I was hoping for something more exciting from this book, actually. Granted, this is a book published in the early 80's, but still, how is it possible that cops like the author didn't know about some of these things? Anyone nowadays who has watched a season of CSI or NCIS has seen far more dangerous and interesting covert weaponry than is shown in this book. Many of the weapons in this book seem pretty unreliable, too, like they might be great if smuggled into a prison or something, but otherwise just getting ahold of a proper gun or knife would be so much easier and more effective. Sure, thriller writers can come up with uses for pens that shoot bullets, but they could hardly have any accuracy or pack a very strong punch, and I suspect that the sparklers-on-a-stick item whose weapon use the author could not work out is not really a weapon, just a sparkler on a stick, more fun than a placard for young people in anti-war protests but not really something cops need worry about.
I did find a few items that might be fun to work into my next thriller writing project, at least. ( )