Cutting Edge

Pretty good book worth reading. VanCook introduces some interesting characters in this book with Hronopulos my favourite. The section at the end of the confrontation with Castro is terrific and has surprise (to me anyway I didn't expect that). my two bobs worth..........

I am impressed with this debut novel from VanCook. I thought the author did a good job with it. The story takes place in many locations, in Arizona, a couple places in Mexico, in Columbia, in the Florida keys, and finally near Cuba. I liked the suspense in some of the scenes in the story, the character of Bolan was accurate, and the pacing was nonstop. The only problem I had was I got a little confused with the plot near the end of the book, but overall a very solid and entertaining novel. There is even a tense face to face showdown between Mack and Fidel Castro himself! This is another book that has Bolan flying a plane. I liked the scene aboard the plane with his unwanted sidekick and the captive. The book didn't end with a blazing shootout, but there was plenty of that sprinkled throughout the adventure. I liked it just enough to give it a 9 outta 10.

Bolan head to Mexico to cause some leaks in a drug pipeline. While he is casing the place, and second squad assaults the drug lord. Bolan helps take down some drug dealers before heading back to the States. After a call to Brognola, he learns the identities of the mystery team and briefly becomes their ally. Before long, there is a kidnapped Cuban general that Bolan must protect and Bolan travels to Cuba and meets Fidel Castro. This book lacked cohesiveness as a novel. It seemed more like a series of vignettes, tied loosely together. The action was excellent, and Bolan was forced to fight in some different circumstances. Especially entertaining was Bolan on the defensive; his survival and existance are based upon his ability to move. When he is protecting the Cuban kidnappping victim, he is up against some new circumstances that make for good reading. Bolan's meeting with Castro is also entertaining. One part of the novel that hasn't held up well, though, is how sick they make Castro. It seems like he'll croak within a month of the book's publication; he's lasted another dozen years. Overall, the book is an average read for the series. Good action is weighed down by a thin plot, making "Cutting Edge" good, but not great.

Started out with some damn fine blazing action. But, I thought the final 100 pages or so lagged a bit. The story kept me interested, but the fast-paced nature suddenly disappeared. A weak confrontation with Fidel Castro.

An excellent entry to the series that worked.

GOOD SUSPENSE WITH GOOD VILLANS. I GIVE IT A 9 OUT OF 10.