System Corruption

Well seems like every title you pick up to read and check who the author is on seeing this guy you know it will be a sensational read and so it is here again. A major supplier to the military is taking shortcuts and supplying substandard equipment causing the unnecessary deaths of American servicemen. A reporter and a serviceman who happens to be the son of a high ranking officer who in turn happens to be a good friend of Hal are killed after they are detected snooping into the affairs of the said supplier. An employee of the company stumbles across damning evidence of the shortcomings of the substandard equipment being supplied to the military and takes off in fear of his life (and so he should) and enter the Big Guy to find out what is actually going on. What follows is a non stop action packed title where you will be engrossed on what occurs as the Big Guy gets closer and closer to the truth and the shadow players behind the conspiracy who throw everything at him to stop and silence him and bury the evidence obtained by the ex employee. Don't want to say too much here and spoil this title for you simply to say that you WILL enjoy this one if you give it a go and this contains one of the sweetest endings ever considering the subject matter of the title. Superb loved every page of this one and it is HIGHLY recommended for your reading do yourself a favour and grab it.

A good story that could be off of the front page of the papers ended up being a reasonably enjoyable novel. Bolan seeks out the contractor who's supplying the army with substandard equipment. And he has to protect the whistle blower with the information. The action really heated up once Bolan tracked his man to Mexico, and that's where it came hot and heavy with Bolan and co. evading mobile hit teams in SUV's and choppers. The finale in a hospital was just average, as was the confrontation with the main villain.

Longtime Mack Bolan author Mike Linaker returns with a tale of a corrupt military-equipment contractor providing substandard gear to American troops in an effort to boost their bottom line. It's actually a timely and relevant sort of story and that helps give the book a plot that's more involving than the average. The biggest problem with SYSTEM CORRUPTION is the relative lack of direct engagement between Bolan and the enemy. Bolan kills an awful lot of mooks in this one, which works as far as that goes, but Linaker goes out of his way to introduce a clever and ruthless South African security expert and troubleshooter on the side of the bad guys and then fails to use him for fully two-thirds of the book. By the time things begin to pick up in intensity, it's very close to the end of the novel, meaning the really high-stakes stuff has been put off for too long. Of course Bolan comes out on top, but it's always better when he has some stiff opposition along the way.

This one is a solid read. Excellent pace, good action sequences, and a dose of suspense thrown into the mix. Being a tech geek I cringe anytime the term "main frame" crops up in modern Bolan novels. But aside from the weak techno babble I really enjoyed this one.

This book proves once again why Mike Linaker is one of my favorite Bolan authors. The action is intense without being bloated. The plot moves at a brisk pace without becoming overcomplicated. Not as good, in my opinion, as "Zero Option," but still a great read.