Super Able Team #1: Mean Streets

I dont know about this book. It was pretty lame to me. The whole Doctor North dynamic to this book was pretty lame. Am I supposed to belive the a college professor can take over tactical control of a hostaged crisis because he knows the president of the united states? And Falco just seemed to me to be the run of the mill scumbag. Nothing special about him. This book could have been so much better.

As I read this book I began to wonder several things. The most prominent was the title. I felt that Mean Streets was not very apt for what actually lay between the covers of this book. I felt that it was never mean. A more apt title would have been along the lines of Vaguely Threatening But Ultimately Lackluster Streets. This book hovers on the brink of average. Sure, there is action but it’s dull and slow paced. When there are bullets flying and gangers getting shredded by buckshot, I don’t think anyone is going to stop and consider the architecture. The plot and story are vague and ultimately transparent. It is never explained what sort of capacity the team is working in and why they seem to have so much clout with the LAPD considering they only arrived as friends of a detective. The avenue of investigation is too linear and the holes in logic and reality are extreme. The characters are flat and Lyons rules the day while Schwartz and Blancales fade to the background and are little more than two-dimensional sidekicks. The bad guys are one dimensional psychopaths with little to no motivation and the supporting cast barely exists yet we, as readers, are supposed to have some kind of emotional reaction to their deaths or danger. Mean Streets falls flat but never really descends into the realm of truly bad. Without nitpicking details and dissecting scenes I will just say that this book is not truly worth the time and effort to wade through. If you are a completist or a diehard fan that truly wants to read the first SuperAble Team book then feel free. Otherwise, just find something else to read. There are plenty of good books out there.

If you would like to read a title with non stop action over the top violence some of the best descriptions going around on what happens to the human body especially the head when impacted with a particular weighted projectile fired at a particular speed this is your bag grab it. Toss in a totally crazy/drugged out/sadist leader who is very well written, middle eastern backer, a gang of kids some as young as 12 drugged out of their eyeballs but toting fully automatic military weapons and Able Team walk in. Very well written title and recommended reading in this series.

Pant Gasp Wheeze Sorry, after reading so many low on action AT novels recently, the cobwebs and rigor mortis that set in my brain wasn't prepared for 350 pages of blazing buttkickin action. Ken Rose brings back the three men I remember reading from the good old days like Army of Devils or Tech War. Many triggers are pulled and many bad guys get the boot up the rear. Rose isn't the best writer, he tends to repeat sentences, I don't know if it's his writing style, or if he was increasing his word count, but it's good to know he can write an AT book. I like a quote from Lyons at the end of the novel: "I've dealt with a lot of scum in my time. In fact, you might say I got something like a PH.D. in scumology"

I really thought this one was going to be a classic. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty good, but not great. If I remember correctly, Lyons really didn't use the Atchisson as depicted on the cover. What kind of sacrilege is that?

I thought this was a great book. It was defintly the best Able book that I have ever read.