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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
CAJUN LOOSED ON NEW YORK,
By
This review is from: Assignment: Stella Marni (Sam Durell, No. 4) (Paperback)
This fourth 'Assignment' book featuring Sam Durell was released as Gold Medal paperback 666 in April, 1957. Though Edward Sidney Aarons had been a writer during the 1930s through the 1950s, he had never reached the level finally reached in this very successful, fomulaic spy series, and with the ASSIGNMENT books he became in due course a best selling author. Sad to say, in these times he is just about forgotten other than by the dedicated readers who diligently search out 2nd hand bookstores for his 3 dozen plus books in the 'Assignment' series. In this 4th book in the series, Sam Durell is still a sub-chief of K-Section, CIA, working out of a false front located at No. 20 Annapolis Street, Washington, D.C. His previous service had found him working for the old O.S.S. during WWII, and later G2 Pentagon, but now he is assigned to the Department of State branch, CIA. In ASSIGNMENT: STELLA MARNI his boss, General Dickinson McFee, has given him 'unofficial' permission to work the Stella Marni case, although the operation is strictly a 'hands off' property belonging strickly to the FBI. If Sam's direct involvement is noticed by the FBI he will be in deep trouble, unable to rely on McFee's good graces or support. General Dickinson McFee even assures the FBI he has reprimanded Durell by removing Sam from the case, sending Sam back to D.C. However we know, Cajun is freely unleashed on New York, and New York City. Bad news for the FBI guys. The mission involves certain people testifying before the Senate Internal Security Subcommitte about the The New American Society and its involvement forcing potential citizens from Hungary waiting to become American citizens to return against their will to Hungary. Six people, all Americans, are working unofficially with the U.N. to cause the immigrants to return to Hungary without becoming American citizens. Doing this the 6 are all gaining money from the 'Iron Curtain' countries involved. Once returned to Hungary the people are never heard from again. Of the first four Durell books in the 'Assignment' series, this one shows its dating and age the most. Much of the dialogue sounds like a 'them' against 'us plot to the propaganda point we cannot allow iron curtain countries to wage and win a war of words with America. Though this was chilling and factual at the time of writing (1957), today it only showcases our insecurity at that time in the cold war. For those of us that grew up in the late 1950s we remember that Sputnik would soon show our space program up, to a degree of upsetting most Americans. TIME magazine, Newsweek, and most newspapers of the day had a field day with the event. The recent invention of black and white TV fed the story into many American living rooms. Sputnik and its resultant anxiety also supplied the reason for President JFK in early 1960s to promise a man on the moon by late 1960s. We can mainly thank Sputnik for our 1969 moon landing. Then, too, Sam Durell falls in love with this sinister Hungarian beauty, even as his "to die for" paramour, Miss Deirdre Padgett, sits waiting faithfully for him to finish his mission. Sam's amourous feelings toward Stella Marni not only further complicate the mission, it dulls any sense of objectivity in Sam. Further complicating this case in New York the top FBI man on the mission is equally smitten with Miss Stella Marni. She is, however, cold, calculating, and objective, being less interested in either Sam or FBI agent Blossom, than in her own specific interests (mission), which may include a couple past murders, with number 3 and 4 murders on the horizon. As the text describes Hungarian, blonde Stella Marni: "She had green eyes as cold as a frozen lake ...". Her chilling temperment matches this small descriptive. But to see how this all works out you will need to read this fourth book in the Sam Durell 'Assignment' series from Mr. Aarons. Further the fifth book in the series, ASSIGNMENT: BUDAPEST, will build on this story, as a hitman (Bela Korvuth)comes to America looking to kill agent Sam Durell mainly due his part in the Stella Marni affair. Though ASSIGNMENT: STELLA MARNI for me showed its aging pretty badly, it is a required read if one is involved with this series. However, as espionage books go, it still remains a middle of the road or little better read. In any series of 40 books, some read better than others, some hold up better than others. Due to Mr. Aarons' writing talent, especially character development and dialogue, all books in this series are rewarding reading. Even 5 decades later. Semper Fi.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Cold War fiction,
By "larryeischen" (Joliet IL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Assignment: Stella Marni (Sam Durell, No. 4) (Paperback)
Sam Durell tries to do a favor for a friend and ends up facing a ring of criminals who are compelling refugees to denounce the US and return to their Iron Curtain homes. Durell becomes involved with a refugee testifying to Congress who has decided to denounce America to save her father. The hunt for the criminals leads to an Iron Curtain freighter containing some of the returnees and a surprising revelation about Stella. This is one of Aarons' best Durell stories.
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