Steel and Flame

And the best thing about this title was.... ....the title itself. The rest was just drek. Dreadfully written nonsense that took me a week to get through, I kept picking it up and putting it down again. The prose was wooden, Bolan was led around by the nose and the supporting cast were just so uninteresting. Bolan, it seems, has encountered most of the people in this story before, and apart from a cop who returns from Executioner 141, it seems that they all appeared in mystery, never published adventures. If the novel wasn't published then why mention these missions? Why? It makes no sense. A quick rewrite of certain sections could have removed it all. But I did manage to make it all the way through, so I suppose I should be pleased with that.

I agree with the previous reviews on this title which is just a so so read in the series. While quite slow moving at times it did pick up with some nice action scenes which made it easier to keep reading through to the end. Some good characters introduced with probably Takahashi the Japanese Terrorist the standout but the Sheriffs and the female Donna were also good. The finishing section with the attack on the island was the best part of the title and quite good reading where everything is rounded out nicely. Entertaining enough read but very much a middle of the road title in this series.

This book was an average adventure, well told, but nothing spectacular. Most of the action takes place on the Ohio river, and some surrounding towns. On one hand it was nice to see the story take place in one general area, instead of a world hopping adventure. On the other though, it wasn't a story of any grand scope, rather simplistic, with average villains, and basic plotlines. The main Japanese villain Takahashi, was described as someone Bolan has encountered before in a terrorist group called the "Red Sword", but I don't remember what novel, if any, he appeared in. Several other villains in the novel turned out to be either gimpy, or were offed by people other than Bolan's hand. Another villlain escapes near the end of the book, possibly to return in a future book? There were enough good action scenes throughout the book to keep the story moving along nicely and there were plenty of good allies Bolan works with, including a sheriff that Bolan met in the novel #141 "Direct Hit". A decent and quick read, but nowhere near the upper level of Executioner titles.

I rather liked this novel. It wasn't fantastic but very above average. Why? Characters. Its nice seeing a novel in which Mack works with people like the two sheriffs and Donna. The two sheriffs were rather believable in which they were hard working and wanting to do the right thing in protecting the townsfolk. Granted McGraw was way in over his head but his heart was in the right place. I also liked the scene in which the townsfolk really tried to fight the drug dealers themselves. Granted it was idiotic for common folk to have done this but a believable idiocy. The action scenes were rather short but well done. I liked the scenes especially on the barge. The Japanese villian referred to having met Mack before but not sure what novel. Keppler vanished - not sure if he is in another novel - but he was probably wiped out financially with this scheme. As for the villians I could never quite figure out the result they wanted. If the government wasn't going to pay them for not blowing up the locks (river locks) why do it? I am not sure what they ultimately wanted to accomplish beyond shutting down commercial traffic on the Mississippi river. I can see the drug money making on the river but not the blowing up the locks. A solid 7.

I thought it was so-so.

A so-so entry to the series. The best part as far as I was concerned was that it took place in my home state at some of the places that I've been to.

I SALUTE CARL FURST. THIS ONE WAS GREAT FROM BEGINNING TO END BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GERMAN TERRORIST, KEPPLER. ANYHOW, STILL TOP NOTCH!

This had a few decent shootouts, but it was a bland entry.