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The Executioner #11
California Hit
The Executioner comes to California to make the hills of San Francisco run red with blood San Francisco is the most photogenic city in America, with rolling hills, clanging trolleys, and all the charm that Northern California has to offer. But it is also the nation’s pornography capital, and for that it has drawn the attention of Mack Bolan, the Executioner, whose one-man war against the Mafia grows more merciless with every battle. He reopens the fight at a nightclub, launching a satchel of high explosives into a meeting of local mobsters. Just before it detonates, he notices a delicate young beauty walking into the club. He yanks her away from the blast, delaying his own escape and bringing the full firepower of the San Francisco mob down onto himself. She offers him a way out, but will it lead to safety—or an ambush? Either way, the Executioner will be ready. California Hit is the 11th book in the Executioner series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1972
115 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Don Pendleton
1,517 books188 followersDon Pendleton was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, December 12, 1927 and died October 23, 1995 in Arizona.
He wrote mystery, action/adventure, science-fiction, crime fiction, suspense, short stories, nonfiction, and was a comic scriptwriter, poet, screenwriter, essayist, and metaphysical scholar. He published more than 125 books in his long career, and his books have been published in more than 25 foreign languages with close to two hundred million copies in print throughout the world.
After producing a number of science-fiction and mystery novels, Don launched in 1969 the phenomenal Mack Bolan: The Executioner, which quickly emerged as the original, definitive Action/Adventure series. His successful paperback books inspired a new particularly American literary genre during the early 1970's, and Don became known as "the father of action/adventure."
"Although The Executioner Series is far and away my most significant contribution to world literature, I still do not perceive myself as 'belonging' to any particular literary niche. I am simply a storyteller, an entertainer who hopes to enthrall with visions of the reader's own incipient greatness."
Don Pendleton's original Executioner Series are now in ebooks, published by Open Road Media. 37 of the original novels.
Wikipedia: Don Pendleton
He wrote mystery, action/adventure, science-fiction, crime fiction, suspense, short stories, nonfiction, and was a comic scriptwriter, poet, screenwriter, essayist, and metaphysical scholar. He published more than 125 books in his long career, and his books have been published in more than 25 foreign languages with close to two hundred million copies in print throughout the world.
After producing a number of science-fiction and mystery novels, Don launched in 1969 the phenomenal Mack Bolan: The Executioner, which quickly emerged as the original, definitive Action/Adventure series. His successful paperback books inspired a new particularly American literary genre during the early 1970's, and Don became known as "the father of action/adventure."
"Although The Executioner Series is far and away my most significant contribution to world literature, I still do not perceive myself as 'belonging' to any particular literary niche. I am simply a storyteller, an entertainer who hopes to enthrall with visions of the reader's own incipient greatness."
Don Pendleton's original Executioner Series are now in ebooks, published by Open Road Media. 37 of the original novels.
Wikipedia: Don Pendleton
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 19, 2025
Another fairly typical entry in the Executioner series. The action is fast and tense, a short term love interest, and of course Mack facing incredible odds and always coming out on top. Some interest for Able Team fans and storyline involving Mack’s brother, Johnny, is introduced.
October 23, 2018
Sometimes I feel like these books are too short and that maybe another 20 to 50 pages would help flesh things out better. The blurb of my copy goes on about a Mr King and the mystery of who he is. You never really find out who he is, only that he's a black person. I'm sure maybe that would have been a big reveal back when this was written, but it felt very unsatisfying. The rest of California hit is good, by the numbers Bolan and it sets up the next book really well. Also ending two books in a row with some mysterious kingpin was pretty glaring
September 4, 2020
Was a solid entry, sort of a paint by numbers but coming from Pendleton his mid range is better then a lot of others best. Probably a 3.5 but I rounded up. It does set up the next volume well since it has him worried bout his woman and his missing teen brother back east. Which is where he heads after his last battle in this book.
Recommended, it does an ok job of filling in what happened before so should be able to read as a standalone if you don't want to read the first 10. Though they are better in order if you plan on reading them all.
Recommended, it does an ok job of filling in what happened before so should be able to read as a standalone if you don't want to read the first 10. Though they are better in order if you plan on reading them all.
July 15, 2024
Original rating 3
Re read 2024 rating 3.5
One of the most well known of the men's action/adventure/pulp book series of the late 1960's through the 1970's.
this is volume 11 in the war against the mafia by mack bolan (aka the executioner or sergeant mercy)
it is very much a novel (and series) of it's time and shouldn't be judged or compared against similarly themed novels published now.
as a straight pulp action novel it works very well and passes a few hours. as part of the original series of 38 mafia war this is one of the lesser titles I feel.
Re read 2024 rating 3.5
One of the most well known of the men's action/adventure/pulp book series of the late 1960's through the 1970's.
this is volume 11 in the war against the mafia by mack bolan (aka the executioner or sergeant mercy)
it is very much a novel (and series) of it's time and shouldn't be judged or compared against similarly themed novels published now.
as a straight pulp action novel it works very well and passes a few hours. as part of the original series of 38 mafia war this is one of the lesser titles I feel.
October 4, 2019
An excellent men's adventure series from the 60s, 70's and 80's. The first 38 books are outstanding but then the series is taken over by a bunch of new writers writing under the name of the original creator and they take the series into a new direction I did not care for. The first 38 books are very recommended
October 26, 2020
A quick 1970's action novel. My father and I were both avid readers of the Executioner novels while I was younger. I first read this one after I got out of the Army in 1972. I have decided to go back and reread many of the earliest of the novels.
June 30, 2025
Sarge continues his Mafia onslaught on the West Coast in this early 70s adventure series.
December 11, 2020
I get the feeling that Don Pendleton is a bit more familiar with San Francisco than many of the other locations that Mack Bolan has visited. He spends a lot of time setting the scene here in San Francisco. There are scenes from a mafia enforcer's fancy swank penthouse that talks about his view of the city. There is the famous hill with the trolley that you can see Alcatraz from. There is also a familiarity of the sections of the city that helps to clearly mark off the territory of the various mafia factions in the book. Not to criticize the other books in the series as they do well with giving each area their own unique feel (see especially Soho in Assault in Soho), but this one just does it so much better that it feels more real to me. I should note that I have never set foot in San Francisco, so I do not know if all his descriptions are correct.
When this book opens, he is already in San Francisco and has spent some time here getting the lay of the land. Unlike the gap between Vegas Vendetta and Caribbean Kill, it feels like Bolan is rested and prepared before starting this front in the war on the mafia.
Despite how prepared Bolan appears at first, something goes wrong from the very start in the opening action scene from the book. The book begins at a bar with an Asian decor (Pendleton makes clear that it has fake Asian aesthetics). Bolan throws an explosive through the window. Bolan’s plan is to immediately disappear before the bomb even explodes. However, before the explosion, “a real live China Doll” runs into the area. Bolan saves her but has blown his escape. Now he must gun his way out of the scene, which is fine by me as it gives us a well written Bolan escape with guns blazing.
The “China Doll” turns out to be Mary Ching. Mary is a lot like Evita from Caribbean Hit in that she is not a damsel in destress and can take care of herself. However, that is where the similarities end. Mary calls herself a “private investigator” who is not licensed. Throughout the early parts of the book, Bolan is very suspicious of her as she very much has her own agenda. She was a good supporting character that added a bit of mystery to the book.
This book has many different mafia bosses and enforcers who play a part in the action. The Capo Mafioso is Roman DeMarco, who is described as being in his 70’s and looking very sickly. Franco Laurentis is DeMarco’s enforcer who knows that the Capo is not long for this world and is scheming to take over after he passes. Laurentis is someone who is living large in the penthouse that overlooks San Francisco and plans a lot, but doesn’t appear to be someone who gets his hands dirty. Throughout the book he is seated in his penthouse to the point that DeMarco orders him to go out on the streets.
Finally, there is one character above the rest. He is only called, Mr. King. We do not actually see who or know who he is. The only real description we get about him in the last few pages of the book, is that he is very well known. It is implied that he is possibly high up in the Civil Rights movement. Maybe the next book will clear up who he is. However, to be honest, I was hoping this book would clear up who Sir Edward Stuart was from the last book, Caribbean Kill.
I should probably mention that Bolan carries a new weapon in this book: .44 Auto Mag. I looked up the gun and realized that there were only about 3000 produced in 1971 (the book came out in April 1972). Pendleton has a bit too much fun describing the impact of the bullets in bodies. It is made pretty clear that this is a very messy and destructive gun. It is also useful for Bolan to have a pistol carry a heavy punch when he needs it as he can’t always carry around a rifle.
California Hit is a pretty typical Mack Bolan book. It doesn't stray too far from the usual books. The more detailed setting in San Francisco does give it a good sense of scenery that adds a lot to book. Overall it is a fun and entertaining Executioner that stays pretty much by the numbers and hits all the beats that one expects from this series.
When this book opens, he is already in San Francisco and has spent some time here getting the lay of the land. Unlike the gap between Vegas Vendetta and Caribbean Kill, it feels like Bolan is rested and prepared before starting this front in the war on the mafia.
Despite how prepared Bolan appears at first, something goes wrong from the very start in the opening action scene from the book. The book begins at a bar with an Asian decor (Pendleton makes clear that it has fake Asian aesthetics). Bolan throws an explosive through the window. Bolan’s plan is to immediately disappear before the bomb even explodes. However, before the explosion, “a real live China Doll” runs into the area. Bolan saves her but has blown his escape. Now he must gun his way out of the scene, which is fine by me as it gives us a well written Bolan escape with guns blazing.
The “China Doll” turns out to be Mary Ching. Mary is a lot like Evita from Caribbean Hit in that she is not a damsel in destress and can take care of herself. However, that is where the similarities end. Mary calls herself a “private investigator” who is not licensed. Throughout the early parts of the book, Bolan is very suspicious of her as she very much has her own agenda. She was a good supporting character that added a bit of mystery to the book.
This book has many different mafia bosses and enforcers who play a part in the action. The Capo Mafioso is Roman DeMarco, who is described as being in his 70’s and looking very sickly. Franco Laurentis is DeMarco’s enforcer who knows that the Capo is not long for this world and is scheming to take over after he passes. Laurentis is someone who is living large in the penthouse that overlooks San Francisco and plans a lot, but doesn’t appear to be someone who gets his hands dirty. Throughout the book he is seated in his penthouse to the point that DeMarco orders him to go out on the streets.
Finally, there is one character above the rest. He is only called, Mr. King. We do not actually see who or know who he is. The only real description we get about him in the last few pages of the book, is that he is very well known. It is implied that he is possibly high up in the Civil Rights movement. Maybe the next book will clear up who he is. However, to be honest, I was hoping this book would clear up who Sir Edward Stuart was from the last book, Caribbean Kill.
I should probably mention that Bolan carries a new weapon in this book: .44 Auto Mag. I looked up the gun and realized that there were only about 3000 produced in 1971 (the book came out in April 1972). Pendleton has a bit too much fun describing the impact of the bullets in bodies. It is made pretty clear that this is a very messy and destructive gun. It is also useful for Bolan to have a pistol carry a heavy punch when he needs it as he can’t always carry around a rifle.
California Hit is a pretty typical Mack Bolan book. It doesn't stray too far from the usual books. The more detailed setting in San Francisco does give it a good sense of scenery that adds a lot to book. Overall it is a fun and entertaining Executioner that stays pretty much by the numbers and hits all the beats that one expects from this series.
Read
August 17, 2020With California Hit, I think I've moved beyond the books I read back in high school. I'd read many of the later Golden Eagle (non-Pendleton) books because they were easier to find in the stores but by the time I'd acquired these earlier books, I was starting to lose interest.
Boy, this is a strange one. Very uneven, and might be my least favorite so far.
Exhibit A: The endings for all of these books feel rushed but this one takes it to a new level. The last chapter is literally a summary of action that could have easily taken up 50+ pages had it come earlier in the story. What makes this choice so odd is that at least two full chapters were given away to Bolan philosophizing. I guess this could be simply author preference -- maybe Pendleton enjoyed exploring those philosophical aspects of the story more than the action. Fine, but I have to imagine there's a better way to balance them out.
Exhibit B: The big "mystery" driving much of the plot is the secret identity of a "Mr. King" who's a major behind-the-scenes player in the criminal activity of San Francisco. At the very end, when Bolan learns who he really is, Pendleton keeps that info hidden from the reader, essentially implying that he is a famous black civil rights leader (not MLK, who had been assassinated prior to the timeline of this book series). Strangely, it reads as if we are supposed to know who this is. In doing some (admittedly superficial) research, I've concluded it's not based on anyone real. I honestly don't know what Pendleton was trying to do here. Not a word in the book is used to set up this "civil rights leader" reveal, yet the mystery is so intertwined with the rest of the plot, I can't imagine a reader not being let down by the whole thing. Very odd.
Just like in book #5, we get another Bolan army buddy who starts out as an antagonist yet is so moved by Bolan's spirit and heroics that he becomes an ally. From this buddy, we learn that Gadgets Schwartz and Pol Blancanales (from book #2) are living in San Francisco under aliases, yet they don't factor into the story at all.
All very odd. Hopefully this is the nadir of the series.
Boy, this is a strange one. Very uneven, and might be my least favorite so far.
Exhibit A: The endings for all of these books feel rushed but this one takes it to a new level. The last chapter is literally a summary of action that could have easily taken up 50+ pages had it come earlier in the story. What makes this choice so odd is that at least two full chapters were given away to Bolan philosophizing. I guess this could be simply author preference -- maybe Pendleton enjoyed exploring those philosophical aspects of the story more than the action. Fine, but I have to imagine there's a better way to balance them out.
Exhibit B: The big "mystery" driving much of the plot is the secret identity of a "Mr. King" who's a major behind-the-scenes player in the criminal activity of San Francisco. At the very end, when Bolan learns who he really is, Pendleton keeps that info hidden from the reader, essentially implying that he is a famous black civil rights leader (not MLK, who had been assassinated prior to the timeline of this book series). Strangely, it reads as if we are supposed to know who this is. In doing some (admittedly superficial) research, I've concluded it's not based on anyone real. I honestly don't know what Pendleton was trying to do here. Not a word in the book is used to set up this "civil rights leader" reveal, yet the mystery is so intertwined with the rest of the plot, I can't imagine a reader not being let down by the whole thing. Very odd.
Just like in book #5, we get another Bolan army buddy who starts out as an antagonist yet is so moved by Bolan's spirit and heroics that he becomes an ally. From this buddy, we learn that Gadgets Schwartz and Pol Blancanales (from book #2) are living in San Francisco under aliases, yet they don't factor into the story at all.
All very odd. Hopefully this is the nadir of the series.
December 14, 2023
Another in the Bolan-gets-chased-around-a-big-city subgenre. I think ideally, these would cultivate a sort of move/countermove feeling as Bolan and the mafia go after each other while staying a step ahead of the law. While this book has some of that, there's no hook outside of the location (which is decently utilized) to make it stand out from the other, similarly structured, entries in the series.
January 30, 2020
Continuing pulp fiction action saga of Mack Bolan. It's best to start from #1 but it's ok to skip books in the series because each book starts with a prologue that summarizes the story.
This is the last Mack Bolan book I'll read. I'm pretty much in the series for the violence and sex, mainly for the violence. The sex is kinda a joke and 1970's James Bond-ish at this point as he manages to bed a co-character in every book, and the co-character is the same despite giving her a different shell every time (French, English, Hispanic, Chinese) always good looking and a fighter (or not) with spirit. There isn't even any pretense.
And starting with a few books back, there's always some pontification of some higher world level evil power that he needs to fight against. I basically fast read that part. I like the writing and all I want is for Mack Bolan to lay a hit to the local hoods and move on to the next book. I get that the author is trying to give the series a deeper meaning, to make the plot more complex but I don't think he's doing a great job. I'm not even sure what the greater evil in this book is. And we don't know exactly who the higher evil guy is. Maybe that's for the next book or the next one but I'm not going to try to find out as I'm going to move on to some other series.
This is the last Mack Bolan book I'll read. I'm pretty much in the series for the violence and sex, mainly for the violence. The sex is kinda a joke and 1970's James Bond-ish at this point as he manages to bed a co-character in every book, and the co-character is the same despite giving her a different shell every time (French, English, Hispanic, Chinese) always good looking and a fighter (or not) with spirit. There isn't even any pretense.
And starting with a few books back, there's always some pontification of some higher world level evil power that he needs to fight against. I basically fast read that part. I like the writing and all I want is for Mack Bolan to lay a hit to the local hoods and move on to the next book. I get that the author is trying to give the series a deeper meaning, to make the plot more complex but I don't think he's doing a great job. I'm not even sure what the greater evil in this book is. And we don't know exactly who the higher evil guy is. Maybe that's for the next book or the next one but I'm not going to try to find out as I'm going to move on to some other series.
January 8, 2020
The Executioner is on the West Coast for more Mafia-busting. He joins forces with an Asian lady, but has to wonder about the groups she hangs around with, including some Communist China baddies. Fun, humorous exchanges with two porno girls and Bolan.
Action/adventure entry from '72.
Action/adventure entry from '72.
April 24, 2023
This was surprisingly entertaining and readable. I'm no literary snob, but I'll admit I expected this to be super dull, badly paced and plotted, and probably just a mess. Nope. It's a brisk read, for sure, and cuts to the action quickly, but it's a solid novel, and I found it entertaining. More than expected. They sold something like 200 million of these, so I shoulda known...
When I was a kid, one of my much older brothers--the brother who died a few years ago--always had books in this series (and a few like it) laying around his house. He never talked about them and I never saw him read them, but I'm sure he did, and through the years I have always associated the titles and covers with him. They looked pretty fun if not quite up my alley. I realized that they were men's pulp action/adventure novels, and since I leaned from an early age toward LOTR-type fantasy and old science fiction, I never picked one up for myself.
Recently, I bought a few old copies of these on a whim, probably more out of a sense of nostalgia and fondness for a lost brother than anything else, and this is the first one I read. I was most struck by the difference in sensibility between 1972 and now. I'm not surprised that there's a pretty big dose of 70's-style misogyny and cringe-worthy language, with terms like "china doll" and the like, but I was pleased to see that the author was purposely steering clear of the genuine racism that we associate with the 50s and 60s, and he gives us good guys and bad guys of every ethnicity. It's not a mannered book, though; it's very sex-positive in a macho way, and the language is raw, with plenty of f-bombs and even the c-word. (I wasn't expecting that.) But then, that tracks; the movies of the time, IMO, were rougher than movies now. In any case, I found it more refreshing than off-putting. I could just about smell the cigarettes.
Mack Bolan, the protagonist, is all about clearing out the mafia, and here he is taking on a few families in San Francisco. This is book 11, but I guess what happened in earlier books is that people he cared about were killed by the mafia, so he has a take-no-prisoners approach to the mob and is on a crusade. He doesn't set guys up for arrest--he straight-up kills them. Basically, it's a revenge fantasy where all the bad guys deserve to die, without question, and the books wouldn't work if you harbored any sympathy for the villains. Nevertheless, Mack Bolan worries about people getting hurt that don't deserve it, and he worries about people that help him because they'll become targets, and he shows more thoughtfulness than one might expect from a vigilante.
All in all, it works better than I thought it would. No wonder so many people bought so many copies. It's fun to read, it's not too long, and the pacing is like a movie. I cautiously recommend the series, or at least this one that I read. However, it definitely isn't for everyone.
For those who think a mix of 007, Rambo, and John Wick going on a deadly campaign against the mob sounds kinda good, actually, then you might wanna find the pulp shelf in the back of your favorite used book store.
No guilty pleasures. You either like it or you don't. I liked it.
When I was a kid, one of my much older brothers--the brother who died a few years ago--always had books in this series (and a few like it) laying around his house. He never talked about them and I never saw him read them, but I'm sure he did, and through the years I have always associated the titles and covers with him. They looked pretty fun if not quite up my alley. I realized that they were men's pulp action/adventure novels, and since I leaned from an early age toward LOTR-type fantasy and old science fiction, I never picked one up for myself.
Recently, I bought a few old copies of these on a whim, probably more out of a sense of nostalgia and fondness for a lost brother than anything else, and this is the first one I read. I was most struck by the difference in sensibility between 1972 and now. I'm not surprised that there's a pretty big dose of 70's-style misogyny and cringe-worthy language, with terms like "china doll" and the like, but I was pleased to see that the author was purposely steering clear of the genuine racism that we associate with the 50s and 60s, and he gives us good guys and bad guys of every ethnicity. It's not a mannered book, though; it's very sex-positive in a macho way, and the language is raw, with plenty of f-bombs and even the c-word. (I wasn't expecting that.) But then, that tracks; the movies of the time, IMO, were rougher than movies now. In any case, I found it more refreshing than off-putting. I could just about smell the cigarettes.
Mack Bolan, the protagonist, is all about clearing out the mafia, and here he is taking on a few families in San Francisco. This is book 11, but I guess what happened in earlier books is that people he cared about were killed by the mafia, so he has a take-no-prisoners approach to the mob and is on a crusade. He doesn't set guys up for arrest--he straight-up kills them. Basically, it's a revenge fantasy where all the bad guys deserve to die, without question, and the books wouldn't work if you harbored any sympathy for the villains. Nevertheless, Mack Bolan worries about people getting hurt that don't deserve it, and he worries about people that help him because they'll become targets, and he shows more thoughtfulness than one might expect from a vigilante.
All in all, it works better than I thought it would. No wonder so many people bought so many copies. It's fun to read, it's not too long, and the pacing is like a movie. I cautiously recommend the series, or at least this one that I read. However, it definitely isn't for everyone.
For those who think a mix of 007, Rambo, and John Wick going on a deadly campaign against the mob sounds kinda good, actually, then you might wanna find the pulp shelf in the back of your favorite used book store.
No guilty pleasures. You either like it or you don't. I liked it.
October 21, 2024
Mack Bolan, the one-man-army, descends on San Francisco, to terrorize the West Coast Mafia some more and to break up a plot with a mysterious "Mr. King" who seems to be a major player in the city's crime scene. He opens with a bang, blowing up a Mafia-owned tea house, and getting caught up with Mary Ching, a mysterious lady who may be allied with a Tong group trying to disrupt communist activity.
Pendleton packs in the side characters for this one, with a cop who knew Bolan in Vietnam, a whole host of Mafia dudes, including Crazy Franco Laurentis, the man tasked with stopping Bolan's rampage, the aforementioned Mary, a couple of girls caught up in the porno scene, and ANOTHER cop who gets paragraphs upon paragraphs of backstory despite only being in two plot-related scenes. There are a lot of dudes in this one, I'm saying.
You'd think all these players would slow the plot, but Pendleton keeps his foot to the gas, with a couple of decent action scenes, including a terrific hit on the Don's mansion that allows Bolan to demonstrate the power of his new weapon, the Automag.
The location and dialog hold up well, and Bolan is refreshingly non-judgmental as usual when it comes to the swinging smut starlets and the Chinese element of the city. Definitely helps this novel age better than many of its contemporaries.
Unfortunately, Pendleton sets up too many pieces on the board so that wrapping it all up by the end is a matter of convenience and not cleverness, with Mr. King given a single paragraph send-off. It would have also been nice to get a little more depth on Mary Ching and her role in the proceedings, especially since she was important to Bolan, but hers is again just a matter of necessity; skipping the Tong subplot would have lost nothing with the overall plot. But the book reads so smoothly that these flaws don't tarnish the fun for me. This is prime action from the era and it delivers the goods.
Pendleton packs in the side characters for this one, with a cop who knew Bolan in Vietnam, a whole host of Mafia dudes, including Crazy Franco Laurentis, the man tasked with stopping Bolan's rampage, the aforementioned Mary, a couple of girls caught up in the porno scene, and ANOTHER cop who gets paragraphs upon paragraphs of backstory despite only being in two plot-related scenes. There are a lot of dudes in this one, I'm saying.
You'd think all these players would slow the plot, but Pendleton keeps his foot to the gas, with a couple of decent action scenes, including a terrific hit on the Don's mansion that allows Bolan to demonstrate the power of his new weapon, the Automag.
The location and dialog hold up well, and Bolan is refreshingly non-judgmental as usual when it comes to the swinging smut starlets and the Chinese element of the city. Definitely helps this novel age better than many of its contemporaries.
Unfortunately, Pendleton sets up too many pieces on the board so that wrapping it all up by the end is a matter of convenience and not cleverness, with Mr. King given a single paragraph send-off. It would have also been nice to get a little more depth on Mary Ching and her role in the proceedings, especially since she was important to Bolan, but hers is again just a matter of necessity; skipping the Tong subplot would have lost nothing with the overall plot. But the book reads so smoothly that these flaws don't tarnish the fun for me. This is prime action from the era and it delivers the goods.
February 15, 2025
In the eleventh book in the series, Bolan's vendetta threatens to become more complicated. There are organized crime factions among the U.S.'s Asian community and sometimes they work with the Italian variety. There is also further evidence of something that has come up in the last couple of books—organized crime is involved in a covert trade with Red China. Remember that these books were written in the 1970s when there was very little interaction between mainland China and the U.S.
Bolan becomes involved with an Asian American freelance spy who has evidently upset one of the crime figures. There are some very good action scenes in this one and Bolan encounters a member of his platoon in Vietnam who has become a police officer. Overall, it's another fun addition to the series.
Bolan becomes involved with an Asian American freelance spy who has evidently upset one of the crime figures. There are some very good action scenes in this one and Bolan encounters a member of his platoon in Vietnam who has become a police officer. Overall, it's another fun addition to the series.
June 11, 2022
Now Bolan is slaughtering more of the mafia in San Francisco. As usual, it’s more of the same. This time though there’s a bit more brutality as Bolan goes full John Wick on everyone. There’s also some porn stars thrown in just to add some sexiness to the plot. You know, typical 70’s dad lit. Overall, this one felt moved at the same pace as previous entries so it’s a fun break from reality for a few hours but nothing to go crazy over.
April 9, 2024
Pendelton Ink #11
The Executioner #11
It's been quite a while since I've hit up the old Executioner but I have an e-box set that has been sitting there looking at me with glowering eyes, so now is the time. Average action fare, but you know it is what it is, and that's fine escapist nonsense.
The Executioner #11
It's been quite a while since I've hit up the old Executioner but I have an e-box set that has been sitting there looking at me with glowering eyes, so now is the time. Average action fare, but you know it is what it is, and that's fine escapist nonsense.
January 2, 2018
Another good between books read
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
November 8, 2021
Great story
Well done Pendleton it was a thrilling ride. mack bolan at his very best . I really enjoy every word .
Well done Pendleton it was a thrilling ride. mack bolan at his very best . I really enjoy every word .
November 21, 2021
This one was kind of boring. Not much action. More inner monologues as per usual just not much else.
January 21, 2023
Three stars of entertaining macho adrenaline good guy versus bad men action. The Executioner series is dated but still packs an escapist punch.
April 15, 2023
3 3/4 stars. Typical Bolan fare. Lots of action and obviously well-researched. A couple of side plot rabbit trails slowed down the pacing on an otherwise solid 4-star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2023
Great and Action Packed Story and I especially liked when Mack unleashed his trusty weapon, the 44 Auto Mag
January 15, 2021
I got less than 20% read and have chosen not to finish this story nor the rest of the series because the foul language has gotten too much for me. In previous books it wasn't as bad but starting with this one, it's simply too much.
**Restarted reading 14-Jan-2021** I searched the book to see how bad the language is and decided that it was spaced out enough after the 20% mark to finish reading it.
Killing people had never meant anything more to Bolan than a distasteful chore which had to be done. He recognized the fact that he had developed a high proficiency in the art of killing, and he recognized also that this proficiency obligated him to a special responsibility. A war needed winning—or, at least, it needed to be contained and controlled. Bolan had the tools, the abilities, and the toughness of soul required for the proper discharge of particularly grisly responsibilities. This was a specialty war. A Wang Dang Doo in the real sense, and a job for a loner, without support, a guy who knew every way and every wile, a guy who could stride through rivers of blood to kill again and again… and be willing to take his lumps in that final judgement of the universe. Yeah. And there it was, of course. Mack Bolan was not a religious man. Not in the ordinary sense of praying and going to church and that sort of thing. But he knew that the universe did not run itself. It wasn’t a damn machine which just suddenly sprang into being and then began running down. There was a purpose to the whole thing… somewhere beyond the fragmented understanding of ordinary mortals there was a good reason for the existence of the universe.
**Restarted reading 14-Jan-2021** I searched the book to see how bad the language is and decided that it was spaced out enough after the 20% mark to finish reading it.
Killing people had never meant anything more to Bolan than a distasteful chore which had to be done. He recognized the fact that he had developed a high proficiency in the art of killing, and he recognized also that this proficiency obligated him to a special responsibility. A war needed winning—or, at least, it needed to be contained and controlled. Bolan had the tools, the abilities, and the toughness of soul required for the proper discharge of particularly grisly responsibilities. This was a specialty war. A Wang Dang Doo in the real sense, and a job for a loner, without support, a guy who knew every way and every wile, a guy who could stride through rivers of blood to kill again and again… and be willing to take his lumps in that final judgement of the universe. Yeah. And there it was, of course. Mack Bolan was not a religious man. Not in the ordinary sense of praying and going to church and that sort of thing. But he knew that the universe did not run itself. It wasn’t a damn machine which just suddenly sprang into being and then began running down. There was a purpose to the whole thing… somewhere beyond the fragmented understanding of ordinary mortals there was a good reason for the existence of the universe.
October 3, 2015
The formula is solidly established, but I've read better books by Pendelton in the series. He doesn't have much of a feel for San Francisco in the descriptions and the action is routine.
October 17, 2015
Not my favorite. Needed more action.
November 15, 2018
read some time in 1980
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