The Devastators
@teamfreak16 (43649)
Denver, Colorado
September 11, 2016 1:49pm CST
A greedy scientific genius Dr. Archibald McRow, has been developing super virulent strains of diseases such as measles, and is rumored to be working on the bubonic plague. Three agents have been sent to stop him, all meeting the same gruesome fate. It's up to Government agent Matt Helm to pick up where the others failed in Donald Hamilton's 1965 Matt Helm novel, The Devastators.
Helm's job is to act as a lightning rod of sorts, drawing enemy interest as he maneuver's fellow agent Claire into position to make the kill. In the meantime, Helm has to deal with his old friend/enemy Vadya, a Soviet agent, her former traitorous partner Basil, and a mysterious Chinese lady named Madame Ling.
The Devastators is my second-favorite of Hamilton's 27 Matt Helm novel's. It's got enough action to satisfy, a good-sized body count, and, of course, double crosses.
Donald Hamilton wrote the Helm books as an American answer to James Bond, and frankly, Helm is the more believable of the two characters. The books aren't easy to find, but well worth the read if you do come across them.
6 people like this
7 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Sep 16
I have never read Matt Helm. Strange.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Sep 16
@teamfreak16 I did love Bond. Helm is probably more American hard boiled tradition.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Sep 16
@JohnRoberts - Yes, exactly. I like Bond a lot, but these just seem more realistic.
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Sep 16
They're great. More believable than James Bond.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Sep 16
I read many of those and they were great. I remember Vadya well. Have you ever tried any of Graham Greene's or Eric Ambler's old spy novels? Greene wrote one called "The Quiet Ameican" (quite different from the movie) and I got so caught up in Ambler's (probably hard to find novels that I read as many as I could find.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Sep 16
@teamfreak16 Just for kicks, I did an eBay search. There are Hamilton books for sale there. I didn't know that he also wrote westerns.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Sep 16
@JamesHxstatic - Yeah, he was fairly prolific. Wrote a lot of stuff aside from Matt Helm.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Sep 16
I will have to look for those at the used bookstore next time I go. Thanks for the heads up.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
11 Sep 16
Yeah, I guess you could. I was just thinking used bookstores.
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
11 Sep 16
They are pretty fun reads. I've been reading them since I was about 12.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
11 Sep 16
Thanks for the review, I do read a lot and I will keep an eye out for this author.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
11 Sep 16
Once in a great while I find them in used bookstores, but it's rare
@teamfreak16 (43649)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Sep 16
The Dean Martin movies are fun, but absolutely nothing like the books.
1 person likes this
