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Mack Bolan the Executioner #52
Tuscany Terror
Crazed communist killers had the Italian government and NATO in a stranglehold. The terrorists were, literally, holding trump- the wife and infant daughter of a high-ranking U.S. Army officer.
The bloodthirsty vermin had declared their ultimatum: either the American officer "confess" to NATO involvement with the Italian Mafia, or his wife and daughter would become gruesome statistics.
Mack Bolan exploded on the scene in a bloody blitz across Italy. For the big guy it was his biggest, gutsiest scrap to date, a merciless search-and-destroy mission. And time was ticking toward death. Let the bastards beware. . .
The bloodthirsty vermin had declared their ultimatum: either the American officer "confess" to NATO involvement with the Italian Mafia, or his wife and daughter would become gruesome statistics.
Mack Bolan exploded on the scene in a bloody blitz across Italy. For the big guy it was his biggest, gutsiest scrap to date, a merciless search-and-destroy mission. And time was ticking toward death. Let the bastards beware. . .
162 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1983
55 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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 20, 2022
Another exciting entry in the Executioner series from author Stephen Mertz. This time Bolan heads to Italy on a search and rescue mission - bring back the wife and daughter of a high-ranking Army officer who have been captured by crazed Italian communists. Joined on his mission by his old ally from his war against the Mafia, Leo Turrin, Bolan turns the Italian countryside upside down and paints it blood red.
August 11, 2021
Some people are so savage and disillusioned by their own selfishness and quest for power. Bolan does what he does best - eliminate the savages who prey on the weak.
April 3, 2023
Tuscany Terror, the 52nd entry into this episodic series of Mack Bolan, the Executioner, keeps his never ending war on terrorism powering on. And even with over half a 100 of these so far, stays strong with ridiculous consistency.
The story here is a bit on the weak side (feeling far more like Pendeleton's early work), but like Doomsday Disciples , the action is relentless and non stop, once again feeling like a John Wick film in prose form.
There's shootouts, car chases, an all out assault against a band of Italian terrorists, and of course a ton of blood and gore. And as it’s the shortest novel of the batch, it’s basically perfect reading and mindless entertainment for the testosterone fueled male brain.
As I constantly seem to state with each successive review of these books, the best thing that seemed to happen to Don Pendleton's Executioner was Pendleton himself actually leaving his creation and giving it to others' more capable hands. Seriously I don't think there's been a single dud in the last 15 or so since Golden Eagle took over publishing rights.
The story here is a bit on the weak side (feeling far more like Pendeleton's early work), but like Doomsday Disciples , the action is relentless and non stop, once again feeling like a John Wick film in prose form.
There's shootouts, car chases, an all out assault against a band of Italian terrorists, and of course a ton of blood and gore. And as it’s the shortest novel of the batch, it’s basically perfect reading and mindless entertainment for the testosterone fueled male brain.
As I constantly seem to state with each successive review of these books, the best thing that seemed to happen to Don Pendleton's Executioner was Pendleton himself actually leaving his creation and giving it to others' more capable hands. Seriously I don't think there's been a single dud in the last 15 or so since Golden Eagle took over publishing rights.
May 20, 2023
A very short novel, bout 20 pages shorter then normal, even if you don't count the larger print and margins. This is a weaker effort, has plenty of action but to me the action scenes almost seem like parody at times. The story is fairly straightforward and not bad. Mainly Bolan is in Italy to get back an American Officer's wife and kid back from a dangerous terrorist group. Bolan does what he does and fights groups of terrorists throughout Italy til he gets to where the hostages are at for the final battle. Nice to see Leo Turrin again, not in many books at this stage of the series.
Can't recommend, if you are reading through the series then might as well read this one but its fairly forgettable.
Can't recommend, if you are reading through the series then might as well read this one but its fairly forgettable.
August 18, 2022
A strangely paced Bolan, but in the traditional mold in many ways. Of the post-mercenary era Executioner books that I've read, this is the most similar to the earlier books.
May 6, 2015
My Rating Scale:
1 Star - Horrible book, It was so bad I stopped reading it. I have not read the whole book and wont
2 Star - Bad book, I forced myself to finish it and do NOT recommend. I can't believe I read it once
3 Star - Average book, Was entertaining but nothing special. No plans to ever re-read
4 Star - Good Book, Was a really good book and I would recommend. I am Likely to re-read this book
5 Star - GREAT book, A great story and well written. I can't wait for the next book. I Will Re-Read this one or more times.
Times Read: 1
One of the first series I read consistently. This series and the Destroyer series are responsible for my love of reading and stories.
Characters - Looking back to my younger reading days, I loved Mack Bolan and thought he was one of the coolest characters in history. 30 years later, I realize that the characters were pretty stereotypical, but I still love him.
Story - The stories are average and fairly typical. Bad guys going to kill or hurt, Mack is going to kill them or die trying. Not much in creativity but it really worked for me as a male teenager. I wanted to own guns and protect the world just like Mack.
Overall - I started reading these when I was 16. I enjoyed them up until about age 19. My tastes changed from Military intrigue to Fantasy / SciFi. I would recommend reading these especially for younger males.
NOTE: I am going to rate these all the books in this series the same. Some of the stories are a bit better or a bit worse but I can't find one that I would rate a 2 or 4.
1 Star - Horrible book, It was so bad I stopped reading it. I have not read the whole book and wont
2 Star - Bad book, I forced myself to finish it and do NOT recommend. I can't believe I read it once
3 Star - Average book, Was entertaining but nothing special. No plans to ever re-read
4 Star - Good Book, Was a really good book and I would recommend. I am Likely to re-read this book
5 Star - GREAT book, A great story and well written. I can't wait for the next book. I Will Re-Read this one or more times.
Times Read: 1
One of the first series I read consistently. This series and the Destroyer series are responsible for my love of reading and stories.
Characters - Looking back to my younger reading days, I loved Mack Bolan and thought he was one of the coolest characters in history. 30 years later, I realize that the characters were pretty stereotypical, but I still love him.
Story - The stories are average and fairly typical. Bad guys going to kill or hurt, Mack is going to kill them or die trying. Not much in creativity but it really worked for me as a male teenager. I wanted to own guns and protect the world just like Mack.
Overall - I started reading these when I was 16. I enjoyed them up until about age 19. My tastes changed from Military intrigue to Fantasy / SciFi. I would recommend reading these especially for younger males.
NOTE: I am going to rate these all the books in this series the same. Some of the stories are a bit better or a bit worse but I can't find one that I would rate a 2 or 4.
December 26, 2007
read 04.30.85
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews