Claymore

This was one of my least favorite Bolan books. Between the "Magically Disappearing and Reappearing Beretta" to Brognola and April Rose yelling at each other in a disjointed scene that had nothing to do with the main plot to Minerva going from "mall cop" to major Mafioso, this book struggled for identity. Why the heck was Rafsanjani killing rabbits with sonic waves??

This is the second Bolan book I've read by Keith, and I have to say that this was a much stronger outing than Code of Honor. The author has a very muscular sentence structure through the first 2/3's of the novel. However, as was noted in the previous review, the final portion of the novel devolves into almost Austin Power's-like absurdity. Also, there is a lot of nudity in this book, but no sex, which makes Bolan seem a little too....pure. I have to ask myself what I would do if a stunningly beautiful woman stripped nude in front of me and begged me to go to bed with her. Actually, I don't have to ask the question because I know exactly what I would do. I guess Bolan's focus on his mission is what makes him....Mack Bolan!

Since I started reading this book on the same day I went to a gun show, I was happy to have some commonality with Mack who begins his adventure at a gun show. Mack battles an interesting array of Reservoir Dog-like villains with his trusty "Thunder and Lightning" and even engages in a judo fight with an older woman. I have to admit there were some problems with this novel. Some of the action sequences were difficult to follow. I had to re-read a few sections to figure out exactly what was going on. Also, the ending seemed a little anti-climactic with a few loose ends left dangling. All that being said, this was the first Mack Bolan book I ever read. (Yes, I'm new to Mack's universe.) Even though my inclination is to give the book a 5 rating, since this was the book that got me hooked, I'm bumping it up to a 7.

I loved this book! The yakuza, a ninja-like death cult, and a few 28 Days Later style infected thrown in! After Bolan is betrayed at the beginning, the reader is treated to 220 pages of one long running gun battle. Bolan has to protect the Goth Honey with guns, hands, and martial arts weaponry. Thanks for a great ride, Douglas!