The Deadly Crusader

Hawk #1

by Dan Streib

Introducing Michael Hawk, the deadly crusader, ace journalist on the trail of stories too hot and dirty to handle.

After weeks of KGB torture Hawk needs a break but peace and quiet are getting herd to find on the Greek island of Skiathos. Yalta was rough and Istanbul was worse, but the island paradise turns out deadliest of all. Who owns the luxury yacht and villa? Why are they guarded with machine guns? Does the sensuous Julie want Hawk alive or dead?

Caught in a net of ruthless intrigue and pistol-packing passion, Hawk's got the biggest break of his career... if he can get out alive!

183 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Bill Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start, the book doesn’t really pick up until well into the second half then it jumps into men’s adventure action like so many others from the 70’s and 80’s. The send half saves the book and definitely sets the series up for more continuing adventures of crusading journalist, Michael Hawk. Looking forward to see if the series improves.

[Charles · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first in a series. There are apparently fourteen in total. I thought it had a relatively promising start but I lost interest pretty early and mostly scanned the last two-thirds of the book. I can't really recommend it and won't be reading any more of them. It's a pretty standard men's adventure novel of that era (1980), but sub-par in many respects. The plot isn't too bad but the writing is really awful. Here's a little sample, from page 109. I've taken out the paragraph breaks but the words are quoted exactly.

"A rifle slug clanged metallically into the boat's exposed gas tank, leaving a hole to squirt out the explosive fluid and send it running directly toward the hot, protesting engine. Hawk stared at it, then compressed the coiled muscles in his legs for the jump. The gas tank exploded with a roar that splintered the already battered craft. A flying hunk of wood cracked Hawk on the base of the skull and he felt unconsciousness trying to relieve the pain. He wanted to scream at his own brain."

[Mario · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this back when it was new (in the 1980's) and thought it was the best. I think I owned at one point six or seven books in the series. In unpacking some old books not too long ago I found my original copy and gave it a re-read. It did not age well.

It's typical of the time and may have appealed to me in my youth, but the writing now comes across as hokey. The premise still used today - Reporter following lead gets much more than they bargained for - but the execution would need a complete re-imagining for the modern age.