take the story in a completely new direction. As an introduction to what could effectively be a new series it's pretty good. However, I hope that we do link up again with the familiar ancient aliens from the previous books.

The Nightstalkers are an efficient albeit eccentric (slightly bonkers) group of soldiers and technicians who have been brought together to tackle various unexplained phenomena that have been occurring around the globe.

The action is typically good for this author being very descriptive with lots of hardware and explosions and all that good stuff. I felt that there were a few scenes missing that I would have quite liked to read - like getting a 'posessed' horseshoe off a horse without hurting it. That would've been interesting. This happened a couple of times but didn't really detract from the book as a whole.

The main characters are really good. They are the usual deep and mysterious covert types but they display enough humanity to make them likeable. There is a bit of time spent on building the main cast so I assume that we'll be seeing them in action again.

If I didn't know it was continuing into other books in the series then it would've seemed a little 'aimless', but it looks like the series is going to pick up right where it left off (if in a slightly tangential way).

A good book.

[PJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won an ARC copy courtesy of the publisher via First-Reads.

This was a very pleasant surprise. Like a cool mix of EUReKA, and Stargate SG-1, with a bent towards the militaristic operations inherent in the latter, I can say that this is definitely a 'goodread'. Mr. Mayer has done an excellent job coming up with a slew of unique characters that while completely different, all share some bit of commonality. It gives the plot a diverse and unpredictable twist often enough to keep you guessing what is coming next, while maintaining your interest and keeping the non-stop action coming.

5 Stars to Mr. Mayer for a fun book, that has gotten me interested enough in his work to want to check out his other books.

I can only hope he follows this one up with a sequel as it was left WIDE open to continue, and the unique characters and settings used, beg to be 'redeployed'.

[Laure Reminick · Rating 5 out of 5]

With my background as a TM teacher, you'd think I would only read stories full of sweetness and love and light. But a well-written military story is impossible for me to resist, and the Area 51 story of the Nightstalkers series is one of those.

Written in the omniscient point-of-view because the story is about a TEAM, not any one protagonist, you are drawn into the quirks of seriously specialized men and women. I thought of the television show The A-Team at its best.

Out of Bob Mayer's many books, this series may be my favorite because -- despite saving the world from all those things that go bump in the night -- the serious butt kicking by the team members is tempered with banter and humanity and woven with wit and wisdom. Even some sweetness and a tease of love developing, at least in this one: Area 51.

[Eric Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine I guess. Story was somewhat interesting but without a lot of depth. The characters were okay but I never really got a full sense of them other than a couple and couldn’t really differentiate between most of them. I couldn’t even tell you for sure how many were part of the squad and I just finished it. Five? Six maybe? Very readable and fast paced but I wont remember it a couple weeks from now.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just the sort of monster/alien hunting action I enjoy for a quick read.

The Nightstalkers are a special, elite team, with a mysterious leader and a mysterious mission. They draw from the best of the army and special forces, seeking those who are willing to commit to a team that puts their lives on the line every assignment. The Nightstalker team has to contain and sometimes annihilate supernatural enemies, creatures that most people don’t know exist. They do their best to minimize collateral damage but are prepared to us excessive force if needed.

The team opens with an action-packed mission to close a dimensional rift and in the process one team member gets pinned with cactus spines causing him to question why he is doing this work. When that injured member walks away, Staff Sergeant Winthrop Carter, is asked to fill the opening on the team.

The team is led by “Moms” and under the direction of a mysterious woman who speaks with a Russian Accent. She has rarely been seen in person as she usually meets with the team in holographic form. The team consists of members who have unusual skills that work together: sharpshooting, troubleshooting, tech expertise, bomb specialist and communications.

Carter is just getting used to the strange team members when they are called out to a wealthy country club subdivision to eliminate the alien “fireflies” which inhabit inanimate objects. The team is setting up ‘undercover’ in one of the elite houses, but a smart, sassy teen from the house across the street is watching every move. “Scout” shows up at the door and offers her services since she knows the neighborhood and clearly the team needs some guidance to fit in.

While they are hunting the creatures to eliminate, they are also concerned about an important artifact that has gone missing and could be misused in the wrong hands. It is soon clear that someone who knows their protocols has brought an attack against the team.

Neither the characters, nor the plot are deeply developed but they are sufficiently set out to make it fun. I totally enjoyed the action and the quirky characters. Scout makes a fun addition. I liked the 1970’s references – they worked for me. I recommend this as an easy read for readers who like monster hunting, military sci fi.

Audio Notes: Eric G. Dove does a nice job with the narration. He distinguishes the character voices, male and female. His voice fits the quick action. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

[Trish R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Male authors are just the opposite of 95% of female authors. Male authors don’t want you to know what anyone looks like. They just want to tell you all about the weapons being used, whether it’s a handgun, shotgun, rifle, laser pistol or a gun with a title and a number after it, or a hatchet, or an explosive, BUT they don’t dare tell you anything about the men and women, except when the person’s face is a scared mess, then they tell you all about it. I’m at 30% and the only thing I know about our heroes, and a bad guy, is the scars and wounds on the faces, and that Moms has muscles.

That being said, I thought this was very entertaining. There wasn’t one hero but several, none of which no longer used their real names, so there was, Kirk, Moms, Nada, Doc, Roland, Mac and Eagle, and the “asset” Scout (I adored Scout.) The team was run by Ms. Jones, who you never saw, but when they were out on a mission then Moms was in charge.

This was about “rifts” that opened up and let “fireflies” in from another dimension and it was up to the Area 51 team to hunt them down and destroy them. It was fascinating how they found the fireflies and how it took something different every time to get rid of them. Fireflies took over inanimate objects and became killers: a backhoe, a pool where the water could reach out and pull you in, Scout’s beloved horse, and so on.

There was wonderful camaraderie with the team and lots of laughs. I found myself laughing out loud several times.

Nothing sexual, except for a quick vulgar remark Doctor Winslow said to his wife. The F-bomb was used 42 times and in the situations they found themselves THAT word was needed.

The 3 books in this series are a free read and free listen.

As to the narration: This book was from 2012 so I wasn’t thinking the narrator would be so great but Eric G. Dove was terrific, both his emotions and his voices.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first couple of the Area 51 books under the Robert Doherty byline, but it's been a good dozen years since I read one.

NIGHTSTALKERS is the latest and it seems to signal a change in the series, The Nightstalkers are a team of specialists that deal with the Rift, an opening to an alternate universe created by a computer program. Whenever one opens, beings of pure energy, they call them fireflies, slip through and cause havoc. They can inhabit animals, plants, inanimate objects, machinery. The only thing that can't take over is humans. Once in they are locked and are very hard to stop(kill). Each presents a different challenge in stopping whatever carnage they are causing.

The team has a traitor in their midst, who steals the program and sells it. A new rift opens in a gated community in the Research Triangle of North Carolina(handy since Mayer lives in Chapel Hill).

The team has to get in quietly, find the fireflies, six of them, in whatever guise, thing, animal, before the civilians become aware.

Nicely written, fast paced thriller.

[Colin D. Ciley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always at the Gallup

Look quickly and thoroughly or you will .miss key point. The impossible becomes plausible,but leaves the reader head_scratching As, he/she prepares for the next battle, and there will be many more for this small group of

Superbly trained professionals race from m one battle site to the next. Fantastic weaponry mixes with an established protocol and logic.
WOW!! What a noise!

[Diane Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the Nightstalker team. You learn enough about the characters to care what happens to them. Bits of humor bring needed relief from intense situations. Loved Scout. Hope she returns in future books.

[Belle Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Area 51 is unlike any book I have read. I’m a romance thriller author so this mixed genre is outside of my wheelhouse. But since the military factors into some of my books, I was curious how the author, Bob Mayer, with an impressive military background, would handle the military aspects of the book. The heroes of the book comprise an elite team of ex-special ops warriors who’ve been selected to defend and destroy evil forces that were unleashed in Russia at Chernobyl in the 1980’s.
In the beginning of the book I floundered, it took me a while to get into the flow of the story. It felt unbelievable, which it is, but I found myself falling under Mayer’s spell of storytelling as I continued to read. He excels at characterization, and I enjoyed the comradery of the characters. The dialogue between them was spot on, succinct, and witty. He took trained killers and humanized them in a way that had you cheering.
The story is simple. Some kind of evil was unleashed at Chernobyl and it wants to cause havoc in the human world. When a rift opens somewhere in the world the evil unleashes what the Nightstalkers have named, Fireflies. No one has figured out exactly what they are or who controls them, but these malignant lifeform are capable of inhabiting and taking over anything they insert themselves into excluding humans. We’re talking about a fourteen foot cactus, a piece of machinery, a security system, a pool, or a dog. Once they have taken solid form they are deadly. The Nightstalkers have one mission and that is to destroy the Firefly invaded object, which doesn’t destroy the Firefly, but simply returns it to from where it came. The Nightstalkers exist solely to close the rift and keep the evil within from taking over the world.
The Nightstalkers are led by a woman, Ms. Jones, a scientist who worked at Chernobyl on that fateful day when a nuclear meltdown occurred. She paid a heavy price physically and she is an interesting combination of frail, degenerating body, and a brilliant mind and will of steel. She is an enigma and a recluse, and after a new Nightstalker’s initial interview and hiring, she’s never seen by them again. Only their field commander, a woman with the moniker Moms communicates and receives direction and orders from Ms. Jones.
The story really begins when one of their own, a Nightstalker named Burns, goes rogue. The stakes shift into high gear and the adventure is on.
This motley cru of supermen and superwoman are superbly portrayed and I became quite attached to each character. I especially liked the young sixteen-year-old girl, Scout, who attaches herself to the Nightstalkers and develops an unlikely relationship with the least congenial member of the Nightstalker team, Nada. Scout is a smartass teenager, a misfit of sorts, who ends up becoming an instrumental member of the Nightstalker team when a rift opens and six Fireflies are unleashed in Scout’s neighborhood in North Carolina.
Area 51 is an entertaining read with memorable characters and I enjoyed losing myself in Bob Mayer’s imaginative world.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Area 51: Nightstalkers By Bob Mayer is a Military sci-fi techno thriller, and the first book in the “Nightstalkers” trilogy.

The Nightstalkers are a covert special-ops unit, operating from Area 51, and dealing with extremely dangerous threats to the nation, particularly nuclear, chemical, biological, and alien threats. And, as their leader would put it, ‘things that go bump in the night’. With extremely high clearance for intel, access to absolutely all equipment and weaponry in existence, and discretion on the level of force required to get the job done, this small team recruits only the most exceptional individuals. In this book we follow them on a couple of missions related to a strange phenomenon: strange man-made rifts which are thought to bridge between our world and either a parallel dimension or an alien world. These rifts represent a significant threat and are not easily dealt with. When one these rifts opens up in a North Carolina gated community it’s up to the Nightstalkers and to stop the portal before it unleashes havoc.

The plot is well defined, and characters are interesting and well explored. The pace is quite nice, and there are no useless plot fillers; every page contributes to the overall story. Bob Mayer is the author of the Area 51 series, a great series I have read a few years ago. The ‘Nightstalkers’ series follows the same style he imprinted onto the Area 51 books.

This is excellent military sci-fi. There is just enough detail on the military aspect to make you feel you are part of a real covert-ops team, yet not abusive to the point where it seems like you are reading a tech-spec. Yet, it is the action adventure side of the story which grabs you and does not let go. I went through the whole book very quickly.

In fact, young civilian Scout stole the show with her wit and vivacity. The story works well as a standalone, though I would have liked more explanation behind the science and alien “Firefly” entities. Hopefully, further installments will expound more. It’s an interesting start to a series for military science fiction fans, with plenty of secrets yet to uncover.

Overall, Area 51: Nightstalkers is an entertaining read with memorable characters and I enjoyed losing myself in Bob Mayer’s imaginative sci-fi world. I would highly recommend it to all fans military sci-fi or techno thrillers.

[Петър Панчев · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ловци на мистерии
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)

Преди двайсетина години започнах да чета една интригуваща поредица от Дохърти (псевдоним на Боб Майер), отново със заглавие „Зона 51“. Тогава беше нещо различно и постепенно изчетох всичките девет книги. Затова изобщо не се церемоних и грабнах новата мистерия. Принципно военната фантастика ми е доста тегава като жанр и изключенията са прекалено малко. „Нощните ловци“ („Бард“, 2018, с превод на Крум Бъчваров) има с какво да се похвали, но наистина напомня на маршируване по устав, ако мога така да се изразя. Сюжетът е с интрига и има доста мистерии, покрай които читател като мен би забравил всичко друго, докато не изчете книгата, поне докато не се сблъска описаните технологични средства за водене на война. Като цяло всичко изглежда като учебник на военните, били те барети или някой от тайните отряди със специално предназначение. Нощните ловци са точно от този тип, с все характерните им псевдоними, подготовка и поведение при мисии. Като характери нито един не ми допадна, така че се надявах на изненади, каквито би трябвало да присъстват в мистериите.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)

[Fred Tyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elite soldiers versus fireflies. The story does not seem very memorable. Sure they can possess certain things, etc., but at the end of the story all that I remember is a soldier destroying an excavator, or a laptop, etc.
There are several things I liked about the characters and the action, but it still felt like the story was missing something. While the Russian accents might have seemed more authentic, it made it hard to understand sometimes.
Also, I don't like it when an author does a character info dump during the action scenes. Sometimes it makes sense. For example, when the character is clueless and relaxed. However, a character in the middle of a firefight who stops to think about who they are and what their current task is? I feel like a few rewrites by the author could fix some of those things. There should be a better way to add tension than making me wait for the author to tell a funny quip about said character to find out what is going to happen.

[Ralph Wark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey this is fun!

Rifts in time space, unknown beasties that can take over another life from (shades of Monty Python, a real killer rabbit!) And the elite team formed in 1947 in Area 51 to respond to the threat. Not just another secret-undercover-agency tome, this one has zip nd a good plot. And great characters, Moms, head of the task force, Mrs. Jones, the disabled Russian head of the agency, Doc, the....well, Doc. Roland the gunner is my favorite, did I mention there are a lot of references to Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London?". A nice touch, each member of the team has their strengths and a back story, so they seem like real people! A fun summer read, already read, or listened to Vol. 2 on Audible, the narrator is quite good. But I get ahead of myself.....

[Jean Labrador · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Different Kind of Special Forces

I really liked this book. It had good characters, good story line, and a fascinating girl called Scout. The Nightstalkers fight things that go bump in the night. Things that are unimaginable, but maybe not surprising as they have a home base just to the side of Area 51. The writing is very good and the editing very good. The storyline is quite exciting, and I read far into the wee hours trying to keep up with all of the shenanigans. I have already purchased the second book of the series, and I can’t wait to begin it.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st Half of Book OK; Ending = Truncated

This author is a VERY prolific writer, which can be good or bad. I’m tending toward the lower-mid of the scale, because the beginning of his story arcs have been good and interesting — but he quickly falls off in the last half of a book. In this case, the first 7/8 of the book was the same plot, then the tail ending was rushed and seemed forced, rather than smooth.

[Gerard Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naughty Boy!!!

I'm working my way the Area 51 series and I have a long way to go.
I gave it 5 stars because it continues to twist and turn the story just enough to keep my interest from waning.
Likes are the characters are just ordinary people, no endless boring super powers. I'm not normally a sci-fi reader but I'm enjoying these books.
Now the dislike... I don't believe this story was long enough but I could be wrong and usually am.
So I say enjoy it for what it is. 💚💚💚

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Send Lawyers, Guns And Money!

Oh man I am freaking high from this book! Unparalleled excitement, great lines of dialogue (some that made me LOL, others which were rather profound that I actually highlighted on my kindle app which I almost never do!) Characters that I absolutely loved, that like Warren Zevon just as much as I do! I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series! I can't remember the last time I've written a 6 exclamation point review!

[Kathleen Lubbers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Plan to read this series too. What a talented author. He brings his characters to life, and even though I know exactly nothing about anything military related-guns to habits in their everyday lives -to vehicles both air and land- I find myself educated by the author in an entertaining and enjoyable way.

[Karl Torok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique, engaging, fast paced, stimulating

It is a very interesting cocktail that is being mixed. It is part science, part mystery, and a whole lot of humanity. I just hope that the character development continues to be strong.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally got down the stack to read this. Bob Mayer writes intelligent action books involving paranormal / sci-fi scenarios. World carries from book to book in series smoothly. Looking forward t reading more about Scout - a genuine kick ass heroine in the making.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one ever looks up. ~ Nada

I enjoyed this book very much because I loved the characters. Some of the supernatural stuff was a bit over the top but I enjoyed the team so much I read many more entries in this series.

Fun, action filled read with a sense of humor.

[Doncho Angelov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed. Doherty's books were always 5* read for me. This one, although finished for less than a day, was about average.

Interesting story, but finished quite obvious.

I need re-read of all Zone 51!

[Daniel Diaz Venegas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action novel

It's a well written classic spec ops team novel, I liked it. Maybe there's a little problem with the development of some characters. And to be honest de resolution of the main conflict was really abrupt and sudden that it barely felt as a grand finale.

[Shannon Callahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pew pew

Different kind of Sci fi type book. I️ quite enjoyed it because it involve different kind of dimension. The book was smooth enough to understand and able venture more.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2-1/2 stars. I finished it, that's about all I can say. Nothing new or special here.