I didn't notice any OCR like the last book, so that was a big plus. I hope all the rest of the Helm fans are buying these, too. Not only are your old paperbacks wearing out, but by keeping this run going, we're closing in on FINALLY getting to read the last, previously unpublished book.

I remembered the story very well, of course. I've probably read it a dozen times. Still an excellent one.

One of the coolest things about Hamilton's writing is that he doesn't mind making his tough operative human & occasionally foolish. Helm is both in this, although he manages the assignment pretty well. I especially liked the last chapter or two. The fight scenes are so very realistic & yet understated. ( )

A brutal assignment, giving a realistic beating to a female agent so that she can infiltrate a spy ring, starts this novel. No gory details about the beating, just a description of the sacrifice both agents are making in the name of serving their country. The lengths they will go to are shocking, but very realistic. Accidents happen & Helm's mental health is called into question. Is he getting a superman complex? Does he value human life any more?

Helm winds up stalking the enemy spy ring in his own way in the Chesapeake Bay area. Again, his descriptions of the area are perfect. In one instance he describes the problems of getting through some underbrush, correctly identifying honeysuckle & wild rose (multifloral rose) as two of the major obstacles. He should know. He spent quite a bit of time in the area & it shows.

Helm winds up on an 80' sail boat, about which he knows very little, at this point in his career. That might be a bit overdone. Hamilton's knowledge of sailing is extensive. He wrote a book [b:Cruises with Kathleen|2078942|Cruises with Kathleen|Donald Hamilton|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|2084214], a nonfiction book about living on his own sailboat. Helm becomes more familiar with boats as the series progresses, but is never shown as an expert. Very well done in under 200 pages. It's amazing how much story & information Hamilton can pack into those few words.


See this page:
http://homepage.mac.com/mmtz/dh/books.html
for more of Hamilton's work, including biographies, stories & nonfiction articles. It's truly a fantastic collection. ( )

It's not the first book in the Matt Helm series, but it is the first of them that I read.

I liked it. Helm is a no-nonsense, get the job done kinda guy and if that getting done requires some killing, then so be it.

Can you tell it was written in the 60's? Sure. If you find books that have women in limited roles (sex objects or demented crazies) bothersome, you probably won't like this book much, but who reads this kind of book looking for a feminist perspective anyway? ( )

First, dispel any preconceived notions based on the silly Dean Martin movies. This is a hardboiled, no-nonsense tale about an agent for an unnamed agency who is more out of Mickey Spillane than Ian Fleming. Short, fast-paced, and straight to the point (only 144 pages), this is a great read. Hamilton's writing doesn't call attention to itself - it just hums along very effectively. ( )