Eternal Triangle

The story here is a lot more special than the standard Executioner title, and I really appreciate that. I just wish that it had been handled better. The problem I had was with Michael Newton's usual word count padding; characters will spend pages upon pages thinking about what's going to happen, about how every upcoming situation could play out, only to conclude that such thoughts don't matter. Wow, thanks for wasting my time, Mr. Newton. The character moments are what make this book readable. It's nice to see Mack form a bond with Al Weatherbee, even if their team up is kind of rushed. The central conflict was also compelling, and it was nice to get inside the villain's head and explore his years-long pursuit of revenge. The final conflict was rushed and felt anti-climatic, however. But that dream sequence? Stunning and profound. Overall, this one is above average, but not great. Definitely worth a read, though.

This book is a milestone novel for the series. To me is showed a Mack that is getting older and in ways not better. He almost lost his life 2 times in this one. The hunter seemed 2 steps ahead of him the whole way. It was really good to have Al Weatherbee and his Wife in this one. And I enjoyed the interaction between him and Mack. I don't really know if this book should have been # 100 or not. All I know is that this is a special story and Mike Newton did an Incredible job with this book. 10 stars all the way.

Hopefully this doesn't cause too much chatter on the forum, but here goes. As I looked at the previous reviews, I saw some key words. "Light on action, heavy on story". "Should have been #100". I agree. This was a good story, a milestone novel that probably would have worked better as the 100th. The cat and mouse between Bolan and the "the hunter" was tense, and the dream sequence with April Rose was very moving. Al Weatherbee is fleshed out as former foes come together. But, like The Trial before it, it plodded along with little or no action, and a part of me was wanting something more to happen. And when the confrontation came, it was rather short and abrupt. So, very good nostalgic piece and perfect companion to #1, with a lot of introspection and history of the Bolan war in a nutshell. And even though it was good Newton writing, I would have preferred things to be a bit more fast paced. A good book to be sure, but a solid 6 is all I can give it.

Eternal Triangle is a very solid read considering its my first Bolan book. I like the way Mike Newton writes. My favorite kills were the hit on Manny Ingentio and the finale between Bolan and Laurenti. I got a good idea of how Bolan thinks as I've read The Punisher and see the similarities. I hope to read more books that delve more into his psyche. I hear that his war journals are intriguing and hope to find books with entries in them. All in all a great read. I recommend it. I was considering a score of 9 but I think its a solid 8 which isn't to shabby.

I picked up this one for my brother-in-law who was going to be laid up with minor surgery. Before I could get the book to him, I found this site and was surprised to see that the book was rated so high. Well, as a long-time but slow-reading Bolan fan who is still making his way through the Pendleton 38, I thought, I've got to read this one. And I was not disappointed! I can see why this novel rates as high as it does. The story is different, personal and the writing is top notch. This is my first Mike Newton and won't be my last. The action was great, poor Mack is really put through the ringer. And another thing that set this one apart for me was that Mack is truly on the defensive for the entire story. My only knock against this one is that the identity of the hunter is clearly obvious three-quarters of the way through the book. A chance for a riveting cat and mouse game was missed here. But that is a minor point. Eternal Triangle is truly one of the best Bolans I've ever read. And it has got me excited to get back into the series. For any Bolan fan, new or old, this one is a must have. A superior effort!

I reread “Eternal Triangle” as a companion piece to the first novel, “War Against the Mafia,” exactly 100 entries prior to this work. Mike Newton’s modern Bolan as a consummate professional, a world-weary veteran of a hundred campaigns, stands as an amazing contrast with the first novel. What’s ironic is that as I write this, his current incarnation is a world-weary vet of over four hundred campaigns, and he looks as young as ever. In “Eternal Triangle,” Bolan is lured back to Pittsfield for the third time in the series, retraces his old steps of his very first campaign. Because I read the first novel right before this, revisiting the sites, the names and the meanings now carry sentimental weight. Light on kills, strong on story. This features one of the best pieces of storytelling of the Executioner series. Also, check out the cool cover. Eternal Triangle’s structure is also parallel to the first Bolan campaign. To help him out, Weatherbee, the homicide detective who dogged him in the first novel, is here for him. There is also the haunting, memorable cameo of April Rose, “his one true love.” This also marks the first time a descendant of one of his kills would come back to seek revenge. I suspected at the first time I read, it wouldn’t be the last. But the floodgates didn’t open. The story of a man who lost his family member is a grotesque parody of Bolan’s own ordeal in the first novel. The symbolism, the sentimentalism and a story well-told make this a must-read entry of the series. For all intents and purposes, this is the last entry of the Mafia wars. According to the story, “Eternal Triangle” takes place approximately eighteen years after “War Against the Mafia.” This is where the Executioner literally stops aging, and becomes a timeless figure like James Bond or Superman.

This was one of the best Executioner books I've read in a while. I tracked this early book down not too long ago and always wanted to read it. I am glad I did. This book was great because it was mostly about Bolan and what he's all about. I loved how Newton developed both Bolan, the villain and their motivations. You can tell that, of the two characters, only Bolan truly represented Justice. However, the dream sequence could have been developed better to explore Bolan's psyche. When he dreams of seeing his twin coming out of the river, there was no explanation about what that meant. Was it bolan's other half: the executioner half? Yet the dream was great reading and the scene with April Rose was not hokey at all, as some reviewers have said. A man would have memories of his loved ones deep in his mind. Bolan and the Detective: Newton did at least one other Executioner book where there was a cop who sympathized with Bolan's vigilantism. BUT this is the BEST effort of any author of any series where a detective's motivation for sympathizing with a vigilante was very well-written, interesting and believable! A great standout scene was when Al Weatherbee tells Bolan that years after his first adventure, he (Weatherbee)and his fellow cops thought about doing what Bolan did to the mafia---even though they never did. Definitely a 30-star effort from Newton.

Brilliant. Every now and then a title in the series stands out as something special and so is this. Probably coupled with The Trial this is Mike Newton's best work which I have read and this is an absolute cracker. Starting with the plot continuing with a magnificent storyline this title is just soooo good. If you have read any of the original titles written in the series by Don Pendleton you will immediately relate to this story and it relates back to the very first title written in the series. What is the best every title written in these series ?? I'm not sure but having read 350+ titles in the combined series this is certainly one of the top ten if not top five ever published. Best ever ?? Number one ?? hmm well I haven't read them all yet but this is without doubt in the top five that I have read to date. If you haven't read this do yourself a favour and grab it and read it, it is a surperb read. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended reading.

This Book Was Totally Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the definitive Bolan Book that deserves a 20 not a ten! This book was like "Kill Bill" times ten. It was also nice to see Al Weatherbee again as well as an impressive nightmare scene with the lovely april rose. How amazing is this story!!!!

Finally tracked this gem down and loved it. One of the best covers ever, for starters, and the book itself is packed with suspense and great insights into Bolan and what makes him tick. I would have given it a ten except I didn't care too much for the April Rose bits; they seemed a little hokey and could have been better handled. Still, this one deserves its spot near the top of the charts. Oh, and yes, I think it should've been #100 in the series, but I'm sure there were reasons it wound up #101. Maybe Mertz wanted to make one extra pass on the manuscript to make it the classic it's become.

This one was a surprise for me, I found this to be much better than Blood Testament. More great stuff from Newton, this one has ties to War against the Mafia, it's highly recommended you read that book first, it makes this book much better. I love the cover art for this book, it looks cool, and is a good idea by the artist.

This book should have been #100. Outstanding read,what with bringing back so many of the ghosts from all of Mack's wars.

Undoubtedly on e o fthe best Bolan's ever scripted, this one keeps you guessing until the end. A must read for Bolan enthusiasts!

One of my personal favorites. A fast paced tension filled read from start to finish.

This one should have been #100 -- it would have been a fitting way to celebrate the 100th book. That aside, this is one of my favorites. The scene with April Rose gave me goosebumps the first time I read it...

This was the first Mack Bolan I read, couldn't have started out with a better book, wish there were more books that discuss Mack's background such as this one.

Indirectly, I see this as the sequel to Death Has A Name, solely on it being the second time that April Rose has reached from beyond the grave to rescue Mack and help him continue his battle. And darned if it isn't one of the best of the Executioner novels. From 91 to 103, we had some of the best of the Executioner books, and darned if this didn't make the longer novels seem so satisfying. This was one of Mack's golden ages.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. EVEN THOUGH I CAUGHT ON TO WHO THE BAD GUY WAS EARLY, IT STILL HAD GREAT SUSPENSE AND A GREAT ENDING. IF JUSTICE HAD A NAME, IT WOULD DEFINATELY BE MACK BOLAN.

THIS BOOK ROCKED! SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE 100TH ISSUE BOOK. SHOWS THAT EVEN MACK BOLAN HAS TO LIVE WITH THE REPRECUSSIONS OF HIS ACTIONS, OR IN THIS CASE ALMOST DIE FROM THEM.

This one was another classic great one. The mystery, action, and everything else was just wonderful. Perfect job by Newton. I give it 10 on (1-10). Nothing else can be said, other than what everyone said: This should've been 100.

This one is a keeper! Whether it was #100, 101, or 566, it is one of the best! Reading all these reviews makes me want to go read it again. In fact I think I will!