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MacGyver Meltdown

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ORIGINAL CREATOR OF
MacGyver is back and will need all his skills to survive… When a top U.S. nuclear physicist impossibly vanishes off a trans-Atlantic plane in the middle of the flight, the U.S. Government calls in its top agent that specializes in the impossible, MacGyver.

In order to solve the mystery and recover the scientist and intel that could lead to escalating conflicts across the globe, Mac will find himself drawn into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse against a billionaire thief with resources and ingenuity that match MacGyver’s own.

So, to bring his adversary to justice, Mac must navigate between an old flame from Interpol and a beautiful but deadly young woman with some shocking revelations for him.

When his quarry’s end game begins, MacGyver will be forced to confront his identity, career, and purpose as the international situation careens towards critical mass.

MACGYVER MELTDOWN is the first book in the new fiction series that picks up where the original TV series left off. For those interested in reading the second book of this series, see MACGYVER SEISMIC SHIFT.

358 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2020

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Eric Kelley

9 books1 follower

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for June Knaudt.
5 reviews
December 1, 2020
I believe this is the first novel released that is based on the MacGyver TV series. It's packed with the suspenseful moments we expect where MacGyver's ingenuity and practical thinking get him and his companions out of some very tight spots as it takes us to three continents.

What I like most about reading this type of novel (one based on a visual medium) is that we are privy to the inner workings of the mind of the protagonist and some of the other characters.

Way to go, Eric Kelley and Lee David Zlotoff! Looking forward to the next two.
1 review
January 3, 2021
Mac is back!

I enjoyed this book very much. It was like seeing g old-school Mac in my mind's eye as I read it and, yes, I heard Richard Dean Anderson in my head as I read the dialogue. I'll recommend it to anyone who remembers the show and wants a revisit!
Profile Image for Sir Nicho.
274 reviews
July 12, 2025
As a fan of the original series I was severely disappointed in this book. It didn't feel like MacGyver at all. It doesn't really hit it's groove until 150 pages in and by then you've had enough of one insufferable (Mary Sue anyone?)character that you just want the book to end. I couldn't picture RDA in my head while I was reading it. It felt like a different MacGyver altogether. Honestly, it reads like MacGyver fan fiction. Like someone who was a fan of the RDA series and wanted more adventures from him. It's telling that the man who cowrote it also created MacGyver, but has never actually written an episode of the series.

A lot of MacGyver's tricks just won't/wouldn't work with modern technology. The books gets around this by just having the antagonist use extremely limited modern tech or none at all. The romantic subplot wasn't needed and didn't serve the narrative. It's conclusion could be seen by a newborn a mile away.

If you're looking for a book that feels like RDA's MacGyver I'd suggest Mark Daniel's MacGyver on Ice if you can find it. It reads and feels like MacGyver and has actual practical tips on how to survive in sub zero temperatures.

I can't say I recommend this to anyone other than a MacGyver completist.
Profile Image for Jani.
11 reviews
January 15, 2021
At first I was bit worried for I had been missing MacGyver and story took immediately on and felt bit too much like Nordic Crime series but just with Mac. We did however got to spend time with him and at the beginning of each chapter there were this section of Mac's pondering that was just like from the tv-series where he narrates his life and thoughts!
From Nordic Crime at the beginning the book delved to the world of conspiracies later and I couldn't help but keep on reading.
Was definitely nice to meet Mac again after all these years and I look forward to read about him again some day.
Profile Image for Elaine.
613 reviews
February 4, 2021
esEqual parts fascinating and infuriating

Great to read about the real MacGyver again, and I could see Richard Dean Anderson in the story. Lots of hair breadths escapes and clever MacGyverisms. However, one of the two female characters suffers from Bonanza syndrome, and the other is an obsessed Mary Sue.
53 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2022
waited 30 years for this book!

As a die-hard fan of Macgyver since childhood, finding this book was like Christmas morning. And reading it was like Christmas morning after winning the lottery. Loved it so much! Captured every aspect of the show I loved so much. Please please please make more of these!
Profile Image for David Llinares.
34 reviews
September 23, 2021
This is the MacGyver that I grow with!
If you like the classic character you will love this adventure.
Lee David Zlotoff and Eric Kelly had brilliantly create an adventure putting Mac in the current times with his old fashion charm.
Enjoy! 😀
DaLliCo - XXII / IX / MMXXI
88 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2020
A fantastic read! Just right feel of the original MacGyver series! Really hope for more books!
18 reviews
May 14, 2021
Fantastic

This was an amazing story ,I was captivated from start to finish and am looking forward to reading more by this author .
Profile Image for Annette.
11 reviews
November 25, 2021
Mac is Mac, but there is no Phoenix Foundation or any of the characters from the old show or the new one.
6 reviews
January 9, 2023
Been a die hard MacGyver fan my entire life. I've seen every episode and TV movie and this book lives up to the legacy of the character. It draws you in and doesn't let up until it's done!
Profile Image for Pascale.
335 reviews18 followers
March 2, 2025
A bit confusing when you just hear it but I did enjoy. Of course it's not RDA's voice so it's different but still the same attitude I remember :)
Profile Image for Adam Boudreau.
16 reviews
July 20, 2021
I could see this as a MacGyver movie. The story would need a little retooling and the dialogue some work but if Mac where to hit the big screen this would be the story. I am a fan of the classic TV series and would easily chalk the show up to helping develop my problem solving skills. This book felt like a classic MacGyver story with modern updates such as cell phones and tablets. As I had mentioned earlier thought some of the dialogue needed work because Mac would use language that Richard Dean Anderson's interpretation wouldn't use, granted he wasn't permitted because of the FCC of the time but it still added a certain innocent charm to MacGyver not to swear. I also felt there was a lack of MacGyverisms in this story sure he used paper clips and built contraptions to get out of jams or for distractions but they where the highlight of the show and here they where so few and far between. But all in all it was a great first attempt at a MacGyver novel and I hope to see more.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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