Crisis Point

Run of the mill doesn't quite cut it for an anniversary book. Nothing spectacular happens in this one which leads me to believe that these "anniversary" books are just whichever is the next book slated for publication. I like the idea of terrorists being recruited to cause chaos in the US and the action was all right. There wasn't much characterization to speak of. Sure, we don't expect much of that for the genre but it read like your typical action yarn with nothing particularly Bolan-esque about it. I'm being hard on the book, I suppose, but it did get the milestone slot so it's okay for the reader to expect something more than average. Average is what we got.

Well here we have the 200th adventure, and it is in Mike Newton's hands, as was the last benchmark, #100 Blood Testament. Overall I liked #100 a little better, but Crisis Point is still a well done book. Once again Brognola plays a bigger role than usual, and is a key figure in the plotline. One snafu takes place in the final pages where Brognola's name was used in place of the main villain, but otherwise a more or less flawless book. Newton manages to bring something fresh to this story. His usual cookie-cutter scenes and plot devices can't be found here for once, but he does get rather long-winded with the cerebral perspectives of several key characters near the end of the book, which dragged the momentum down a bit before the final battle, as is often the case in some of his novels. I did like the way Bolan had to figure out what was going on and where his next target should be, instead of his going down the hit list assaults that Newton likes to write. A lot of time is spent developing the plot from the various villains perspectives, and I like the whole conspiracy and the way the plot was revealed. Grimaldi lays down a lot of helicopter beatdown in this book, both in the Idaho compound, and the Virginia hardsite. I thought it was odd that Bolan was still in the fight on the ground as this was going on, in both places. Seemed kind of reckless to me. I thought this book was a bold enough effort to be worth the #200 status, and enjoyed it.

Okay it is title 200 and is supposed to grab us but... Nothing new true but NOTHING already published by Mike Newton. There is no hostage scene with Bolan rattling the cages and there is no sniper scene. Thank you Mr. Newton......... What we have is a great book fully worth it's inclusion within the series of The Executioner and Mike Newton back to his story telling best. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and it is highly recommended reading. my two bobs worth........

I really didn't buy the premise for the novel. Lets see a general and his militia party allies join forces with Hezbollah to take down Stony Man and expose it to the people. If the general wanted so much to expose this secret organization that is working just outside the constitution to protect America I can think of easier ways. Lets see he had the former SM guard, aerial shots, names from the guard. Couldn't he have just connected the dots and leaked it to the press? The idea of using terrorists seems iffy at best. The action was rather good. The storming by Mack of the militia headquarters was a great scene very sniper like. The scene in the Blue Ridge Mountains - not sure why he was alone with just Jack. Could have brought in a team from SM to do this. Also why no mention of AT or PF? You would think someone would have said "should we call them in?". The one mention was how they would have to disappear if they were exposed. Of course only the operation would have been exposed as long as the core members were not known they could have still functioned as a different entity. I liked how there is a dilemna about staff that work at SM and then leave. There is a later novel around book 165 thats about the storming of SM that is a far better novel. Also this is book 200 nothing important happened. Could have been book 204 for that matter.. Book 200, 50, 300 etc should be special event novels. 100 was, 300 was, thi wasn't.

A decent entry into the series. Not as spectacular or earthshaking as #100 but good nonetheless. Let's hope #300 will carry on the tradition.

Not bad. I enjoyed #100 better but thats just me. Personnaly I thought they were going to kill Bolan off in #200, but I'm glad they didn't.

I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED. I WAITED A LONG TIME TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE CONJURED UP FOR THE 200TH BOOK ANNIVERSARY. THE PLOT WAS FAMILIAR AND NOT VERY EXCITING. DEAD IN THE WATER

I came into 200 hoping for the best, and... well, it was ok. Blood Testament, however was a far superior novel. There wasn't any of the emotional weight of 100's Brognola and Presidential scenes in this one. Still, Mike Newton was doing quite well. Maybe Bolan acquiring new signature weapons for his 200th adventure would have been nice*. And maybe having Able Team or Phoenix Force lend a hand, and another delirious encounter with the ghost of April Rose would have made this click. Maybe for #250. (He'd still have a Beretta and a big Magnum, I always felt the Wildey .45 Winchester Magnum a more natural successor to the Automag, at least in looks.)

This book read like a premature ejaculation. The possible presidential involvement was disturbingly ho-hum, with nowhere near the emotional involvement of the epic #100. Also, since Mack should be well into his fifties at this point, I was rather hoping Gold Eagle would give him a blaze of glory to go out in. But we're still lapping up the books, so....

A much better book than #100 in my opinion. It was enjoyable.