Flight 741

I had a trip coming up and figured I'd grab a book for the trip, it'd been a while since I read a Bolan so I picked up a couple. This will be a good book for the trip right? Wait, maybe I don't want to be reading this in an airport? Am I being paranoid? I brought something else instead! I had held off buying and reading this for a while (27 years or so) because I didn't have any interest in the whole hijacking thing, man was I wrong, this was a great book and the plane part is only part of it. Classic Newton here, I regret having not read this sooner! Almost James Bondish with all the awesome locations and intrigue. Loved the "many faced" villain. Like the appearance of Carl Lyons, though I'm not a fan of his. Great book!

Strong novel by Mike Newton. I particularly enjoyed the opening highjacking scenes. It makes Bolan so human to have him be helpless. Sure, he could easily make a move or try to do something, but it could result in innocent people getting hurt, so he is forced to sit and watch. Love that concept of Bolan being unable to act. The rest of the novel featured him tracking down the multiple Ravens. I don't think the second half lived up to first half, but all in all it was a strong adventure.

This one was slightly difficult for me to rate because it was a great read … just not what I had expected. The back of the book is somewhat misleading and gives the idea the story centers on a hijacking. It doesn't. However, the hijacking infuriates the Executioner to track down an international terrorist(s). I did greatly find the primary antagonist -- Raven -- as one of my favorite in the non-Pendleton books. The idea behind multiple Ravens is a genius idea and one that keeps the reader, and Bolan, guessing up until the end of the story.

The title starts where the big guy happens to be a passenger on an international flight which is hijacked (apparently you folks up there say skyjacked)? and right from the start you will enjoy this section. A couple of good characters from the flight crew introduced here and they play pretty good parts in the ongoing storyline. Some of the things that happen to the passengers amazed me and I REALLY enjoyed reading something here which I have never read anywhere else very good stuff. Now the leader of the terrorists is "The Raven" an infamous terrorist which the rest of the title is built on. It involves a KGB plot and some doubles and all of a sudden The Raven is indestructible. Add in some excellent characters from previous titles with Toby Ranger, David, Katz and the Ironman making appearances and you have some fine writing going here. Until page 307 I loved this even though I had misgivings regarding Toby tagging along to Germany but my fears were allayed with the love scene section I thought! Yep here we go again a female captured which Bolan has to rescue, and I must admit I lost any enthusiasm I had going. Finishes okay where all of the clones are accounted for but it lost me on page 307. Two stars deducted again. Good read apart from the mandatory plotline inclusion.

This is a good but not quite great SuperBolan. From the description on the cover I was expecting more of a "Die Hard" type of story, with most of the story taking place on the plane or at the airport. In fact the hijacking of the jet only sets up the novel. From there the story bounces around the globe as Bolan hunts down the Raven, only to cross paths with members of Able Team who thought they had already neutralized the terrorist mastermind (several times, as it turns out.) What I really didn't like about this novel was how the author builds things up in one scene, then jumps to a flashback scene elaborating on the Raven's background. It gets especially irritating once you catch on to it - just when it seems something big's about to happen, suddenly we shift to a narrative about the Raven's days in college. In fairness, it was interesting to gain some insight on Middle Eastern terrorism - I was only a kid in the 1980s when skyjackings were such a problem and so I never understood why there were so many. One good point of the novel was Bolan's relationship with the lady fed, though it seemed like something lifted from a James Bond novel with only minor modifications. Overall this was a good SuperBolan, but I've read better.

This was a great story from the beginning to end. I only wish that Bolan could have let the Raven know why he was chasing him. I also liked,that you kinda see that the whole hijacking kinda messed with Bolan, made him more human. The only time that I have read that he was somewhat helpless. I also just picked up #111 The Fiery Cross not knowing that it was a sequel to 741. Can not wait to read. Would recommend this book!!

For as much as I liked this one, I was rather disappointed with the whole hijacking end of the book. I really felt let down that it resolved so abruptly. I loved the hunt for the Raven story after. The multiple Ravens was very intriguing! If the end of the flight was handled better, and we learned more about them stewards after the order was ended, i felt really hanging there, and thought finishing that off more should have been really important to the writer,,,

I liked this one a lot. The thing that really had me hooked was the plot twist with all the impostors. Great action sequences and plenty of suspense too. Definitely a high point of the series for me. El Greggo The Armchair Critic says: 2 BIG ASS THUMBS WAY THE HELL UP!!!

This is one book I always come back & reread. This first half of the book is a real pageturner. It kind of slows down in the middle, but then picks up toward the end. This is a good book & I highly recommend it.

I really liked this novel. An excellent SB novel. There were a few problems like: 1) Which Raven hijacked the plane? I suspect it was the original since he referenced being injured in Lebanon but it could have been a previous time? 2) I don't know why Newton didn't just say who Mike Blanski was. Actually he really didn't have to since it was a name Mack has used countless times. Seemed like a fake mystery. Like asking "was the person murdered?" when a body is on the floor sliced and shot 5 times in the head. 3) Did Karl and Julie live happily ever after. What I did like a lot was how Toby, Lyons and Mack worked together in Canada. Granted it was coincidental but oh so nice. Very Pendletonesque scene. I loved how Toby Ranger's character was explored. I do think she was burned out - she took a needless risk following her "boss". I liked how Newton wasn't shy in stating how she felt about Mack and seemngly jealous with the late April Rose. I do think for action scenes the cemetary was the best scene. Not a whole lot of action. Ok the scene on the plane that lasted 100 pages was so suspenseful. Very clever to have the hostages strip. I also liked how Newton wrote how Mack was fairly hopeless from doing anything. I did think it did not last long enough though. I do think this book would have been nn absolute ten if it was just a 250 page novel and just taken place on the plane. As much as I loved Toby coming back the overall final 250 pages never lived up to the first 100. Maybe have it be 170 pages for the hijacking then 80 pages with a chase after the Raven and his associates in Lebanon. I think it was written between the Trial and book 92. Maybe have a later novel with the multiple Ravens. Overall an 8.

Sorry, this was not one of Newtons' better books. Bolan was flat, no character, poor dialogue. No tension in the action. the story did not revolve around the plane hijacking, like say Executive Decision, or Die Hard 2, but the majority of the story happens after the seige. I got bored 3/4 thru and skimmed to the end.

This book had me on the edge of my seat at the beginning. the first 3rd of the book was awesome, but it kinda ran out of gas.I would rate it a lot higher, but it was too inconsistent overall. It was like Newton was writing a smaller book and had to stretch it to make it a superbolan. The ending was great though.

When Hal, Katz, McCarter, and the rest realize who the mystery passenger is-ya just wanna feel sorry for the bad guy.

I would have to say my favoriot part was the Arms deal in the cemetary. Definetly one of the best

I was in complete awed during the hijacking part of the book. Some of the best moments in the history of the Executioner. After that, the book dropped off in intensity. A great read though.

I agree with gunslinger. Some of the best Bolan - highly recommend.

Once again I have to agree with Gunslinger. The hijacking part was good, but it the rest of the story caught me off guard. I didn't think that the hijacking part would end so quickly and last briefly. There was too much emphasis on the enemy and some parts were just too confusing. They should of done a classic espionage. First the terrorist take over. Then Mack enters the plane during mid-flight thanks to the help of his buddy, Jack. That would of been better. But overall an OK book.

This is one of my favorite SuperBolans because of the hijacking part. From the sounds of it, I wasn't alone in being disappointed at how quickly that was resolved. I do like the scene in the War Room where Brognola, Lyons, Katz, and McCarter discuss the hijacking -- great insight into how the guys feel about Mack. I also like how Lyons meets up with Mack in the field...Definitely a keeper.

Thoroughly enjoyed the highjacking sequence but I could have skipped the rest of the book.

This has to be one of my favorite SuperBolans. Frankly, the hostage sequence ended surprisingly peacefully, but it was a nice little hunt for the bad guys as Ironman, Katz and McCarter joined in on the lethal fun and games. The final chase between Mack and the Carlos clone was a good payoff after the hijacking.