The Minotaur

Jack Grafton (who seems to follow the same career path as Jack Ryan) survived the last book and is put at a desk in Pentagon. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to figure out the specification for the next navy attack plane (ATA, A-12) while fighting trying to keep everything secret. All this in the middle of the hunt for soviet moles and industry infiltrators.

(In real life A-12 was cancelled in 1991 and replaced by F/A-18E/F Super Hornet)

In this book the author makes no secret of his ill feeling (to put it mildly) for politicians suggesting cuts of the military. It's a bit over the edge and is one of many reasons these books are pulp literature.

Still, I enjoy the books so 3 stars. Not recommending them to random reader show more though. You have to like military fiction. show less

From one of the book boxes that Moem sent to me. This one will stay here untill I've read it.

I liked this book. Not the best espionage book I've ever read, but it was okay.
What I disliked most, was the fact that I could not quite follow the who did what in the espionage part. The main thread was easy to follow, Grafton and his task to be completed.

The spies, the counter spies, the Minotaur.... for me they were a bit shady in motives and who did what. But spy business is always a bit shady, so I coped the best I could. The book left me with the question why it was written like this.
Okay, money is a very important motivator for the person who sells secrets and preventing the other side from getting too far ahead technologically for the show more person / country who buys. I did not find anything spectacular, surprising in this book, so I'm a bit disappointed. show less

This novel in the series involves acquisition, flying, spies and intrigue. One can hardly put the thing down. Jake and Toad test a stealth airplane, which I believe that the Navy cancelled (in real life). Names are cleverly camouflaged, but obvious for the time of writing...Secnav Lehman as Lanman, for example. Who would have thought that a staff job could be so exciting?

"Slow reading for Coonts" There's a traitor in the Pentagon - and Jake Grafton must find out his identity before it's too late... Cold War mentalities present when it came to technology and the world in 1980

Very good action/spy story. I will read some more in this series.

Third of Coonts' books about his character Jake - and the least interesting of the bunch for me.

If you want to be bored to tears, by all means, read this book.