Able Team · #24

Blood Gambit

by Tom Arnett · July 1986

6.5 / 10 average from 4 rated reviews

An American traitor plans to let terrorists steal a top military secret for the Soviets. The prize is a computer known as the "Little General," and it would give Russia the edge in the arms race. Able Team is assigned to baby-sit the high-priced piece of high tech at a chess tourney. Everything looks okay until the hijackers make their opening move their last!

Reviews (4)

ice_cracked 6/10 June 26, 2007

The first half to 2/3 of this is rubbish but oh yea it delivers at the end. After going through the first two thirds you have a scenario where the Team is trying to save the kidnapped hostages chess players etc. but we don't care cause it's pretty ordinary folks until this happens. What happens that allows the kidnapped/hostages to all escape uninjured and how it was done stunned me I was impressed terrific stuff probably as good as anything previously written. That is the only reason I scored this as a six the rest of it is crap.

Monsta Mack 7/10 November 26, 2002

This one's not bad, the action was great. The chess player thing isn't the most exciting subject matter for an Able Team, but the author makes it work. I liked the ambush scene near the end, and the underwater river action was exciting.

Gunslinger 6/10 May 15, 2000

Not one of Arnett's best but it was enjoyable.

Douglas P. Wojtowicz 7/10 May 15, 2000

Yes, I have opinions on many Able and Phoenix books. :)This one is a nice little knock-down, drag out brawl. But the price of admission (anybody remember $2.25 for a paperback?) was more than made up for the simple fact that one of Able Team's rival forces was... the A-Team! C'mon... Cannibal Jones? B.O.? Everyone during this period who read the covers chided me on the A-Team, so, seeing Able whup their pale competitors was a joy. Wide open conflict with the KGB also helped put some meat into this book.