The Lightning Stones: A Novel (Philip Mercer)

As a fan of Philip Mercer I was very excited to finally see a new book in the series. Overall I enjoyed the story and the premise. The action was well done and the overall plot line kept me entertained but portions of the story also disappointed me and as a whole this new Mercer tale could have been better.Action thrillers have a certain pattern to the hero and the structure and, considering DuBrul's work with Cussler, this is no exception. The story starts with some flashback to the past which takes a true historical fact and incorporates some fictional, often bizzare, twist of science fiction or other nefarious deed which then sets up some ego-maniacal villain's attempt at world domination in the present day. Enter the hero, usually by accident or by being "in the wrong place at the right time", a damsel in distress, a lovable sidekick who acts as muscle and ultimately a save the day concussion complete with a multitude of desperate bare escapes scattered throughout.Of course, this is the formula I want and find entertaining and DuBrul has mastered it and expanded upon it. One critical exception to the formula I find refreshing is the hero's (Mercer) willingness to resort to violence and to harm his enemies. I'm not lauding the violence as much as I laud the reality of its inclusion. More often than not the thriller hero lives by some "code" that prevents him from actually killing his enemies. Mercer is an upstanding character but he is also a realist and will kill if killing is necessary. It adds a level to realism and lends credence to Mercer as a person and not just some up on a pedestal "hero"As far as my disappointments go, I like that Mercer is a lady's man like most heroes and he "gets" the girl but I could do without the detailed narrative of the "getting". I found the inclusion of the sex scene to be cheap and meaningless to the story and, in this particular novel, it actually debases Mercer and devalues him as a respectable hero. He comes across as a bit of a D-bag which is a shame.I was also put off a bit by the author's clear political message in regard to global warming and climate change. The plot could have moved along without the several pages devoted to a clear denier's attitude towards the issue...but that is the author's prerogative and his right. After all it is his work and his platform. My disagreement with his position soured the story just a bit for me but I am sure it may read well with others of like mind with the author.The only other disappointment for me was the ending. It felt rushed and the ultimate demise of the villains, after so much detail of their activities and hubris in the story, felt anti-climatic. I was expecting a bit more dramatic to their ends. The most dramatic conclusion for a villain involved a French scientist who barely plays a part in the story and a character this reader could have cared less about. Finally, the story begins, as per formula, with a historic event and although the heroes "uncover" the mystery, it is still left hanging at the end. It could have been wrapped up better than a one paragraph conclusion involving the hero taking the FBI agent to dinner and her abandoning her own ethics by bedding said hero.With a better ending and the elimination of the sex scene that, in my opinion, created a major character flaw, this would have been 4 or even 5 stars for me. Overall, it's 3 stars. Will I read more from DuBrul and Mercer? Yes I will, with the hopes that future books are as good as the predecessors to this one. As I said at the beginning, I was excited to finally see Mercer in print once again. One so-so experience will not yet deter me from reading future adventures.

This was my first novel by Jack DuBrul, and I am officially hooked. Imagine a novel that encompasses current events in the political controversy surrounding global warming and green energy, that manages to tie itself into the unsolved mystery of Amelia Earhart, with a few surprising plot twists, with a bunch of strong characters, male and female, and a highly intelligent plot. Then throw in a paid assassin and his team that is just a step ahead, a former Delta SpecOps operative, an attractive FBI agent, and, well, you are getting the idea. It takes a deft hand to take a rich tapestry of ideas and potential plot lines and form them into a coherent and interesting novel, and DuBrul does so effortlessly. I had difficulty putting my iPad down, the trusty Kindle app humming away late at night, until the final page. A highly satisfying novel. As a fan of Lee Child, Tom Clancy, Robert Crais, Ben Coes, et al, I have yet another excellent author to call on. Well done, sir!

I have enjoyed the Philip Mercer series greatly and this one doesn't disappoint. In a novel, it explores the ugly truth about the whole climate change issue; it's about a money grab from those attempting to cash in on the belief that man can actually do something to affect the weather. The downside is that the book is very formulaic in that we start with something that happened in the past and it somehow ties into the future; a great formula for those fans of Clive Cussler. All in all, I really enjoyed the book and it held my attention. Most negative reviews are from those who believe in climate change and don't like hearing the other side of the argument.

I was enjoying The Oregon Files series by Jack DuBrul and Clive Cussler, when I began to read DuBrul's Mercer books. I pre-purchased The Lightning Stones as soon as it became available. Unlike many of the negative reviewers, I realize that this is not intended to be great literature. It is a fictional novel set at a fast pace, and written as pure entertainment. I like the characters, yet there seems to be a lot of concern about their depth. While I can't speak for all of them, I feel that Drag has been fully developed, and I would miss him if Harry wasn't hauling him around the neighborhood. As an adventure novel, it is that! Is it better than Vulcan's Forge, or Charon's Landing? Maybe not, some parts of the story did notremind me of the Phillip Mercer of the other books, but all in all, it was intriguing, and imaginative. Just what a good adventure novel should be. I look forward to the next Mercer adventure!

As Jack Du Brul collaborates with Clive Cussler, it's inevitable that this book has a flavour of those high adventure novels, a hero with a past who just happens to be able to call upon the services of rough tough specialists when he needs to fly to out of the way places to recover that which the bad guys are also after. And when the hero meets up with a vulnerable young lady who seems to be in distress, you just know that chivalry will cover a multiple of sins while the reader, in this case is thinking "she's a wrong 'un." It fits into what I suppose is a formulaic mould of rugged individualistic adventurer stumbles into dastardly deeds, gets shot at, chased, walks a fine line with the forces of law and order, makes an amazing discovery (in this case Amelia Mary Earhart's plane and the reason why she vanished), and saves the world from the forces of Evil, in this case enforced climate change. The book is one of a series around the same hero, and when I get around to it, I shall probably be reading the others in the series. This is action hero thriller adventure genre which will have a wide appeal to men, and fits in nicely with a range of other novels in a similar style by other authors.

I Became fond of Du Brul through Cusslers Oregon files series, but I got into the Philip Mercer novels easily enough. Typical cussler styling in the narrative and plot with historical events having repercussions in the present. As always an enjoyable yarn, and its good getting Mercer back after a bit of a hiatus. Get this book and check for kindle deals on the older books, its all good stuff. Now.... get Vulcans Forge and Charons Landing out on kindle else I'll lose my rag.

Didn't want to put the book down, he's taken over the baton from Clive Cussler and is accelerating very quickly.

Other people have already said most of it. Subtle it isn't but it keeps you on the hook until the end!

I've been waiting patiently to read this, having thoroughly enjoyed the earlier books in the series... It was well worth the wait - I read it through without pause... It kept my attention from first page to last! I highly recommend it...