Customer Reviews

The devastators (Matt Helm suspense series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

People are dying of diseases such as bubonic placque. Matt Helm is sent to Scotland to clear everything up and encounters an egotistical scientist, Chinese agents and his old Russian adversary, Vadya. Donald Hamilton does it again with another fast paced Matt Helm thriller and mystery. Don't miss reading this book.

One of the best in an excellent series(although more James Bond-like than the previous eight). It's a shame that many dismiss the Helm books as just another bad action/adventure series(this is largely due to the horrible titles, horrible covers, and horrible Dean Martin movies). This is the greatest hard-boiled spy series ever written and puts Ian Fleming to shame. Great fun!

Not for the faint of heart. No sissies allowed. If you like James Bond you will love Helm.

I will take this space to write a review of the Matt Helm series, in general. Helm is so very, very different from the normal spy fare out there. Other spies are certainly more suave; Matt is about as diplomatic as a landslide, but he is a straight-shooter. Others are more handsome and debonair; he describes himself as tall and skinny. Other spies will kill when necessary; the body counts in some Helm adventures can be startling, and when he kills, he does it suddenly and with no soul-searching or drama. Other spies use gadgets; Helm is likely to find himself with nothing more than a knife, or his trusty .22 Colt.

Helm books can best be characterized as blunt trauma literature; there is no glamour with what Matt does. He is paid to do a job, and he does it in the most straightforward and, in the end, logical way possible. He isn't a violent robot by any means. He just does what he does in a no-nonsense way. For example, in the series, Matt often scoffs at people that won't shoot another in the back. "It doesn't matter which way they are facing!" he will say with total disdain. He is apparently left to face assignments based on his judgment and his handling usually reflects his personal opinions, which can be numerous.

He works for a US government agency that has no name, one that is called in when dirty work needs to be done. It is run by an individual named "Mac" who is supposed to be the spider in the center of the web. Mac's character is never well-developed in the series, but he provides the necessary bureaucratic cover for Matt's murderous activities. Few other characters are very well-developed in the series, and that includes the females. There are capable females in the series, but their characters do reflect the times and upbringing of the author.

There is more, but if you want no-nonsense spy stories that sound real, with action that has the air of reality about it, pick up a Helm novel. You won't be disappointed and I think you will find yourself liking Matt. He is murderous, he is violent, but you would certainly want someone like him as a next-door neighbor.

Through Amazon I was able to purchase individually every book in the Matt Helm series.

The prices were reasonable, the quality good and the delivery times excellent.

Amazon did a great job so I give them full marks.