Area 7

About This Audiobook

Matthew Reilly’s *Area 7* is a high-octane thriller that cranks the absurdity dial to eleven—imagine a presidential motorcade under siege in a top-secret military base, where the real threat isn’t just the coup plotters but the *thing* locked in the underground labs. This isn’t a slow-burn conspiracy; it’s a full-throttle assault on logic, packed with Reilly’s signature set pieces: exploding helicopters, last-stand shootouts, and a hero who’s equal parts John McClane and Mulder. The audiobook, narrated by David Garmark, leans into the chaos with a gravelly, no-nonsense delivery that sells the ridiculousness as dead-serious action.

What sets this apart from typical military thrillers is Reilly’s refusal to let the plot breathe—every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, every reveal tops the last, and the body count rises like a *Rampage* game. Garmark’s narration mirrors this pace: his clipped, urgent tone during fire fights contrasts with the dry, almost amused delivery of the book’s more outlandish twists (and there are *many*). If you love audiobooks that feel like a blockbuster movie script—where the physics are optional but the adrenaline isn’t—this is your next listen. Just don’t expect subtlety."

"review": "I’ll admit, I picked up *Area 7* expecting a by-the-numbers political thriller, but what I got was closer to *Independence Day* directed by Michael Bay—if Bay had a caffeine IV drip. The premise is bonkers: Air Force One is grounded at a remote Utah base (think Area 51’s angrier cousin), the president is trapped, and a squad of Marines has to fight off both traitors *and* whatever’s been experimented on in the facility’s lower levels. Reilly’s writing is unapologetically pulpy, but it’s the *commitment* to the bit that makes it work. The audiobook’s narration by David Garmark is a masterclass in selling the absurd; his voice drops to a growl during action sequences, then pivots to a near-whisper for the book’s (many) ‘holy sh*t’ reveals. I especially loved how he handles the dialogue—each character gets a distinct cadence, from the president’s weary authority to the scientists’ panicked babbling.

That said, this isn’t a book for everyone. The pacing is relentless to a fault; Reilly rarely lets a scene simmer, and the constant cuts between perspectives can feel like channel-surfing during a hurricane. A few of the ‘twists’ are telegraphed miles ahead (if you’ve seen *Alien*, you’ll spot the chestburster analog coming), and the science is… *optimistic*. But as an audiobook experience? It’s a blast. The production is clean, Garmark’s performance never flags, and the sheer *energy* of the story makes it perfect for commutes or workouts where you want to tune out the world. Just don’t overthink it—this is a book that rewards you for buckling in and enjoying the ride, not dissecting the GPS coordinates of the plot holes."

"tags": [
"military thriller with sci-fi twists