Review: Manhattan Massacre

Manhattan Massacre by Peter McCurtin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Peter McCurtin’s take on the “Lone Man against the Mafia” theme is heavily derivative upon Don Pendleton’s Executioner series in ways that I won’t go into and rather focus more on the differences. The main thing that sets the Assassin apart is that Robert Briganti operates in the open, he announces himself and his intentions to the media, then doggedly pursues his targets much like a hard-boiled cop or private eye. The Executioner relies more on stealth and espionage techniques, more James Bond than Mike Hammer. Not much new here from a plot perspective (even Pendleton ran out of ways to kill off the Mafia after 38 books) although the Briganti character is well fleshed out and interesting, the story moves at a blistering pace, and McCurtin’s writing is solid and evocative. Manhattan Massacre is easily equal to the best of the slew of 1970s war against the Mafia books. I would like to read more books in this series. Not sure if they have been republished or if I have to track down the old paperbacks. I’ll give this one four stars.

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Review: Caribbean Kill: Mack Bolan: The Executioner #10

Caribbean Kill: Mack Bolan: The Executioner #10 by Don Pendleton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A compressed timeline story that also further introduces Jack Grimaldi, a mob plane and chopper pilot, who later changes his allegiance to Mack Bolan. The novel takes up immediately after the events in Las Vegas (Vegas Vendetta) and into reliable Don Pendleton high gear with some terrific action and adventure sequences. There are no dull Mafia backstories, females needing protection to advance the plot, no fat to trim, just flat out action. Yeah, the violence and gore can be a bit disturbing so the book may not appeal to most readers. On the Executioner/Bolan scale I give this four solid stars, one of the better of the early novels in the series.

Available from Amazon in paperback or digital.

Review: Bloody Bush

Bloody Bush by Len Levinson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book 3 in the series continues Sergeant Mahoney’s battles liberating Nazi occupied France in 1944. The Bloody Bush refers to hedgerows, wall-like vegetation very common in the area as it created numerous obstacles from everything from reconnaissance to impeding tank progress. There’s a shitload of endless hedgerows chapter after chapter. All of the action takes place on the front-line where characters are introduced then killed off then new characters are introduced then killed off. This became rather tedious and I was really hoping for some non-combat diversion which didn’t happen. The action sequences were well written, exciting, and nicely gory, and I really liked the historical references to actual events and people. Just an okay entry in the series compared to the first two books which I thought were superior.

Inexpensive ebook available from Piccadilly Publishing via Amazon

Review: Gannon's Vendetta

Gannon's Vendetta by John Whitlatch
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had read all of Whitlatch's books back in Jr. high and remembered them as being good action thrillers. Have to say I was disappointed rereading this one. We have a simple revenge plot as Gannon's wife is raped and killed by a motorcycle gang and he tracks them down to Mexico to get his vengeance. The action scenes are good, and it is pretty well written, but at least a third of the book is scenes that don't advance the plot, instead they just show how he passed the boring time between the action. This would have been much better at 160 pages instead of the 249 it is. Cover art by Norm Eastman who did a lot of men's adventure magazine covers back in the day.

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Review: Legend of the Black Rose

Legend of the Black Rose by A.W. Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are a lot of demands on the first book in a planned series, introducing multiple characters, backstories, locations, etc. This book does a solid job with all of these although I felt that the descriptive prose was a bit excessive and it seemed over long, like 50 pages could have been cut. This was probably mostly due to the nature of being the first book so it’s forgivable. A young woman named Catalina Riviera, well trained in martial arts, is rescued by a convent of nuns after her family is slaughtered in a raid. The nuns are warriors themselves, protecting underground springs with metaphysical properties, and Catalina is a welcome addition. Catalina assumes a Zorro-like disguised identity called the Black Rose, a crime fighting vigilante in her efforts to bring the persons responsible for her family’s murder to justice. A bevy of interesting characters are introduced, some unlikely alliances, a couple of twists, and an explosive climax all contribute to a satisfying read.

Inexpensive ebook available from Wolfpack Publishing.

Review: Return to Vietnam

Return to Vietnam by Stephen Mertz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the pantheon of Mack Bolan stories this book holds a high place for a couple of reasons. First, it returns Bolan to the jungles of Vietnam where his experiences as an extraordinary and deadly soldier led to the creation of the vigilante known as “The Executioner”. Second, it was a precursor and influencer of the POW/MIA movies that soon followed such as “Rambo II”, “Missing in Action”, and “Uncommon Valor”, plus scores of fiction dealing with this issue. The short novel tells the story of Bolan, now a government operative known as Colonel Phoenix, accepting a mission to rescue a POW imprisoned in a modified Vietcong temple. It’s a compressed timeline story with a linear plot and all of the events taking place in a four hour window so the pacing and action is relentless. Bolan is ably assisted by an aging and noble Vietnamese warrior, his beautiful daughter, and a ragtag group of fighters. It’s a definitely a strong entry in the series and I’m thankful to the writer, Stephen Mertz, for helping to bring the POW/MIA issue to the forefront.

Review: Created, the Destroyer

Created, the Destroyer by Warren Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first entry in long-running The Destroyer series starts out with how Remo Williams is “recruited” into the secret CURE agency and expertly trained by Asian Master Chiun, followed by some dull drunken angst scenes, then finishing up with a bang and an unexpected twist. This book, and perhaps the series in general, doesn’t take itself quite so seriously as the other men’s adventure series, which are typically somber and humorless. I really liked the lighter tone and the self-satirizing drollness. I like that Remo merely kills someone without going into graphic detail and gore, which gets tiresome in other series since there are only so many ways to describe a guy’s head getting blown off. I would have liked to see a lot more of Chiun and his wise sayings and clever insults. Looking forward to reading other entries in the series, and hopefully more of Chiun.

Review: Hell Harbor: The Battle for Cherbourg

Hell Harbor: The Battle for Cherbourg by Gordon Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sergeant Mahoney and his team are ordered to prevent a harbor from being blown up in Nazi occupied Cherbourg, France. One important thing that sets The Sergeant books apart from other military action stories is that Len Levinson, writing as Gordon Davis, in no way glorifies the war or fighting. The fighting is a necessary evil and the war is an utter atrocity. A highlight for me was the long sequence of Mahoney and his seduction of an army nurse. Rather than an impersonal and sleazy seduction, as found in most action books, it spoke to the desperation and loneliness of the men and women fighting overseas for a cause bigger than themselves. Mahoney looks back with longing at his short time spent with Shirley and what might have been if it wasn’t for the damn war. Sure Mahoney is still kind of an asshole, he’s human and with the failings of many of us, but he’s also loyal and honorable and that goes a long way to make him a compelling character rather than a macho military caricature. Another excellent entry in the series.

Available as an inexpensive ebook here.

Review: Valley of Vultures

Valley of Vultures by Paul Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Manning Lee Stokes, probably best known for his Nick Carter: Killmaster books, authored this book, the fifth in the Expeditor series. It's a wild spy adventure with John Eagle, undercover and unarmed, traveling to Ecuador to investigate a suspicious resort that promises youth to rich old men. Eagle soon uncovers testicle-transplanting Nazis, nymphomaniacs, grown-up Hitler youth, and a little lesbian porn filmmaking throw in for good measure. Stokes is in fine form here compared to his previous Expeditor efforts, the first two books in the series, which had a fairly high snore factor. This book is engaging and very well written throughout. The last quarter of the book shifts gears and sends Eagle on a second mission to Ecuador, fully armed this time, to deal with Hitler's son - of all people. Eagle befriends a horny and hilarious native girl who provides some appreciated levity in this mission, which surprisingly turns out to be just as engaging as the first. Definitely the best in the series so far. This book is big-ass Buick great!

Review: Valley of Skulls

Valley of Skulls by John Benteen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Fargo series tell the tales of early 20th Century adventurer and solider of fortune Neal Fargo. They aren’t Westerns as the covers suggest. In this installment Fargo is hired by a rich old blowhard to rescue some Mayan treasures and the excavation team, which includes his son, from the jungles of Central America. Fargo forges an uneasy alliance with old friend Darnley and his team of ruffians who Fargo thinks are likely to kill him and keep the fortune, which he now realizes includes a solid gold cannon of priceless value, for themselves. The well-oiled plot rolls along at breakneck speed with colorful dialog and plenty of action. The Fargo adventure books are perfect escapism for our times, easily consumed and tasty as a hot delivered pizza.

It's now a available as an inexpensive ebook from Amazon.
 

Review: Massacre at Umtali

Massacre at Umtali by Peter McCurtin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Set in 1970s Rhodesia and telling the story of a mercenary named Rainey who has been engaged to lead a ragtag team of hired killers to capture a terrorist kingpin who recently massacred civilians in a village called Umtali. There is quite a bit of 1970s Rhodesia information and geopolitical discussion which was interesting until the point that it got boring. Fortunately the book escalated into high gear quickly and left no doubt that hardcore action was the emphasis of the tale. Rainey is faced with a difficult dilemma at one point, which was a nice touch and added significantly to the story. An engaging and highly testosterone-fueled adventure that should appeal to readers of 1970s military action fiction.

Review: The Executioner: Vegas Vendetta

The Executioner: Vegas Vendetta by Don Pendleton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mack Bolan stops off in Vegas to relieve the Mafia of a load of cash and ends up rescuing undercover cop Carl Lyons who tells Bolan about some sinister mob activity in town. Bolan decides to stick around, help out a comedian that has been targeted, and take down a Casino-Resort that is mobbed up. The hip 70’s idioms were a gas, the police are called “the fuzz” and independent women are “Women Libbers”. Bolanverse regulars Hal Brognola, Jack Grimaldi, and the deadly  Talifero brothers all make appearances too. Another lean and muscular action thriller in the long running series that is difficult to put down.

Available for Kindle

Review: Death Train

Death Train by Gordon Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Top-notch military fiction taking place in France during the Nazi occupation and telling the story of Sergeant Mahoney, his soldiers, and a band of French resistance fighters attempting to blow up a bridge to cut off the Nazi supply lines to the beaches at Normandy on the eve of the Allied invasion. Of course nothing goes as planned and the heroes have to dig themselves out of several unexpected situations. Mahoney is a fascinating character, an outstanding soldier, and also a complete asshole. Major Richter of the Gestapo is a vile and terrifying villain. Several other memorable characters. A nice blend of actual historical events and people are smoothly integrated into the main narrative. A very entertaining page turner from the great Len Levinson writing as Gordon Davis.

Buy the ebook here

Review: Chicago Wipe-Out

Chicago Wipe-Out by Don Pendleton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bolan arrives in Chicago, a hotbed of mob activity, and vows destruction of the Mafia families that control the corrupt city. Rather than battle the mob directly, Bolan uses the information provided by a man who had researched the corruption, a man who paid a steep price when his life was devastated by revenge, to identity and manipulate the families into a war with each other. It was interesting that the the book focused more on the Mafia characters than Bolan himself, and that the obligatory love interest, a dancer named Jimi, was merely a minor character. Another very good entry in the long-running series.

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Review: Dead Man Running

Dead Man Running by Stephen Mertz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final entry in the significant, albeit unnamed, Executioner trilogy finds Mack Bolan, using his alias John Phoenix, back in the USA after being framed for a political murder by the KGB and still seeking vengeance from those responsible for the brutal assault on Stony Man Farm. He quickly discovers a conspiracy between the KGB and the Mafia, who are both after him, and Bolan racks up an impressive body count while uncovering clues that lead him to the very heights of the US government. The novel delivers the goods for the riveting spy/espionage action and the relentless violence. Mertz ties up the loose ends to a satisfying and surprising conclusion, and sets in motion a major transformation in the Mack Bolan mythology.

My reviews of the other two books in the trilogy:

• Day of Mourning
• Terminal Velocity

Review: Bullet Bridge

Bullet Bridge by Gordon Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Sergeant in this series is named Mahoney - brutish, crude, horny, and most importantly a skilled warrior in this seventh entry in the historical WWII fiction book by Len Levinson writing as Gordon Davis. The book takes place after the allied victory in Metz, during the assault on the Nazi occupied city of Saarlautern. Although Mahoney is kind of an asshole he is charismatic and noble enough to be likable, which keeps the reader engaged in the fast military action that includes plenty of colorful and lewd dialogue. A couple of unfortunate sex scenes could have been left out as they bordered uncomfortably on assault. Levinson does a great job of not glorifying war with his portrayals of inept leadership, untimely deaths, cowardice, and loss. A fine book for those that enjoy military action books and don’t mind lots of gore and profanity.

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Review: Terminal Velocity

Terminal Velocity by Alan Bomack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Terminal Velocity is the middle book of an important transitional trilogy in the “Bolanverse” and is the first of the “Super Bolan” books, a whopping 380 pages, more the twice the size of a traditional Mack Bolan book. I was dubious that any author, Alan Bomack - a pseudo for Davide Wade in this work, could pull off an action/adventure book of this length but he handles it with aplomb, weaving three stories into a seamless tale of international espionage. The major plot arc tells the story of Bolan stealing a prototype Soviet helicopter in Afghanistan and the KGB effort to successfully frame the big guy for a high-profile assassination, stranding him overseas, on the run from the law, alone in his effort to clear himself, and still reeling from the devastating attack on his home base in the first book of the trilogy. A fine successor to the excellent Day of Mourning.

Here are my reviews of the other two books in the trilogy:

• Day of Mourning
• Dead Man Running

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Review: The Hostaged Island

The Hostaged Island by L.R. Payne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the series is conceptually strong, telling the story of a group of violent outlaw bikers working in cahoots with a rogue Soviet agent to capture and hold for hostage Catalina Island off the coast of southern California. The narrative shifts from the incursion of Able Team and their efforts to rescue the 1500 local residents of the island that are being held captive, the captives themselves plotting a rebellion against the bikers guarding them, and a small band of locals that have evaded the outlaws and are planning their own attack. Tightly plotted and fast moving, this a wild ride of a book, although some may be turned off by the copious amounts of violence and gore inherent in these types of books.

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Review: Day of Mourning

Day of Mourning by Stephen Mertz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great opening with Bolan fighting terrorists and sharks underwater, ala Thunderball, while retrieving a sunken nuclear warhead. Author Mertz continues to pull out all the stops as Bolan investigates a major plot to attack his base of operation, Stony Man Farm, taking him to Washington D.C. and violent encounters with hired assassins, more terrorists, and for old times sake, the Mafia. Meanwhile Able Team is is heading into a deadly trap in Asia with no way to communicate the danger. Bolan hopes to finish up his detective work, get revenge for the killing of one of his men in an earlier raid that also took out communications, and prevent the looming assault on Stony Man in a race against time. The book is a complete knockout. An outstanding entry in the Executioner series.

My reviews of the other two books in the trilogy:

• Terminal Velocity
• Dead Man Running

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Review: Tower of Terror

Tower of Terror by Don Pendleton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The series starts off with a bang as gonzo writer L.R. Payne (G.H. Frost) spins a wild tale with Puerto Rican terrorists, shady businessmen, Vietnamese agents, and ex-commies involved in a “Die Hard” type attack on a NYC skyscraper. Non-stop action with an exciting and exceedingly gory climax are highlights. Lack of character depth and a hurried ending are weaknesses. The mysterious Frost wrote most the the early Able Teams books and I like his out-of-control style. I have some of his other works in my TBR queue. Looking forward to reading them.

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