Jihad

Deep Black #5

by Stephen Coonts, Jim DeFelice

The word's most effective anti-terrorist force has the tools to monitor every move the enemy makes. They've planted a listening device inside a terrorist's skull, and activated a video spy drone disguised as a bird. But knowing is only half the battle…

Multi-lingual, nerves-of-steel agents Charlie Dean, Lia DeFrancesca, and Tommy Karr prowl the winding streets of Istanbul to the crowded airports of America to stop terrorists in their tracks. Hooked into a real-time, high-tech system, this army of three goes head-to-head with the most dangerous people in the world.

Al Qaeda is launching a series of devastating attacks against the West--and the ultimate strike is aimed at the heart of the USA! In a war where both sides operate in deep disguise, Deep Black must fight a world where betrayal, trust, faith, and doubt collide…

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Military Fiction, Action, Adventure, Political Thriller

438 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 2, 2007

About the author

Stephen Coonts (born July 19, 1946) is an American thriller and suspense novelist.

Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968. He entered the Navy the following year and flew an A-6 Intruder medium attack plane during the Vietnam War, where he served on two combat cruises aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He accumulated 1600 hours in the A-6 Intruder and earned a number of Navy commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he served as a flight instructor on A-6 aircraft for two years, then did a tour as an assistant catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68). His navigator-bombardier was LTjg Stanley W. Bryant who later became a Rear Admiral and deputy commander-in-chief of the US naval forces in Europe.

After being honorably discharged from duty as a lieutenant in 1977, Coonts pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1979. He then worked as an oil and gas lawyer for several companies, entertaining his writing interests in his free time.

He published short stories in a number of publications before writing Flight of the Intruder in 1986 (made into a movie in 1991). Intruder, based in part on his experiences as a bomber pilot, spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists in hardcover and launched his career as a novelist. From there he continued writing adventure-mysteries using the character from his first book, Jake Grafton. He has written several other series and stand-alone novels since then, but is most notable for the Grafton books.

Today Coonts continues to write, having had seventeen New York Times bestsellers (out of 20 books), and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son.

Taken from Wikipedia

Learn more about Stephen Coonts on the Macmillan website.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun "listen to it while mowing the yard" novel. Fairly well written and engaging enough. I figured out the plot line early on so there were no surprises... a cookie cutter, thriller story. Great way to spend 3 days on a riding lawn tractor.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know...I read it out of order. I picked up the audiobook for my husband and me to listen to on road trips. I became so confused by the choppy editing that I had to get the book and read along to really know what was going on. But I tracked down copies of the others in the series, and my next Coonts read will be the original Deep Black.
It's an okay book. Three stars for decent character development. I could just envision a certain California senator as head of the NSA. :-) Overall, though, I have to fall back to yet another take on Lloyd Bentsen's statement to Dan Quayle. Mr. Coonts, I have been a Tom Clancy fan for many years. Tom Clancy is one of my favorite writers in this genre. You, sir, are no Tom Clancy.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally read this book out of order which is not like me, but I wanted to see if this was a good enough read to pick up the others. Enjoyed the book enough to keep me intrigued, but might find myself drifting toward the rest of my list of a million books to read first. Interesting plot that brought in plenty of concerns about war and politics, but I can't say that I was thrilled with any of the characters.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

another tale about the small cadre of special agents from Deep Black, the special operators of the National Security Agency...this time they try to stop an attack on America's energy infrastructure...OK

[Kevinkeating · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent thriller. Offers some insight into middle eastern operatives and all of the crazy stuff our government might be doing at any given time to fight terror...

[Jake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio Book. I think it was the abridged version and I always hate abridged versions. The story didn't seem too bad but the telling wasn't that good. I think it was the abridgement.

[Beth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

By about page 100 I figured out I had read this already. Quick read. Can't say I remembered it well from 2 years ago.

[Buddy Draper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Desk Three team tries to thwart Islamic terrorists in Turkey and the US.

[Andrew Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very difficult for me to read.and to enjoy. Too much micromanagement from Ft Meade into Turkey terror activities.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad depiction of today's world.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun fast paced techno /geo-political terrorist thriller. Typical Coonts fair with a blend of real life tech and capabilities mixed with the more fictional. In this case the Desk 3 team insert a bug into the head of the #3 guy in Al-Qaeda so they can listen in on the planning for a new attack. They gain a lot of information but no direct info on the target. Can the team join the dots and find the target in time to prevent a terrorist nightmare.
Add into this a new National Security Advisor who seems hell bent on destroying Desk 3 and the reducing the NSA's role in the intelligence community and there is more at stake than stopping Al-Qaeda.
A good romp, not to be taken too seriously but good fun in a James Bond/ Indiana Jones kind of way - slightly unreal but still fun.

[Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complicated plan to hurt a known terrorist so they can implant a 'The Final Cut' chip in his head to see the inside of a terrorist cell. Eventually a sect decides he is not who they want leading the violence so he is killed off and another guy wheeled into the mix. A lumbering slog as he makes his way to the United States to attempt to dispense violence. An attempt at a relationship. Pass on this.

[James Hein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series remains entertaining

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK. Just did not like it as much as some of his other books

[Harold Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interruptions. Took forever to read.

[Alan Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the story was way to fragmented and too much detail about minor characters.
Alan

[Joyce Tumambing · Rating 1 out of 5]

it took forever
slow paced

[Monzenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A generally good book, focused on a jihad attack and the latest technology. At least it keeps my attention towards the series.

[Jo K Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast pace book. Concise writing. Dramatic post 9/11 terrorism book. Undercover operatives and convert operations. This book has it all. The chapters are short and it’s gripping.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge can be sweet. It can also be as bitter as the gall in the pit of your stomach.
Julie Girard is a woman on a mission. Her parents were tow among many passengers killed over the desert by a terrorist’s bomb placed in their plane. Backed by the wealthy and protected by the powerful, the perpetrators of this random act of terror are allowed to walk free and plan their next atrocity. This is unacceptable for Julie; she wants her pound of flesh and is willing to pay the butcher to get it. Righteous indignation can blind someone to values they once believed in; Julie isn’t just blinded, she is also crazy and willing to pit everything to take her revenge.
Charles Dean is an ex-marine. I say ex-marine only to indicate that he is now retired and we all know: Once a marine; always a marine. He’s bought a string of floundering gas stations in the hope that they will supplement his retirement check. He is approached by Julie with a proposition he can’t refuse.
Good things come in small packages. This is what my mother told me at Christmas and my birthday when I was young; I never believed her. Now that I am older with children and grandchildren of my own, I know she was right; sometimes less is more. This is a pint-sized story with a punch and sure to satisfy readers looking for a high-octane tale.

[Mark Easter]

PENETRATED: DEEP BLACK PLANTS A BUG INSIDE AL QAEDA The word’s most effective anti-terrorist force has the tools to monitor every move the enemy makes. They’ve planted a listening device inside a terrorist’s skull, and activated a video spy drone disguised as a bird. But knowing is only half the battle… INFILTRATED: BREAKING INTO A GLOBAL TERRORIST NETWORK Multi-lingual, nerves-of-steel agents Charlie Dean, Lia DeFrancesca, and Tommy Karr prowl the winding streets of Istanbul to the crowded airports of America to stop terrorists in their tracks. Hooked into a real-time, high-tech system, this army of three goes head-to-head with the most dangerous people in the world.   DETONATED: THE TIME TO COUNTER-ATTACK IS NOW! Al Qaeda is launching a series of devastating attacks against the West—and the ultimate strike is aimed at the heart of the USA! In a war where both sides operate in deep disguise, Deep Black must fight a world where betrayal, trust, faith, and doubt collide…. “Coonts knows how to write and build suspense. . . a natural storyteller.”—The New York Times Book Review Visit Stephen Coonts’ Web site at: www.coonts.com

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great vacation read. A moderately complex plot which unfolds like a movie with character and location shifts. There are no surprises in the story but it is still a compelling book to carry on reading till the end. No deep character development but who needs that with a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago type plot developement, the settings make up for the lack of depth in the people. Would recommend this as a good companion to the other books in the series.

[RJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story. I didn't realize it was a short novella 2:20 hours when first starting. Almost through I began wondering where the story as going when it seemed on its way to completion. I checked the time and found the story was indeed almost over. Only slightly disappointed that it was almost over. I was enjoying it and I love Dick Hill's voice.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story with a great twist at the end...no spoilers here. The characters were developed enough to like them and their exploits. The plot was (almost) believable and could have been a job for special operations. A lot of research went into the technical part of the Osprey story. Thanks Stephen Coonts for the fun read/listen.

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moderately complex plot and characters.

Compared with others of the genre (eg, Brad Thor) a more balanced perspective on middle eastern tensions, as well as on diversity within Muslim communities.

[Ipants · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has been rated with one star. Many things are star-shaped...

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

confirmation of thoughts on war in the middle east and outcomes

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book with lots of possible disasters.

[Ray Cady · Rating 4 out of 5]

It moved quickly.
Intriguing!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found my old library records so I know when I read this.
Loved the series.