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Martin Falconer Thrillers #5
The Revolutionaries
One last mission, but this time it’s personal...In the Spring of 1920 the Mexican revolution was almost over. Just across the border in Texas was Martin Falconer, barely out of his teens yet already a veteran airman.
He had only just escaped from the Russian Civil War with his three friends, Slingsby, ‘Puddy’ Pudhovkin and ‘Tommy’ Tucker, and they were all looking forward to a little peace. Martin had cabled his girlfriend Charley, who was in Mexico with her father, to come and meet him.
But his hopes are shattered when they arrive in the border town of Camarillo to collect Charley, and the four airmen are caught in the middle of a battle. When the dust settles, they discover that the retreating Mexican bandits had taken Charley as a hostage.
Martin tries to enlist official aid, but without success. It was up to them – and all they had to use against a desperate band of rebels were two battered aeroplanes, a broken down Avro and a de Havilland with broken wings. This will be his most challenging flight.
The absolutely thrilling finale to the Martin Falconer thrillers, a tour de force of wartime storytelling, perfect for fans of Alastair MacLean, Alexander Fullerton and David Black.
He had only just escaped from the Russian Civil War with his three friends, Slingsby, ‘Puddy’ Pudhovkin and ‘Tommy’ Tucker, and they were all looking forward to a little peace. Martin had cabled his girlfriend Charley, who was in Mexico with her father, to come and meet him.
But his hopes are shattered when they arrive in the border town of Camarillo to collect Charley, and the four airmen are caught in the middle of a battle. When the dust settles, they discover that the retreating Mexican bandits had taken Charley as a hostage.
Martin tries to enlist official aid, but without success. It was up to them – and all they had to use against a desperate band of rebels were two battered aeroplanes, a broken down Avro and a de Havilland with broken wings. This will be his most challenging flight.
The absolutely thrilling finale to the Martin Falconer thrillers, a tour de force of wartime storytelling, perfect for fans of Alastair MacLean, Alexander Fullerton and David Black.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 13, 2022
The last book in the series is a bit bland compared with the others. The further into the series, the more bland it got. Spoilers ahead.
Rather a stretch, but Martin and his pals decided to go to the US because they got into the wrong ship in book 4. Once in Texas (where Tommy is from), they witness a barnstormer get killed doing a trick because his planes were in bad shape and he wasn't experienced enough.
They then travel down to Camarillo where they experience a raid by Mexican bandits. Meanwhile Charley is in Mexico because her father had gotten a job there. She decides to come up to visit Martin. However she and a companion are captured by a rebel (or bandit?) who demands 400 rifles and some cash to release her.
While the US government and the British consul are dithering on what to do, Martin and his pals (Tommy, Slingsby and the Russian pilot named Puddy) drive down to save her but one of their cars broke down. They decide to buy the barnstormer's planes from his widow and stage the rescue by air.
Overall it's not too bad as it opens a small window into Mexican revolutionary politics at the time (thank goodness Hennessy did a better job than with the Russian book) and Martin even gets to meet Pancho Villa who captures him but releases him unharmed. It's amazing that the timeline was only about 100 years ago and it was so different then. But as I said in book 1, this series is somewhat like a young adult book because the writing is fairly simplistic.
Rather a stretch, but Martin and his pals decided to go to the US because they got into the wrong ship in book 4. Once in Texas (where Tommy is from), they witness a barnstormer get killed doing a trick because his planes were in bad shape and he wasn't experienced enough.
They then travel down to Camarillo where they experience a raid by Mexican bandits. Meanwhile Charley is in Mexico because her father had gotten a job there. She decides to come up to visit Martin. However she and a companion are captured by a rebel (or bandit?) who demands 400 rifles and some cash to release her.
While the US government and the British consul are dithering on what to do, Martin and his pals (Tommy, Slingsby and the Russian pilot named Puddy) drive down to save her but one of their cars broke down. They decide to buy the barnstormer's planes from his widow and stage the rescue by air.
Overall it's not too bad as it opens a small window into Mexican revolutionary politics at the time (thank goodness Hennessy did a better job than with the Russian book) and Martin even gets to meet Pancho Villa who captures him but releases him unharmed. It's amazing that the timeline was only about 100 years ago and it was so different then. But as I said in book 1, this series is somewhat like a young adult book because the writing is fairly simplistic.
August 4, 2024
another good read
Definitely worth reading, easy read and fits the genre perfectly. Continuation of the Martin Falconer series. Less aeroplane related content than the previous 4, but I didn’t find that an issue at all.
Definitely worth reading, easy read and fits the genre perfectly. Continuation of the Martin Falconer series. Less aeroplane related content than the previous 4, but I didn’t find that an issue at all.
September 5, 2020
More of a Western than an Aviation story.
I found that the first 40% of the book was a bit slow. However after that it became more engaging.
I found that the first 40% of the book was a bit slow. However after that it became more engaging.
October 22, 2020
Swashbuckling flying
Very fanciful but light entertainment finishes the story of intrepid flyers
A taste of early border skirmishes mixed with Wild West scenarios
Very fanciful but light entertainment finishes the story of intrepid flyers
A taste of early border skirmishes mixed with Wild West scenarios
March 30, 2022
Hard read
First three books moved along pretty well, but book 3 slowed down quite a bit and the fourth was a
real slog.
First three books moved along pretty well, but book 3 slowed down quite a bit and the fourth was a
real slog.
October 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book along with the others in the series. It seems a shame that this is the last Martin Falconer, but all good things must come to an end.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews