Thermal Thursday

I think that this book was lacking. I still have no idea what Lucifer ladder's was about. I'm gettng kind of tired of the Frankie alias. You would think that the word would get around that Mack uses this alias. I'm looking kind of forward to the end of the mafia wars. I just hope that Don finishes the series on a strong note. I give this book 6 stars.

What a kooky plot! An elaborate underground tunnel system which crisscrosses most of the south eastern seaboard. And the mob is investing a gazillion dollars to use it to smuggle drugs. Doesn't seem cost effective to me. What, cargo crates and human mules not getting the job done? Silly. Let's add April at her most annoying. Add in a 10 page geology lesson. Final piece to this recipe for average, a female supporting character that is, well, just stupid. Her every action is moronic, yet Mack continues to praise her "help" again and again. Perhaps Bolan is running on empty after all these quick missions. It has been a busy week after all. The scenes with Bolan undercover are a treat, as always And having Jack around is always a plus. As another reviewer mentioned, we are seeing gradually more government involvtment, and it makes the transition from solo Mafia warrior to John Phoenix of Stony Man believable. Overall, slightly above average. Perhaps I would have rated it higher if it came earlier in the series. I think we all expected a LOT from Bolan's Second Mile.

Thursday is down...two days to go. Overall, I enjoyed this book as it contianed all the items required for a great action/adventure novel...a great Bolan novel. In true fashion, Bolan infiltrates a mob haven and spins them around. First, Bolan sends the on-site Boss back to Miami to make ammends with the Mafia leadership...all fabricated by Bolan. Next, he fabricates a promotion on site to win over the remaining leadership. Brilliant. We have a major play by Hal in supporting Bolan...again a foreshadowing of the coming Stony Man adventures.. I do agree with another reviewer though and see a somewhat large disconnect in the story line. Why would Bolan have gone to FL in the first place? He had no idea about the underground, money-making cavern the mafia was putting in place. He literally just stumbled on that, so it doesn't really flow with the final week scenario. Other than than... a great book. Thusday down & two to go.

The Lucifer Ladder is what it is called and the geologist who came across the idea has sold it out to the Mob. Starting with a massive cavern far below an island recently purchased by the Mob this cavern actually links to others and extends for hundreds of miles in three directions. The three routes were marked, perhaps facetiously, "Bahama Boulevard," "Jamaica Drive," and "Yucatan Avenue" and if completed would give the Mob safe and secure underground routes for a fifty billion a year narcotics trade. Visiting the island as a emissary from the Head Shed the Big Guy in his usual manner takes over things and goes about learning all about the operation and how to tear it apart and bring in crashing down. Once again characters are reintroduced from the early titles in the series which is good as is the relationship between April and the Big Guy which seems to have stabilized. Good ending where utter destruction is brought to the site and the Bad Guys are in full retreat. On to Friday two titles to go.

Funny thing is that I thought I'd have to wait until after the Pendleton Executioners to see Mack in action with and for the government. But as I work through this wrap-up week, I'm seeing more and more of it. In this one, Mack is cast very much in the James Bond mold with a mad scientist and an ambitious way to ferry drugs internationally. With underground caverns and submarines, this is not your typical war against the mafia yarn. The characterization is quite good in this one, too. We see Mack and Grimaldi working closely together. April sits on the sidelines with Brognola and, happily, does not get kidnapped. Also Mack's empathy for a mafia hood was a nice touch. Especially when it is returned even after the hood learns he's been had by the Executioner. I enjoyed this one and with only 2 days left, I'm anxious to see how the thing wraps up from Pendleton's point of view. By the way, for any Death Merchant fans, this book has a behind-the-scenes preview of that series. I've never read a Death Merchant but that preview got me very curious. I'll have to keep my eyes open for one of those.

Yet another day of the week, and yet another novel with me wishing Bolan would put a 44 slug into April Rose's head. She must have been good looking cause she sure was annoying. Every time she speaks she's begging him to take her to bed, I mean everytime she opens her stupid mouth. What did he see in her? she seems kinda smart, but how did she make it through life? Oh well, this book was kinda weak. As the previous reviewer noted, why is Bolan in FL, since all thats going on is some smuggling. I liked that Grimaldi was in it, and there was some important info at the end, but not really worth it overall.

Why are books like this one written in general? I can´t understand the importance for Bolan to take on the Lucifer´s Ladder as he didn´t have a clue about it in the beginning so why add Florida to the week of his final Mafia war since he didn´t really have any clue to the Mafia activity in Florida till he arrived there. Anyway, this book could have been much better and interesting as a short novel as this book was too long with too much detailed information about the hydrology and oceanograpic and the geologically issues of Florida which made the book flat and dull for most of the reading. Bolan´s surprise penetration to the Mafia iceland was amazing and he sure did make his entry specatcular and the mafia boy´s were running around stupd as ever believing everything Bolan told them to do. The book really ended nowhere and with questions like; What ever happened to Papriello? Why didn´t we get the pleasure of Bolan going after Santelli himself during this part of the mafia war? I still haven´t read an amazing Mack Bolan book from his Mafia war. I wonder if I will manage to find an amazing book from that time??????? (2003)

This is one of my favorites from Pendleton. It was a great read from start to finish and is the best of the final week of the mafia wars.

The Executioner takes a trip to Florida to check out trouble on the smuggler trails. What he uncovers is a plot straight out of the pulps. The action in this book comes in two bits: the Bolan surprise move against some mobmen planning to take down some dope-smuggling kids that occurs in the first chapter; and Bolan's penetration and hit on the island compound in chapters 17, 18 and 19. The action is OK, there just isn't much of it. Unfortunately, what fills the long middle of the book is the plot about a mafia construction program to create a huge system of, well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. And that's one of the problems: the plot just doesn't seem believable, even in the Mack Bolan world where all these stories take place it doesn't seem believable. That took me right out of the book. As Joe-Bob would say, there's way too much plot gettin' in the way of the story. Another problem with this story is the women. April Rose has developed into something of a pain. Doesn't she ever get tired of crying, whining and acting childish? Doesn't Mack ever get tired of it? Apparently not because he continues to fall in love with her which I can't say I understand at all. The other woman who is a problem here is Jean Russell. She inserts herself into the action at the most decidedly inappropriate times and happily puts herself and Bolan in danger, apparently because she just can't stand to be on the sidelines. Very April-esque. OK, one good thing about this story is that Jack Grimaldi is playing a big part again. The guy works well as a junior partner with Bolan. All together, I think this one was worth 5 stars. It was kind of entertaining in spots. I'd have given it another star if it hadn't been for the always-whiney April Rose.

Pretty decent.