Vigilante Run

Another first time author here and he does quite a good job. As has been reviewed this title has two plots running through until the end. One involves a vigilante who in ability is probably close to the big guys equal but a very different character when it comes to morality. The Rook character whilst like a mirror image of Bolan he has no care at all when in action and will randomly kill anyone who gets in the way. The way he was initially taken down was quite good but I have major reality checks with how he recovers out of a coma and what he manages to do, as I do with the Kohler character being able to do what he does after being shot in the shoulder by Mack with the Desert Eagle. The other is a Chinese plot to release a nerve agent gas which involves the inclusion of a locally cooked methamphetamine drug which when mixed with other chemicals will create this gas. I liked a lot of the action scenes in this title and the author stayed pretty much to the Bolan character but for me a lot of characters introduced here had very little to do with the ongoing storyline. Lots of jumping around within the storyline which made the reading of this somewhat disjointed and hard to follow at times. Pretty good effort look forward to his next title.

This was my first "Executioner" book that I've read, and I really liked it alot! A week ago I finished Mack Bolan "War Drums", while it was o.k., it was also very slow reading if you know what I mean. This book, "Vigilante Run" was a 100 times better! More action, better wriiten, and a non stop page turner from start to finish! It only took me about 6 total hours to read! I am now hooked on "The Executioner" and have started on "Dragon's Den" and found it to be the same! If you want a non stop, well written page turner, look no further! Well done, keep up the good work!

“Vigilante Run” had the promise of a new author, interesting premise and a lot of good buzz. Unfortunately, to me, the book plodded. Gary Rook parallels are obvious to a certain famous vigilante. He has the lines and the outline of one. However, as a character in this novel, he is a simpering, humorless knockoff, with a pathological need to blow away bad guys, with absolutely no moral code whatsoever. No concept of innocent life, even though it is key to the one motivation he draws upon, indicates an incomplete character profile. As evil-Bolans of the month so far this year, he has to be the most insufferable. This entry had no high concept ideas, no sense of menace and the worse of all sins, boring. The exotic locales of upstate New York and a wacky plot involving Chinese sleeper cells venture into a weirdly underwhelming third act. Ironically, the action slowed this one down. The dialogue and setup expositions I had no problem with. Save for one. Chinese sleeper agents are not called at home and told “You are activated.” Just like that. I try not to focus too much on the errors, but that one stuck out. The pacing are choppy. The action scenes are sketchy, not well-fleshed out, and the characterization of Bolan is a bit off. Strange enough, his Desert Eagle is set to “stun”, instead of to kill. All of this is understandable for a first time author to the series. I would read future installments from this author. As an introduction, this left me a little cool to anticipate the next entry.

There two books in one for me, in this one. There is the dual of will between two equally skilled and determined men with the same goal. One with a moral compass, one without. Gary Rook is a broken man, born from pain, turned mad and a good adversary for Bolan. That duel was interesting. The other book has evil red commie chinese doing...whatever. I didn't care for that part. Strong entry, I just wish there was more space dedicated to the Rook storyline.

This was an enjoyable read from this first time writter. The central idea of a second vigilante who is driven almost insane with revenge for the overdose death of his daughter. However unlike Mack Bolan, who started out his War Everlasting as a vigilante, as well as Marvel Comic's The Punisher, who will always be one till the day he dies, Gary Rook is nothing more than a crazed gunman who kills anyone he sees whether they are criminal or civilian. This is in direct contrast to both of these heroes who go out of their way to make sure civilians do not get hurt. I liked the fact that near the end of the story Gary Rook had lost his mind while taking hostages. Very nice Read.

I am a long time fan and reader of The Executioner series. After reading this issue, I decided to start leaving ratings. This first offering from Phil Elmore was somewhat different than recent issues in that it takes place in the good old USA. I enjoyed this very much and stayed interested in the story from cover to cover. Good action and plot make it a good read. I took away one star because of Kohler being shot and not mentioned again. It was as if he was not wounded. Overall a very nice first issue for Mr. Elmore. I look forward to him penning other Executioner adventures in the future.

I loved this book, especially considering it's a first-time author of the BOlan books. I'll be the first to admit I'm not the swiftest guy on the block when it comes to keeping track of plot threads, and when there are too many names, twists or layers to keep track of, my eyes start to glaze over. This was not the case with "Vigilante Run." I was able to follow everything going on, and was even pleasantly surprised with some of the twists. I eagerly awit the next title from Phil Elmore, and heartily recommend this book as a fine example of how great the Mack Bolan series can be.

I have been with this series since its beginning and have in the main enjoyed the books. The low rating given this title is based on what can only have been a total break down in editing: here goes: Page 129: Mack and Grimaldi take an elevator to the top floor to reach the office of Roger Kohler, lines 11, 12, 13. Page 132: There is a gun fight and Mack shoots Kohler in his shoulder, line 2, Page 133: Kohler bolted, line 16. Page 134: Grimaldi is chasing Kohler down a street, line 9 ff. How in the world did a man who has been shot with a 44 magnum get down the stairs and then manage run down the street? Page 137: Kohler is in a police interrogation room, line 1 ff. No treatment for the gun shot wound? A frustrated reader, Ken Heflin

I was pleased with the quality of book from another new Bolan writer. Here we have a fast paced taut thriller taking place in central New York state. The Vigilante, the primary bad guy in this novel, is like Bolan's equal, and yet his opposite. Gary Rook is running rampant taking out bad guys, but unlike Bolan, he cares nothing for any innocents that get in his way, or any collateral damage he causes. This book offers one of the more memorable villains I've read, and this is only a portion of the overall story. A complex plot with a large cast of characters moves this book along fast and furious, many perspectives are depicted as the chinese agent's plot emerges more as the the book goes along. The author somehow manages to weave all this together smoothly, with good action scenes, and some surprises, making this a gripping and entertaining reading experience. There is even a posibility of a sequel of sorts left open, on the Chinese end of the story. The characterizations of Bolan and the cast of Stony Man regulars are done very well also, and I am eager to read more titles by Elmore. With the second book in a row from a new writer, this series hasn't lost a beat, both Spring and Elmore's first contibutions are worth checking out.