Terrorist Dispatch (The Executioner #448) ★★★☆☆

June 4, 2019December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ 8 Comments

terroristdispatch (Custom) This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Terrorist Dispatch
Series: The Executioner #448
Author: Don Pendleton alias
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Action/Adventure
Pages: 196
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

A terrorist group makes an attack at a memorial in Washington, DC and no one is sure if it was Russian terrorists, Ukrainian terrorists or somebody pretending to be the other. Mack Bolan doesn’t care. With information from the Stony Man intelligence farm, he goes after the local russian and ukrainian mobsters and then heads to the Ukraine to do the same to both their bosses.

Hitting both sides equally, Bolan pits them against each other, thus allowing them to wipe each other. Scratch two bad guys form the list of the world’s badguys.

My Thoughts:

I read the original 30 some Executioner books by the real Don Pendleton a couple of years ago. Vigilante Men’s Action/Adventure perfectly sums up these books. Mack Bolan was a driven man, capable, rational and unafraid of blood and violence against those who deserved it. Planning, action and guts were the characteristics of his moves.

This book, written by a ghost writer mentioned in the end credits, is produced by Gold Eagle, a division of Harlequin. What bodice ripping romance books are for women, Mack Bolan books are for men. Sadly, the character of Mack Bolan as depicted originally isn’t the same guy portrayed here. Some of the same “words” are used, but the man portrayed in this book uses the word “whatever” a lot. The Executioner doesn’t use the word “whatever”, that implies a lack of caring about planning and intel gathering. Considering he uses it at least three times in this book, it makes Mack Bolan feel very caricature’ish here.

I am glad that I read this but it has put to rest my curiosity about how the franchise has proceeded. Simply put, it has been simplified even more, to the point that I don’t want to read more. Not recommended unless you need a serious brain break for a day or two.

★★★☆☆

bookstooge (Custom)

All My “The Executioner” Reviews

Terrorist Summit (The Executioner #44)

August 25, 2016December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot. wordpress.anobii.com by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.

Title: Terrorist Summit

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton & Steven Krauzer

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 184

Format: Kindle digital scan

Synopsis:

A maniacal American kidnaps the daughter of a Tech Contractor, who has figured out how to make suitcase nukes. He uses her to get a prototype which he then plans on selling to a disparate group of worldwide terrorists.

Everyone is in one place and it is up to Mack Bolan to rescue the girl, kill the terrorists and put the fear of God into the organizations which they are all from.

If there is one man who can do this, it is The Executioner!

My Thoughts:

My final Mack Bolan book.

In some ways it was a good book. Tons of action and bullets and splatterings of scumbags. I really like seeing Final Justice dispensed to those who deserve it. In other ways it was very disappointing. The descriptions of the kidnapped girl were simply lascivious and not appropriate at all.

That made this an uncomfortable read for me. However, I’m sure this type of thing continues so it makes even more sense for me to stop now. I do think that next year I will pick up the latest Mack Bolan just to see how the series has progressed over the years. To put this in perspective, this book was written in 1982 and the series is still ongoing.

Return to Vietnam (The Executioner #43)

July 4, 2016December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

Title: Return to Vietnam

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 182

Format: Kindle digital scan

Synopsis:

Mack must go back to Vietnam to save a former friend, who has been captured by the bad guys. Said friend is a storehouse of knowledge about local resistance and has info on more POW’s that don’t officially exist.

My Thoughts:

This book’s time frame was approximately 5hrs. In that time, Mack meets a beautiful, strong and courageous Hottie, faces down a youth who destroys his radio transmitter, turns said youth into a leader, rescues his friends from a Max Security Prison, kills a general who is also a major drug dealer and kills about 11,000 Viet communist soldiers.

Just a day in the life of the Executioner.

I can see why teen’s would read this. But after the next one, I’m done. I am finding that I do need some actual plot, not just mindless action and brain splatter. I am surprised as anyone about that.

The Iranian Hit (The Executioner #42)

April 29, 2016December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Iranian Hit

Series: The Executioner

Author: Stephen Mertz & Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 182

Format: digital scan

Synopsis:

Mack must guard an Iranian scumbag, merely because he is bait so Bolan can wipe out a particular hit group of Iranians that dare operate in the United States.

My Thoughts:

Bolan starts to deal with politics in his war. It isn’t pretty and it makes him just another cog in a machine. Instead of being a lone warrior vigilante with a cold eye and even colder steel, he just becomes a tool of the government.

He used to fight for the common man against an enemy who directly oppressed them. Now it is scaled up and it is for people in general. It is tough to articulate but it really comes across in this book.

One more book I’ve got on my kindle then I’m done with this. I’ll probably track down an Executioner book released in ’16 just to see how it compares, but it can’t be impossible for me to be any more apathetic about it then I have been about these post-Mafia books.

The Violent Streets (The Executioner #41)

February 26, 2016December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Violent Streets

Series: The Executioner

Author: Mike Newton & Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 185

Format: Scan

Synopsis:

Toni Blancanales, one of the members of the new Able Team investigators, is raped and almost killed while on the job. Her brother calls in Mack to find the sicko who did this.

But it looks like the killer is being protected by some of the Men in Blue. Bolan might have to cross a line that he has never crossed before. Can he kill a cop?

My Thoughts:

I only have 3-5 more of these left on my kindle and I have to say, I won’t be sad to see them go.

This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Instead of Bolan drawing down on a serial murderer/rapist, he gets involved with some high level dirty cops and blackmailed politician. The violence level was way down and my thrillometer barely got beyond the 1TPM [thrill per minute] threshold.

It was interesting to see him debate with himself about taking out dirty cops now. He realizes his war has changed but isn’t exactly sure what the new ground rules are. Between that and the whole thing happening to a friend, this was a very “personal” Executioner book.

I’m hoping the next book has more ♪lawyers♪, ♪guns♪ ♪and money!♪

Double Crossfire (The Executioner #40)

December 20, 2015December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress. leafmarks.com & Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.

Title: Double Crossfire

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton, Steven Krauzer

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 185

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

A flare up in the Turk/Armenian conflict draws in the USSR and a heapload of heroin.

It is up to Mack to stop the drugs and the commies!

My Thoughts:

This was tough to read. I don’t know why NOW I have an issue with the trite shallowness but it was so glaring that I couldn’t get past it. I suspect I’m going to have to limit these to one every month or two.

Sigh…

The New War (The Executioner #39)

September 9, 2015December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.

Title: The New War

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 184

Synopsis:

Mack is off to South/Central America to rescue a valuable mole. Unfortunately, a hurricane happens at the same time.

Mack against the Palestinian terrorists and a Hurricane. Talk about Man against Man and Man against Nature!

My Thoughts:

I am used to violence in this series, but even with that said, there was a LOT of brain/grey matter being blown all over the place. Gotta love that magnum.

New location, new enemies [terrorists from the 80’s and whole Communist thing] and a Team. It all worked together pretty well. You can definitely tell that it wasn’t actually Pendleton writing, but that was a needed change. Gives me hope that I can hang onto this series for another 40+ books 🙂

Satan’s Sabbath (The Executioner #38)

August 12, 2015December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.

Title: Satan’s Sabbath

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 109

Synopsis:

Bolan has ONE more hit to make, to finish his mission of taking down the Mafia. But he has to run the gauntlet of Mafia who have seen his face and deal with a traitor in Brognola’s group who has it out for them all.

Can Mack survive long enough to start the War on the rest of the world?

My Thoughts:

The final run for the series by Pendleton. After this book, it goes to ghost writers and a more international scene.

There was nothing bad about this book, it was just as run of the mill as the previous ones. The mafia has been done and Pendleton just ran out of ideas to make this interesting and engaging. Kind of just chugging along to get to the end here.

I’ve got the next 4 or 5 in the series and I’ll see if things get interesting again with a new worldwide venue and new ghost authors. If it picks up, I’ll keep on reading. If not, then I’ll be done. I want to read more, as Macho Man Action Hero really appeals to me and I need a good dose of Testosterone every once in a while.

So Sarge, it’s been real. Keep it hard.

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Friday’s Feast (The Executioner #37)

July 2, 2015December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ Leave a comment

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.

Title: Friday’s Feast

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 150

Synopsis:

The remaining Mafioso bosses are trying to carve up their own kingdoms and not be centralized.

One such group appears to be on the verge of success and Mack can’t allow that or everything he’s worked for will just start over all over again.

So while the vultures circle, it is they who will be doing the dying instead of feasting on the dead.

My Thoughts:

Eh, by this time you’re all in or you’ve taken your balls and gone home crying to mommy.

To be honest, I’m getting a bit tired of Mack killing the mafia, mainly because the author, Pendleton, is running out of good scenarios and that makes these stories. Mack hasn’t changed one iota from the 1st book, the bad guys are always new ones because they’re busy being killed off by Bolan so what changes is the scenarios and those make or break the story.

One more to go in the original series.

Thermal Thursday (The Executioner #36)

May 28, 2015December 14, 2022 ~ Bookstooge ~ 1 Comment

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.