Donald Hamilton (1) (1916–2006)

A powerful first entry in the Matt Helm series as Helm, after 15 years as a peace-loving husband, father of three, and writer of Westerns, finds himself lured back into his old wartime business of killing by a girl he thought he would never see again. As we watch his dark side take over, it is both frightening and believable. Hamilton's prose is precise, chilling when it needs to be, and with that touch of ironic black humor that threads its way through the series. Believe me, you have no show more excuse for not reading this one. show less

The Damagers is an absolute masterpiece of an espionage thriller. Published thirty-three years after the first book in the series, this 1992 book continues the excellence of the Matt Helm series, without a doubt the best, most realistic, most hardboiled spy series ever. This is the last of the series published in Hamilton's lifetime, although there is apparently one more that he came close to finishing which may eventually be published - the Dominators.

Unlike other spy series, Hamilton never show more made the fate of all mankind at stake in his novels. Rather, each book portrays the grim, nasty work that must be done by those men and women out there on the edge. It's grim work and there's no room for softness or sentimentality. And there are many without the stomach for what has to be done.

In this seafaring adventure, Helm doesn't quite know what his real mission is. He just knows that he has orders and there are bad guys out there and eventually he'll find out what they are up to even if he has to be the bait. Almost everything in this novel (except for a few scenes outside a Restaurant) takes place on the water and involves navigating a small craft through the Long Island Sound and eventually through the Intercoastal Waterway. Not a word or a paragraph is out of place. It's that well written.

It involves a mysterious boat, one that is perhaps jinxed, secret bands of assassins and Middle Eastern terrorists, an enchanting femme Fatale who is like a black widow spider, and much much more. It all begins with: "My crew reported for duty early in October, a strapping Viking of a girl with long blond hair. Well, I’d figured they’d send me a girl when the time came, if it came. I was supposed to be doing my best to look harmless—a tempting target for sabotage and assassination—and a man and a girl cruising together on a boat look much more vulnerable than two men, even if the girl is a tanned Brunhilde almost six feet tall." What a great opening. show less

“The Removers,” first published in 1961, was the third book in the top- notch Matt Helm series, featuring what critics referred to as the hard-boiled spy, particularly when compared to the more genteel Bond series by Fleming. This is probably the best of the early Helm novels and is a solid plotted book with very little meandering. It actually as a story has less connection to spy fiction than to hardboiled tough guy novels, but perhaps that is what I like about it.

Here, Helm is now show more fully divorced from Beth, who could not handle the fact that the man she had thought was a puttering photographer/ writer had a past as one of the deadliest agents ever to fight against the Nazis in the European theater. Called out of retirement because of ghosts from his past, Helm could no longer hide the truth from Beth, who reeled in horror at the violence he had been involved in. She is now remarried and lives on a ranch in Nevada, somewhere near Reno. When Helm responds to her call for help, he finds that the new husband is a tough character in his own right and that dealings with the local hoods threaten the safety of Helm’s ex-wife and children.

The well-executed story is filled with tough guy situations and menacing thugs. This is a book primarily about gangsters and thugs and protecting family in the wild west. Of course, there is a young knockout for Helm to get involved with. It is action-packed and filled with tension. Throughout the entire novel, Hamilton doesn’t hit a wrong note even once. It is that well-written. show less

I'm picky about westerns. Most authors use guns like magic wands & horses like cars. History & logic are often casualties of action. Not so with Hamilton. His characters use the correct guns, ammo & holsters. No two gun shooting & the good guys don't shoot any better than the bad guys. Horses go lame & get tired, too. How refreshing!

This was a well crafted story with tough moral problems, yet an upbeat story, in many ways. Realistic without being horribly gritty or getting bogged down in show more mundane details. I've read another western by him, [b:Mad River|3589972|Mad River|Donald Hamilton|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|3632240] & it was every bit as good.

Still, his finest work was the Matt Helm series (nothing like the horrible movies with Dean Martin) which features a tougher, American James Bond-like character. show less