3.0 out of 5 stars
"BOLAN SHATTERS A MADMAN'S DREAM", July 12 2010
By Kay's Husband - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ice Wolf (Paperback)
The Executioner #131 written by Mel Odum, is the 3rd book with the new 'patriotic', red, white, and blue, covers begun in September, 1989. These weird covers were issued from September 1989 (#128) through December, 1994 (#192). If you have many of these on your Bolan shelves you can readily detect what I mean. Artistically satisfying they were not, as they cropped the art work to maybe a third of what it had been in books 39 through 128. However, ...
This is an interesting read having its roots in the end of World War II at time of Field Marshal Rommel's death brought up to date with our current president and Gorbachev meeting to bring Russia and the U.S. closer together. The plot from WWII is one of world destruction, starting anew, with the assassination of both our president and Gorby as they hold a summit meeting, the madmen hope nuclear war will follow. Our man Bolan is of course hot on the trail to derail the plans of these madmen involved, ably assisted by the durable Leo Turrin and the Mossad.
The plot has some aspects of being cobbled together and the writing is oft times uneven. The story is at best a 3-star Bolan, and I am being generous considering the crazy, senseless killing of innocents in the witness protection plan and especially the incest angle between Ris and Helene. It is not a bad read but in some respects for some of us who consistently follow the adventures of Mack Bolan, not an exceptionally good read either. Read it if you must just be aware that it is not what most seasoned readers will typify as classic Bolan. I wonder if Mel worked all this out by himself or if GOLD EAGLE gave him a template? Either way, someone should have reined some of this in as the book also contained some aspects of plain confusion.
Semper Fi.