Action, thriller and humor this book has it all! Men of Extreme Action by Joseph Kochanoff is one of the better books I have reviewed this year, despite its obvious need of editing. Based in the action movie making industry, Joseph incorporates murder, excellent fight scenes and sabotage.
The two main characters are action movie stars that have difficult personal issues keeping them from doing their best. Wolfe Neilson is an aging man who is losing the battle both in his career and with alcohol. Steele Taylor is an older egomaniac who has become ruthlessly rude and demanding. These two actors are forced to make one last stab at reviving their dying careers (and personalities) by making an action movie together. Neither is used to sharing the lime light and the antagonism between these two ancient enemies is quite entertaining. Steele and Wolfe are constantly trading insulting wisecracks that had me guffawing aloud yet in the end they will depend on each other to live through another day.
Colorful characters such as Mr. Pang, the torture-trainer who forces Wolfe and Steele to cooperate, and Tina, the agent who mediates many antagonistic situations, brighten the...