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The Executioner #28
Savage Fire
Blitzkrieg! Blood and thunder! Fire and terror and death! These are the weapons of the man whom the whole world has come to know as The Executioner! Now he is back where it all began - and perhaps this is where it shall inevitably end. Its a homecoming, of sorts. . . but not the one which Bolan would have planned for himself.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1977
44 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Don Pendleton
1,529 books194 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 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 21, 2025
Mack heads back to where it all began for him, Pittsfield, to stop the Mafia’s territory grab and to help his old pal Leo. Wee written and full of typical Executioner action and mayhem but the final showdown seemed rushed. All in all another great entry in the series.
April 13, 2020
Our Mafia busting hero is back where it all began - Pittsfield, MA - the territory nobody wants. Bolan's onetime nemesis - Leo Turrin - is targeted for death. He thinks it's the Big Capo, Augie, who wants his head, maybe because he's been found to also be a high ranking undercover cop.
Bolan is on his friend's side to try to save his cover and find out who is responsible for the movements in this undesirable area.
Originally published in '77, another fine entry in the men's action/adventure vein.
Bolan is on his friend's side to try to save his cover and find out who is responsible for the movements in this undesirable area.
Originally published in '77, another fine entry in the men's action/adventure vein.
March 7, 2021
IMHO the best one yet!
Mack is fresh off the Dixie purge in Atlanta and back where it started all those many battles ago in Pittsfield to save a friend from the mafia hitmen, continuing his war of attrition - the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure
He had known always that there would be a single resolution to the Mafia problem. He had known forever that his would be a terminal war of attrition— war of absolute obliteration. Death was the only answer these people would ever acceptbecause it was the only answer they understood.Mack Bolan was not a cold-blooded man. Nor even an essentially violent one. He could be gentle, if he lived in a gentle world. It was not, however, such a world. Bolan’s world was a savage oneand the meek could never hope to inherit such an earth. Not unless the inheritance could be claimed from within a cannibal’s bowels. No. The man was a realist. He knew that the world was doomed to suffer forever in brutality unless the savages could be controlled. He was idealist enough, though, to respect the moral dreams of his society—even though he could not pursue them himself and remain true to his own moral sense. He was thinker enough, also, to wonder if his “own moral sense” was uncomfortably close to the savage logic which he so abhorred.It was, of course. Close, sure, but not the same.
Mack is fresh off the Dixie purge in Atlanta and back where it started all those many battles ago in Pittsfield to save a friend from the mafia hitmen, continuing his war of attrition - the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure
He had known always that there would be a single resolution to the Mafia problem. He had known forever that his would be a terminal war of attrition— war of absolute obliteration. Death was the only answer these people would ever acceptbecause it was the only answer they understood.Mack Bolan was not a cold-blooded man. Nor even an essentially violent one. He could be gentle, if he lived in a gentle world. It was not, however, such a world. Bolan’s world was a savage oneand the meek could never hope to inherit such an earth. Not unless the inheritance could be claimed from within a cannibal’s bowels. No. The man was a realist. He knew that the world was doomed to suffer forever in brutality unless the savages could be controlled. He was idealist enough, though, to respect the moral dreams of his society—even though he could not pursue them himself and remain true to his own moral sense. He was thinker enough, also, to wonder if his “own moral sense” was uncomfortably close to the savage logic which he so abhorred.It was, of course. Close, sure, but not the same.
September 1, 2022
More of exactly the same thing we’ve seen for 27 previous entries but at least this one felt a bit more intense as things in the mafia seem to finally be falling apart and coming back to bite them. Bolan’s never ending vendetta against them seems to be paying off…though it’s starting to come with its own problems.
All that being said, I’m still waiting for this series to get exciting again…which I think won’t happen till the 40th book when this part of Bolan’s life is over.
All that being said, I’m still waiting for this series to get exciting again…which I think won’t happen till the 40th book when this part of Bolan’s life is over.
October 15, 2013
I thought this was a weak installment. I don't want to blow the end, because for this series, the end is a real big deal. Only it was disappointing in its execution, and I'm not being 'punny.'
This one has a silly cover, and a silly story-line. Look at the cover--closely, do you see how Mack is holding the hot chick? Not over his shoulder, but over the small of her back and across the hips while he's blasting the .44 Automag one-handed. Be forewarned, the story is equally silly.
Mack's undercover Fed buddy is fronted out! Mack's got to go save his friend's ass, but how it happens is ultra-campy. In book #27, the elite hitman known only as Domino, figured out that Mack is impersonating an elite hitman. It is how Mack gets all his inside info, by walking into the mafia boss's house and getting whatever information he wants, then leaving out the front door. It was clever the first couple of times, but the gimmick is getting a little stale.
However, in this one, not only does he play #1 hitman with the upstart new boss of New York, he also walks into the police station to have a little chit-chat with the Department Captain of Homicide (don't forget Mack is a vigilante who is wanted for mass murder,) he also calls the Big Shot in the Department of Justice and tells him how to do his job in Washington, and then shoots every incompetent mafia thug one-handed while blindfolded. That describes Savage Fire #28 without giving too much away.
They can't all be winners, and this one isn't a winner. only 10 more to go, and I hope the rest aren't this tired.
This one has a silly cover, and a silly story-line. Look at the cover--closely, do you see how Mack is holding the hot chick? Not over his shoulder, but over the small of her back and across the hips while he's blasting the .44 Automag one-handed. Be forewarned, the story is equally silly.
Mack's undercover Fed buddy is fronted out! Mack's got to go save his friend's ass, but how it happens is ultra-campy. In book #27, the elite hitman known only as Domino, figured out that Mack is impersonating an elite hitman. It is how Mack gets all his inside info, by walking into the mafia boss's house and getting whatever information he wants, then leaving out the front door. It was clever the first couple of times, but the gimmick is getting a little stale.
However, in this one, not only does he play #1 hitman with the upstart new boss of New York, he also walks into the police station to have a little chit-chat with the Department Captain of Homicide (don't forget Mack is a vigilante who is wanted for mass murder,) he also calls the Big Shot in the Department of Justice and tells him how to do his job in Washington, and then shoots every incompetent mafia thug one-handed while blindfolded. That describes Savage Fire #28 without giving too much away.
They can't all be winners, and this one isn't a winner. only 10 more to go, and I hope the rest aren't this tired.
August 7, 2017
I'm a fan of the series. This book was good up until the end. The last battle scene was lacking detail. The battle scene before this had more detail but the final one I knew was going to be thin on detail because the book was almost out of pages. I do like the series but this one was disappointing on the ending. They are all good and worth reading if you are a fan of the Executioner.
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April 19, 2025Plot & Story:
The start of this book was probably one of the most exciting I've read in the series. Leo Turrin -- western Massachusetts underboss, secret FBI agent, and Bolan's best friend and ally -- is under attack from some mysterious contingent in the mob's ruling council. Bolan decides the best way to save his friend is to fight back... but with a twist. He'll pretend that it's Leo fighting back to send a message up the mob hierarchy: "Stay off my turf." What I imagined was a story of subterfuge, where maybe no one ever really figures out the Executioner came to town. The one secret campaign in Mack Bolan's war against the mafia. Sounds cool, right? Alas, that's not what happens. Cops and crooks both figure out pretty soon that Bolan is blitzing, though the ties to Leo remain hidden. What we end up with is a pretty standard Bolan adventure -- mostly silly fun, with a seasoning of frustrating mixed in.
My biggest gripe is the way Pendleton once again introduces a less than satisfying mystery element to the story. This time two: Why is the mob targeting Leo? And who is the secret VIP in the remote stronghold giving the orders? Ultimately the answers are relatively interesting but the parceling out of bread crumbs is poorly paced. I really think the short word count of these books is to blame. The writing is so "efficient" (being generous here) that I think Pendleton makes leaps that seem abrupt, to this reader at least. I wish he had more pages to build out the mystery a bit better. I find it hard to describe other than to say I have the constant feeling of "Oh, just tell me already" instead of enjoying the mystery as it plays out.
The opening scene is nice, a somber conversation between Bolan and Leo at the gravesite of Bolan's family. A reminder of how this all started and how far he's come on this journey. I also enjoyed the mention of Jiminy Peak, a ski resort in northwest Mass that I used to frequent in high school and college.
Also fun was when Bolan infiltrates the mafia stronghold pretending to be a "Black Ace," the mob's code name for their secret assassins. It's a technique Bolan has used many times, to the point where it was starting to strain believability. Last book, the mob begins to figure out that maybe he's been doing this. This time, they catch him in the act! "That's Mack Bolan! Take him!" And he has to blast his way out of there. One thing I do appreciate about Pendleton is how he keeps finding new ways to challenge Bolan, even as Bolan's skills and weaponry increase to superhuman levels. Also with that progression, many of Bolan's chief sympathizers have crossed over into full-blown allies. So the harder his missions get, the more help he's asking for and receiving. Rather than simply looking the other way, these allies are now providing actual operational support.
Book cover:
I'm generally a big fan of Gil Cohen's art on the covers of these books, but this one is ridiculous. The fire and explosions as a backdrop to the Automag in Bolan's hand is fantastic. But look at the way he's carrying the woman. What is going on there??? At first I thought it was a standard over-the-shoulder technique, but look at Bolan's arm. It's coming around her back. So he has her folded over UNDER his arm. It almost looks like it was originally painted with her over the shoulder but then changed for some reason. It is so absurd I can't stop staring at it. It's like M. C. Escher.
Returning characters:
In addition to Leo Turrin and Harold Brognola (who are becoming pretty regular players in the stories at this point in the series), we get to catch up with Weatherbee, formerly lieutenant and now captain in the Pittsfield police; plus Weatherbee's sergeant, Pappas. We also witness the end of Augie Marinello, New York crime boss and unofficial leader of the mob's national ruling council, La Commissione. For a big bad who's been lurking in the background for most of the series, the way his end was handled seemed like more of a fizzle than a bang. Rather than really build up to it, his death was used as the reveal to the secret VIP mystery. Doubly unsatisfying.
Timeline:
This one takes place immediately following the previous book. Bolan drives straight to Pittsfield from Atlanta. Characters mention that it's been a long time since Bolan was warring in Pittsfield, but no details to give any sense of how long ago.
Conclusion:
After a nice period of enjoying these books (thanks to an attitude adjustment I made right before reading #22), I was a little sour on this one. I think I need a palate cleanser. I'll read something else, give myself a break, and pick up in a month or two.
----------------------------
Re-reading this book about 3 and half years later, I'm a bit more positive about it. Because I know how it ends, the poorly paced "mystery" doesn't feel frustrating the way it did on first read. And it does clarify a little bit of what was unclear about the plot of the previous book: Different factions in the mob competing for power are collecting "tabs" around the country to shore up support and/or be used against the opposing faction; the James sisters from the previous book were one of those tabs.
I think the fundamental problem here is that Pendleton is so coy about the motivations of the two opposing mob factions. Over the course of the book, Bolan seems to be putting pieces together but there are no real details to the pieces, and how they fit is so vague that they don't progress the reader's understanding of the plot. It's only at the very end that any answers are revealed. A more skillful version of this story would have asked and answer a series of questions as breadcrumbs that engage the reader and lead us to the final reveal.
But like I said, knowing the ending, I could enjoy watching Bolan try to figure it out. A much more satisfying reading experience.
Questions left unanswered (I'm assuming the next book will address them) include:
- Who is "Peter"? (Peter is an alias used by the spy inside David Eritrea's faction who was feeding information to Augie Marinello via "Simon," the Black Ace on Marinello's side.)
- Who will Bolan set up as the FBI informant to take the heat for Leo Turrin? (Someone inside the government leaked that there's a police informant or undercover agent inside the mob; Bolan seemed to suggest that he could frame Eritrea to keep Leo's cover intact, but that has yet to happen.)
The start of this book was probably one of the most exciting I've read in the series. Leo Turrin -- western Massachusetts underboss, secret FBI agent, and Bolan's best friend and ally -- is under attack from some mysterious contingent in the mob's ruling council. Bolan decides the best way to save his friend is to fight back... but with a twist. He'll pretend that it's Leo fighting back to send a message up the mob hierarchy: "Stay off my turf." What I imagined was a story of subterfuge, where maybe no one ever really figures out the Executioner came to town. The one secret campaign in Mack Bolan's war against the mafia. Sounds cool, right? Alas, that's not what happens. Cops and crooks both figure out pretty soon that Bolan is blitzing, though the ties to Leo remain hidden. What we end up with is a pretty standard Bolan adventure -- mostly silly fun, with a seasoning of frustrating mixed in.
My biggest gripe is the way Pendleton once again introduces a less than satisfying mystery element to the story. This time two: Why is the mob targeting Leo? And who is the secret VIP in the remote stronghold giving the orders? Ultimately the answers are relatively interesting but the parceling out of bread crumbs is poorly paced. I really think the short word count of these books is to blame. The writing is so "efficient" (being generous here) that I think Pendleton makes leaps that seem abrupt, to this reader at least. I wish he had more pages to build out the mystery a bit better. I find it hard to describe other than to say I have the constant feeling of "Oh, just tell me already" instead of enjoying the mystery as it plays out.
The opening scene is nice, a somber conversation between Bolan and Leo at the gravesite of Bolan's family. A reminder of how this all started and how far he's come on this journey. I also enjoyed the mention of Jiminy Peak, a ski resort in northwest Mass that I used to frequent in high school and college.
Also fun was when Bolan infiltrates the mafia stronghold pretending to be a "Black Ace," the mob's code name for their secret assassins. It's a technique Bolan has used many times, to the point where it was starting to strain believability. Last book, the mob begins to figure out that maybe he's been doing this. This time, they catch him in the act! "That's Mack Bolan! Take him!" And he has to blast his way out of there. One thing I do appreciate about Pendleton is how he keeps finding new ways to challenge Bolan, even as Bolan's skills and weaponry increase to superhuman levels. Also with that progression, many of Bolan's chief sympathizers have crossed over into full-blown allies. So the harder his missions get, the more help he's asking for and receiving. Rather than simply looking the other way, these allies are now providing actual operational support.
Book cover:
I'm generally a big fan of Gil Cohen's art on the covers of these books, but this one is ridiculous. The fire and explosions as a backdrop to the Automag in Bolan's hand is fantastic. But look at the way he's carrying the woman. What is going on there??? At first I thought it was a standard over-the-shoulder technique, but look at Bolan's arm. It's coming around her back. So he has her folded over UNDER his arm. It almost looks like it was originally painted with her over the shoulder but then changed for some reason. It is so absurd I can't stop staring at it. It's like M. C. Escher.
Returning characters:
In addition to Leo Turrin and Harold Brognola (who are becoming pretty regular players in the stories at this point in the series), we get to catch up with Weatherbee, formerly lieutenant and now captain in the Pittsfield police; plus Weatherbee's sergeant, Pappas. We also witness the end of Augie Marinello, New York crime boss and unofficial leader of the mob's national ruling council, La Commissione. For a big bad who's been lurking in the background for most of the series, the way his end was handled seemed like more of a fizzle than a bang. Rather than really build up to it, his death was used as the reveal to the secret VIP mystery. Doubly unsatisfying.
Timeline:
This one takes place immediately following the previous book. Bolan drives straight to Pittsfield from Atlanta. Characters mention that it's been a long time since Bolan was warring in Pittsfield, but no details to give any sense of how long ago.
Conclusion:
After a nice period of enjoying these books (thanks to an attitude adjustment I made right before reading #22), I was a little sour on this one. I think I need a palate cleanser. I'll read something else, give myself a break, and pick up in a month or two.
----------------------------
Re-reading this book about 3 and half years later, I'm a bit more positive about it. Because I know how it ends, the poorly paced "mystery" doesn't feel frustrating the way it did on first read. And it does clarify a little bit of what was unclear about the plot of the previous book: Different factions in the mob competing for power are collecting "tabs" around the country to shore up support and/or be used against the opposing faction; the James sisters from the previous book were one of those tabs.
I think the fundamental problem here is that Pendleton is so coy about the motivations of the two opposing mob factions. Over the course of the book, Bolan seems to be putting pieces together but there are no real details to the pieces, and how they fit is so vague that they don't progress the reader's understanding of the plot. It's only at the very end that any answers are revealed. A more skillful version of this story would have asked and answer a series of questions as breadcrumbs that engage the reader and lead us to the final reveal.
But like I said, knowing the ending, I could enjoy watching Bolan try to figure it out. A much more satisfying reading experience.
Questions left unanswered (I'm assuming the next book will address them) include:
- Who is "Peter"? (Peter is an alias used by the spy inside David Eritrea's faction who was feeding information to Augie Marinello via "Simon," the Black Ace on Marinello's side.)
- Who will Bolan set up as the FBI informant to take the heat for Leo Turrin? (Someone inside the government leaked that there's a police informant or undercover agent inside the mob; Bolan seemed to suggest that he could frame Eritrea to keep Leo's cover intact, but that has yet to happen.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
This novel follows up an important plot thread begun in the previous Executioner novel. Mack Bolan's best friend--deep undercover agent Leo Turrin--is in danger from an upheavel in national Mafia leadership. There's a hit out on Leo, so Bolan steps in to help keep him alive and hopefully keep his cover intact.
Though as action-packed as most Executioner novels, there's also a complex mystery to solve. Who is responsible for the hit on Leo and why was he targeted, since he seems to be in the crosshairs because of his supposed Mafia status and not because he's really a Fed? Mack can't just blast into town, kill mobsters and blow things up. This time, he has to manipulate the situation to keep Leo alive and on the inside. It's a plot that makes for a unique and very entertaining entry in the series.
Though as action-packed as most Executioner novels, there's also a complex mystery to solve. Who is responsible for the hit on Leo and why was he targeted, since he seems to be in the crosshairs because of his supposed Mafia status and not because he's really a Fed? Mack can't just blast into town, kill mobsters and blow things up. This time, he has to manipulate the situation to keep Leo alive and on the inside. It's a plot that makes for a unique and very entertaining entry in the series.
September 14, 2021
Was a fun read like all of the Pendleton written ones. This one Mack is back in Pittsfield, back home where his war on the mafia first started. Someone is trying to take the territory from friend and undercover Fed Leo Turrin and it doesnt make sense. However Bolan knows if he goes in hard he will shake some trees and see what falls and see if that clears the picture any. Also it clears up some stuff from the book before that confused me so that was nice.
Again highly recommended like all of the Pendleton ones.
Again highly recommended like all of the Pendleton ones.
June 30, 2024
Another page turner
Bolans war against the Mafia heats up and this time hits close to the heart. Every page deepens the mystery as Mack tries to figure out what the hell is going on in his old home town.
Bolans war against the Mafia heats up and this time hits close to the heart. Every page deepens the mystery as Mack tries to figure out what the hell is going on in his old home town.
September 22, 2018
The story keeps ticking along
April 28, 2021
Sometimes I wish the protagonist of this book was real.
May 12, 2015
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
November 17, 2018
read some time in 1980
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews