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Able Team #11
Five Rings of Fire
A tragedy perpetrated by heartless savages bloodies the training gym of America's leading female athletes.
The horror continues as a busload of Zambian athletes is kidnapped in a blood-splashed encounter at Los Angeles airport. Able Team checks out dead goons at the scene and recognizes them as professionals. They smell KGB.
The President grants Carl Lyons - Able Team's "Mr. Ironman" - emergency command of the armed forces. The erupting war pits Lyons and his partners against unparalleled savagery - and zaps him right up against his old employer, the LAPD.
Able Team deserves the gold for their killing skills against impossible odds!
The horror continues as a busload of Zambian athletes is kidnapped in a blood-splashed encounter at Los Angeles airport. Able Team checks out dead goons at the scene and recognizes them as professionals. They smell KGB.
The President grants Carl Lyons - Able Team's "Mr. Ironman" - emergency command of the armed forces. The erupting war pits Lyons and his partners against unparalleled savagery - and zaps him right up against his old employer, the LAPD.
Able Team deserves the gold for their killing skills against impossible odds!
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First published March 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 10, 2024
This was the second novel in the Able Team series, back in the spring of 1988 as a 12-year old kid, and it was my sentimental favorite, especially for the line on p. 41: “Jawbone collided with brain matter in a gory smear of death.” So gorily descriptive and memorable.
However, re-reading it all these years later as a 48-y/o adult with extensive military, law enforcement, and firearms hobbyist experience under my belt, I’ve now got some nitpicks that I didn’t have back then.
For one thing, the author keeps getting (1) the M16 rifle & M79 grenade launcher combo on the one hand and (2) the M16 & M203 grenade launcher over/under combo OTOH conflated as it the two grenade launchers were one and the exact same weapon (which they’re not, although they’re both 40mm). Moreover, in one instance, the author mistakenly describes the M79 as firing 5.56mm projectiles when it’s in fact the M16 that does this. And then there’s the time when he says “5.56 caliber” instead of “5.56mm.”
Meanwhile, the character development with the villains is lacking, especially the head villains, i.e. Boeing, Bill Frazer AKA Ilitch, and Capt. Young. And the alliance of KGB types and KKK dupes is a tad convoluted.
Last but not least, whatever becomes of that stuck-up jerk Col. Frank Follett?
Still, it was fun to re-read this book for sentimental reasons, especially since the plot revolves around the 1984 Olympics, and the 2024 Olympics are taking place as I type these words—how timely, eh!
However, re-reading it all these years later as a 48-y/o adult with extensive military, law enforcement, and firearms hobbyist experience under my belt, I’ve now got some nitpicks that I didn’t have back then.
For one thing, the author keeps getting (1) the M16 rifle & M79 grenade launcher combo on the one hand and (2) the M16 & M203 grenade launcher over/under combo OTOH conflated as it the two grenade launchers were one and the exact same weapon (which they’re not, although they’re both 40mm). Moreover, in one instance, the author mistakenly describes the M79 as firing 5.56mm projectiles when it’s in fact the M16 that does this. And then there’s the time when he says “5.56 caliber” instead of “5.56mm.”
Meanwhile, the character development with the villains is lacking, especially the head villains, i.e. Boeing, Bill Frazer AKA Ilitch, and Capt. Young. And the alliance of KGB types and KKK dupes is a tad convoluted.
Last but not least, whatever becomes of that stuck-up jerk Col. Frank Follett?
Still, it was fun to re-read this book for sentimental reasons, especially since the plot revolves around the 1984 Olympics, and the 2024 Olympics are taking place as I type these words—how timely, eh!
July 31, 2017
Can there be too much action in an action adventure book? In this case, I believe there can. Don't get me wrong. I love action, that's why I read these things. This time around though, I wish the plot would of been explained and elaborated on a bit more. The emphasis was solely on the body count.
It's 1984 and the Olympics are about to get underway. Before they do, an eleven year old gymnast has her head blown off. The hit team that did it was looking for her coach, a defector from behind the iron curtain. Enter Able Team to help out. Meanwhile a busload of Zambian athletes are kidnapped by the KKK?! They do this for a German, or is it Russian KGB? A motorcycle gang tries to take out the team too. Oh yeah, the Russians want a bunch of black athletes to defect to Mother Russia. Why, it's explained briefly. I scratched my head more than a few times.
The action is what made this a great book in the series. You barley get to take a breath before something explodes or someone is full of holes. The ending takes place in the dessert with dune buggies and razor wire mixed in with all the blood. A great book, if not a bit confusing.
It's 1984 and the Olympics are about to get underway. Before they do, an eleven year old gymnast has her head blown off. The hit team that did it was looking for her coach, a defector from behind the iron curtain. Enter Able Team to help out. Meanwhile a busload of Zambian athletes are kidnapped by the KKK?! They do this for a German, or is it Russian KGB? A motorcycle gang tries to take out the team too. Oh yeah, the Russians want a bunch of black athletes to defect to Mother Russia. Why, it's explained briefly. I scratched my head more than a few times.
The action is what made this a great book in the series. You barley get to take a breath before something explodes or someone is full of holes. The ending takes place in the dessert with dune buggies and razor wire mixed in with all the blood. A great book, if not a bit confusing.
March 22, 2020
A solid 3.5 rounded up to 4, it's typical of the genre and the series but its everything you want it to be. Very straight forward with good guys and bad guys clearly defined. No long backstory just action and fulfilling the mission
Does start out with a bang with a girl gymnast being shot in the face on the first page. The ending was fairly abrupt but was good enough. Again breaking no new ground just a solid example of what the genre and series are for.
Recommended for fans of the series or men adventures for just a quick mindless read. Not one I would necessarily recommend for a newbie since its not the best, just solid.
Does start out with a bang with a girl gymnast being shot in the face on the first page. The ending was fairly abrupt but was good enough. Again breaking no new ground just a solid example of what the genre and series are for.
Recommended for fans of the series or men adventures for just a quick mindless read. Not one I would necessarily recommend for a newbie since its not the best, just solid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2020
This was a fairly average Able Team adventure. It's packed with action, but so much it gets almost comical at points. Seriously, it feels like the Able boys can't even cross a street without a gunfight breaking out.
The premise for the story is decent and the writing serviceable, but it's a bit more serious than other stories and lacks the banter among the heroes.
On the plus side, it was nice to see Gadgets get more attention (even if he did lack his goofy jive talking), and the character of Babette was a nice addition.
Also, I have to say it has a great title. A nice pulpy shoutout to the Olympic intrigue of the story.
Not a bad men's adventure novel, but just average.
The premise for the story is decent and the writing serviceable, but it's a bit more serious than other stories and lacks the banter among the heroes.
On the plus side, it was nice to see Gadgets get more attention (even if he did lack his goofy jive talking), and the character of Babette was a nice addition.
Also, I have to say it has a great title. A nice pulpy shoutout to the Olympic intrigue of the story.
Not a bad men's adventure novel, but just average.
January 25, 2016
A spin off series from his Executioner books. This series follows several secondary characters that band together. Recommended
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews