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They Call Me the Mercenary #1
The Killer Genesis
Hank Frost, the one-eyed mercenary captain, goes on a vicious blood-hunt into the jungles of war-torn Central Africa, carrying his vendetta against the kill-crazy rogue commander who massacred Frost's outfit down to the very last man. The trail leads him into a three-sided ground war between Communist terrorist butchers, a bloody-handed puppet dictator, and the CIA's own revolutionary army. Through an endless web of torture slayings, a bank heist commando raid, and deception, Hank Frost never takes his eye off the ultimate goal: assassination.
196 pages, Nook
First published November 1, 1980
6 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Axel Kilgore
59 books7 followersPseudonym for Jerry Ahern
Jerry Ahern (born Jerome Morrell Ahern; 1946 – July 24, 2012) was a science fiction and action novel author best known for his post apocalyptic survivalist series The Survivalist. The books in this series are heavy with descriptions of the weapons the protagonists use to survive and prosecute a seemingly never-ending war amongst the remnants of the superpowers from pre-apocalypse times. The series centers around the attempts of Dr. John Thomas Rourke, an ex-CIA agent, to preserve his family. In the first book, a nuclear war begins while Rourke is returning from a business trip. After surviving the crash of an airliner in the Southwest United States, Rourke fights his way across the chaotic horror of the post-war United States to his hidden subterranean survival retreat in Georgia, where he eventually reunites with his family. Survivalist #10 begins a new phase - it takes place after Earth's atmosphere has been destroyed and Rourke and his family have been in cryogenic sleep for 500 years.
Ahern was also a firearms writer, who has published numerous articles in magazines such as Guns & Ammo, Handguns and Gun World. As of May 2010, he was a contributor to the monthly "Field Issue" column to the latter publication. One of his recognized areas of expertise was holsters and leather gear for firearms, and he has produced a line of holsters.
Jerry Ahern (born Jerome Morrell Ahern; 1946 – July 24, 2012) was a science fiction and action novel author best known for his post apocalyptic survivalist series The Survivalist. The books in this series are heavy with descriptions of the weapons the protagonists use to survive and prosecute a seemingly never-ending war amongst the remnants of the superpowers from pre-apocalypse times. The series centers around the attempts of Dr. John Thomas Rourke, an ex-CIA agent, to preserve his family. In the first book, a nuclear war begins while Rourke is returning from a business trip. After surviving the crash of an airliner in the Southwest United States, Rourke fights his way across the chaotic horror of the post-war United States to his hidden subterranean survival retreat in Georgia, where he eventually reunites with his family. Survivalist #10 begins a new phase - it takes place after Earth's atmosphere has been destroyed and Rourke and his family have been in cryogenic sleep for 500 years.
Ahern was also a firearms writer, who has published numerous articles in magazines such as Guns & Ammo, Handguns and Gun World. As of May 2010, he was a contributor to the monthly "Field Issue" column to the latter publication. One of his recognized areas of expertise was holsters and leather gear for firearms, and he has produced a line of holsters.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 1, 2021
One-eyed mercenary Hank Frost is the last man standing when his comrades are betrayed by their employer, gunned down in a helicopter raid to avoid paying them off. Frost’s quest for revenge takes him to a war-torn African nation, where he finds allies in a CIA operative and a beautiful female journalist, Bess.
Prolific military adventure novelist Jerry Ahern, writing under a pseudonym here, is not a very good writer but he sure can tell an exciting story. Those who moan about political correctness won’t find much to moan about here. After rescuing Bess from torture, where she witnessed the mutilation and murder of her friends, it doesn’t take Hank long to inquire whether she’s too liberated to cook for him. To be fair, though, the far right politics aren’t laid on as thick as they could have been and it all ends up being part of the charm. Bess turns out to be pretty badass once she gets her hands on some firearms. Hank smokes like a chimney; I’m pretty sure there were times when he lit up four or five cigarettes on a single page.
https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com
Prolific military adventure novelist Jerry Ahern, writing under a pseudonym here, is not a very good writer but he sure can tell an exciting story. Those who moan about political correctness won’t find much to moan about here. After rescuing Bess from torture, where she witnessed the mutilation and murder of her friends, it doesn’t take Hank long to inquire whether she’s too liberated to cook for him. To be fair, though, the far right politics aren’t laid on as thick as they could have been and it all ends up being part of the charm. Bess turns out to be pretty badass once she gets her hands on some firearms. Hank smokes like a chimney; I’m pretty sure there were times when he lit up four or five cigarettes on a single page.
https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com
May 7, 2022
So much happening in this book. Crammed with action, sex, battles and bloodshed. Highly recommended!
June 3, 2017
Book 1 of Jerry Ahern's other well known series. This one starts out with Hank Frost, the one eyed merc and his troops on a mission. The man who hired them pulls a double cross and kills them all, except one. Hank Frost. He vows revenge. Sets off to Africa, blows up a lot of things. Joins up with a CIA man, topples a bank. Then kills many more people.
This was full of action. Paced nicely for a men's adventure novel. The only draw back was Mr. Ahern's long rant about Commies. He went off the rails there. He gets back on course thankfully soon after. Ahern always seems to churn out a nice book, no matter if it's the end of the world or deep in the jungle of an oppressive regime.
This was full of action. Paced nicely for a men's adventure novel. The only draw back was Mr. Ahern's long rant about Commies. He went off the rails there. He gets back on course thankfully soon after. Ahern always seems to churn out a nice book, no matter if it's the end of the world or deep in the jungle of an oppressive regime.
April 27, 2025
It was a solid start for the series. Frost is an one eyed mercenary who luckily is the sole survivor of a double cross. Now he is after the mercenary leader who killed 150 of his fellow mercs. However, he gets involved in fighting in Africa, where his villain is now. With all the forces fighting each other that you would need a scorecard to keep up, Frost has his hands full, but he really just wants to kill one SOB.
Highly recommended, it goes off the deep end every once in a while, but not often. It's basically what you would expect from a men's adventure novel from the 80s with a solid revenge storyline to hang all the action on.
Highly recommended, it goes off the deep end every once in a while, but not often. It's basically what you would expect from a men's adventure novel from the 80s with a solid revenge storyline to hang all the action on.
November 5, 2018
One of the best mercenary-porn novels I've ever come across.
The author using the pseudonym "Axel Kilgore" is actually Jerry Ahern - prolific author of several modern-day war-themed series all featuring heroes who know their guns and ammo almost too intimately.
This is the 1st in an approximately twelve-book run about "The Mercenary," Frost - a one-eyed, eye-patch wearing gun for hire.
The novel is episodic and reads a lot like adventure-pulps of the 1930s/1940s.
In this introductory entry, Frost is the sole survivor of a squad of mercenaries double-crossed by their commander following completion of their assignment in Central Africa.
It's a revenge number and Frost finds himself in waist-deep in mayhem from start to finish.
I enjoyed this novel and will purchase anything I find by Axel Kilgoe/Jerry Ahern in the future.
April 15, 2023
I enjoyed this military action thriller novel featuring Hank Frost, the one-eye Merc... it also has some gore, violence, and some sexual situations... those were the cheesy parts! The author apparently knows his guns and weaponry. The Browning Hi-Power is Frost's favorite gun, A good one too!
December 20, 2011
We've got everything we need in a hairy-chested men's adventure novel ... a wisecracking hero, a blonde bombshell, an assortment of weapons, and a plot laden with honor and revenge. What we get that we weren't expecting is a well and entertaining written action-packed page turner that's a hell of a lot of fun.
August 9, 2016
Very well executed novel of the action/adventure type. Interesting main character and story line.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews