Matthew Wyatt

In the middle of the story the characters spend a lot of time in retrospect thinking of the past but other than those times the action is fast and fluid. Always enjoy a Newton story about the mafia.

The story started off great. The introduction of the two twins created some character development feel and other Bolan stories. It is a bummer that they are killed off so fast and left us with generic mobsters. The action started off great it is always fun when Bolan works down the chain of the mafia killing them one at a time. I always like when Bolan and his brother work together so I was not crazy at the end when Bolan claims he is done working with Johnny. The ending story from Nam was really cool. But I did not like Bolan killing MPs, I feel that is out of character.

Bolan stops terror attacks Stateside. This was a fun quick read. Each attack is very loosely attached but Bolan and team still put the pieces together. During one conversation Bolans cover name changes during the talking. Another editing error is desert eagles are not revolvers. For me it is fun when the author adds some James Bond references but the B story needed more and the ending was rushed but I was satisfied with how the story worked.

The opening sets the story off with a bang with three things needing to all happen at the same time. The action is well paced and well written. Lot of well written characters. Really there is so much crammed in very well to 187 pages that makes this read fly by. My only gripe is with the escape from the Russian camp.

This was a surprising entry to the series. Just off the cover I was expecting something on the silly side. But this has some solid action, great characters, detective work, spy stuff, good Bolan inner dialogue. It was great seeing lots of the characters having something to do and not just sitting around. A lot of this story came off like the taken series was drawing from this.

You know, I was going to write this one at five or six because it is a good story, but has not much originality to it. It is another story of Bolan fighting along side the mujahideen. But as I read I was liking it better. I will even give it an extra star for the scene where a Russian spy tries to get the drop on bolan, but Bolan draws faster and delivers a really cold kill. At any time Jack is involved I’ll give it another star. This book also builds on the Strakhov rivalry which improved the story for me.

It was very well written and kept you guessing who was on Mack Bolan‘s side and who was after him or leading him on. It starts with a cold opening to set it off which is very James Bond. It was a good story with lots of action, and even some spy craft going on. The events were well paced making it hard to put down. Some great car chases, action on boats, action in buildings and action in Woods. The abrupt ending fit well for this kind of story. Bolan standing alone at the end.

This is my third Phoenix force read and my second favorite. I’m not sure how all the other stories go, but a character was out of commission, and someone else stepped into his place. I thought that was cool because you really don’t know what the fate of the characters will be. Some people have dinged this story for its lack of action compared to other stories. I liked the sneaking around and spy craft. I do think some of the bad guy actions are a bit cartoonish. Overall, a great story though.

Bolan versus the mafia again. The story is one that uses the same elements as other ones where Bolan is making moves to get the different factions to take action against each other. Story went fast and additional characters were great and call backs to previous books was fun. What was really fun was the interview from Don Penelton in the back when he signed a movie deal with Burt Reynolds and Stallone. The cover of this one gets a 10 and that scene in the book was great.

At first I didn’t think I would like this one just off the title. But I was wrong. Once I suspended my belief on way he is chosen to go to jail to protect someone, I really enjoyed all the jail chapters and the ones leading to it. All of the characters were pretty well developed. And the action was brutal and fun to read. I would have rated this one a nine if it was not for the description of Shawnee as the most beautiful girl Bolan had ever seen. Kinda throws all the previous women and April Rose to the side. And the villain being described as Bolans most dangerous opponent undercuts all the others, especially when he was nothing special. I really did like the Bondian two color eyes. All in all this one surprise me and I loved it

Bolan is called to Afghanistan to fight Russians. Very fun story. This was written in 85 and in 87 James Bond teams up with the mujahedeen to fight the Russians in The Living Daylights. I wonder if this was the thing for action heroes to do in the late 80s. But I really enjoyed this read. I couldn’t put it down.

The story is simple. Good guys want a guy alive and bad guys want the guy dead. Bolan is called in. I love it when Bolans part of the missions are in one days time. Extra characters are brought in, which always makes the rating go up for me, when Jack needs to fly Bolan in. The action is fast and makes since. The snow storm scene is a good part of the story. Really like how the last merc was finished by Bolan, calm and smooth and simple yet tense. Spoiler- The bad guy is holding the ‘package’ hostage. While having a conversation with the bad Bolan just shoots him. Recommend this one.

The writing is easy to follow and goes at a good pace. A lot of other team members participate in this story and add to it. The misdirections I actually fell for and the ending is not what I would have expected. Bolan is hard boiled in this one. Definitely would go in the reread pile.

Overall this was a great standalone adventure. If you didn’t know much about the character and just picked up a book this one would work. There are errors in the writing At times like when the bad guy Goes into the only room in the house without windows and pours a drink and looks out the windows at the search lights outside. And I will agree with the reviews that some of Bolans strategies are a bit far-fetched. But I did enjoy the authors attempt at a James Bond/Ian Fleming style story. The hero is broken and bloody by the end. Also an alias that Bolan uses is Maxwell bond and I can only think that is another bond reference. And for that I give the book extra points. I did not find this one hard to read and it was action packed.

Bolan goes against the mafia again. A lot caught me off guard in this book. Things kept happening that I didn’t see coming. SPOILER. The deaths of Hanon and the girl that saved Bolan. Things like that made this one not a paint by numbers. I liked how Bolan breaks down the bad guys within like Kurosawa story. The ending is very satisfying but I agree with previous reviews that Toro should have got his kill but again things keep happening that I didn’t expect.

This was a great read. The action read well and lots of Mack’s team were in the story supporting him. Working with Russia seemed a bit weird. I really enjoyed all of the traveling and the pace of the story.

Bolan goes to Russia to bring out a defector. I think that is a really fun plot and the action was fun in this one. The reason I am ranking it at 5 is just how it’s written. It was just hard to follow at times. I also feel like parts of it felt more like bond, which I also love but bond and Bolan are different, when he is drinking vodka and sleeping with the woman. He is behind enemy lines and on the run and gets drunk and falls into passion with the woman he is saving. Normally Bolan stays more focused. But the story was great, the characters were great, it just to descriptions of what’s happening slowed me down.

While I do have to agree with several reviews saying at times this it does not feel like an executioner story I still really enjoyed it. It was very different than any other that I have read. Had a very X-Files feel to it and I did enjoy the American government top-secret spaceship kind of thing. The story dragged sometimes with pointless filler about extra characters and that is why I am not rating this higher. This book also came out a month Before 9/11 So it’s fun to read a story that was separated from that which gave it a much more escapism feel to an action story.

If you suspend belief and just enjoy a dated story for what it is this was a great read. The story opens up on a pretty fun action to set they story off. We then find the team training during a test mission fighting a security robot which is totally like short circuit which also came out in 86. So dated and doesn’t age well but exactly what makes it fun. Spoilers. The ending was fun cause they bring in a ‘laptop’ the size of a sewing machine and look up a bank account on the ‘internet’ to find a phone number and link it to an address where the bad guy lives. Something so simple now but in 86 was the future! Could not put it down. The reason I give it nine instead of ten is just cause it doesn’t stand the test of time. Even though that is what I want.

I wonder if this was the inspiration for several other books I enjoy. Raymond benson- double shot. With the double to commit a murder to discredit our hero. This even felt like one of his books. Jack Carr- in the blood. With two Russian high ups discussing killing an American agent through out the book. And savage son - where the Russian spy’s son is killed by the hero while he was trying to kill the hero sparking a multiple book rivalry. Faberge egg reminded me of octopussy and another bond reference. I really enjoyed this read and the three parts of it. Bolan gets a mission, Bolan gets ‘r&r’ being a bodyguard, and Bolan seeks revenge setting him on a whole new path.

Phoenix force heads down to South America to save some hostages. The reason the Phoenix Forest is called it in is one of the hostages is a CIA agent and America wants them back safe. Some of the stuff gave me images Of Chuck Norris’s delta force movies. The stories and the characters were fun and kept the plot moving. But there’s very little action. In some of the action The geography was lost On me during the fight scenes. I never knew where everyone was in relation to everyone else. Spoilers! One of the hostages is killed ‘ off screen’ so you don’t know what happened. Also at the end of the story phoenix force literally walks into the bad guys base and asked for the keys to unlock the door and take the hostages home. You’re also wondering the whole book who the secret CIA agent is in the end of the book Yak says it doesn’t matter. So the whole time you’re wondering and trying to guess who they’re trying to save and the story ends and you never figure out.

This is a Chase story. Very fun very action packed. The characters are fun and not overdone. The story flows very well to make a quick read that I could not put down

In this book Bolan does a bit more detective work than in some other entries. I like that about it since it’s kind of in a different genre until the very end where all the action breaks out. The beginning action is a little hit or miss. And my attention drifted a bit in the middle of the story. But all in all it was fine seeing Bolan solve problems with putting together some clues.

This one is exactly what is fun about the executioner. The story and settings are written well and you never wonder where the characters are in the action. Bolan is an action hero here and does what he does great. Supporting characters are good and you can feel the villains desperation. A good stand alone story. You do not have to know what happen in the previous book nor do you need to immediately start the next. This is almost perfect.

This one was great. I could not put this down. Story is full of action and we see a lot of stoney man characters. I get that Bolan would normally never put innocents in harms way but he gets a pass in this situation by me.

In the Mack Bolan books I have read it is usually the executioner on the offensive. It was a fun time reading him be on defense. I also liked all the characters in this one, just enough back story to get to know them and care but not wasted details. And the character traits of Bolan are well described in this story. This one also slowly builds as the story goes too. Highly recommend.