Matt Helm - The Ravagers

I'm a big fan of the Matt Helm spy stories. I think this might be one of the best. Helm is a much tougher and smarter secret agent than Bond, and this story is very clever without being confusing. The Helm stories each stand on their own but if you want to read them in order, the first is Death of a Citizen.

I've been a fan of this series since Gold Medal first published it in the 60's. The novels hold up wonderfully well. The Ravagers is the best one reprinted to date -- not that any of its predecessors are less than terrific. As I've written before about the previous stories, here is a hard-boiled spy novel complete with twisty plotting and a strong central character -- Matt Helm a/k/a Eric. Tom Clancy's cover blurb is accurate, but beware: this is not techno-geek stuff. Helm's weapon of choice is a pocket knife. Anyway, The Ravagers is as good a place to start this series as any so stop reading my review and buy the book already.

One of the better, more memorable Helm books, The Ravagers shows the cold blooded side of Helms work. When you have a license to kill, sometimes things get out of hand.Helm is given a mission that sets him against other government agents. A trap has been set, and HELM has to guarantee it closes, no matter what cost. A mother and her 15 year old daughter are the bait, a cross country trip across Canada the scene, and a sickening acid attack on fellow agent Greg are the elements that makes this HELM adventure stand out.

The venerable double cross is a favorite of mystery and spy novels. Mr. Hamilton upped that number considerably in Helm #8. Not sure exactly what "n" should equal. Frankly, I lost count...

I've been waiting anxiously for this book to become available and now I've already finished it. I guess I'll have to wait until another Matt Helm novel is offered. There is no better fictional character than him. If publishers read these reviews they'll hurry to get the entire series released so readers like me can enjoy them.

Through the years I purchased each of Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm books as they appeared in print. I even purchased the first, 'pre-Matt Helm' book (Assassins Have Starry Eyes) by Mr. Hamilton. Now that these books are appearing for the Kindle, I am purchasing each new re-release to save my aging, slightly 'tattered' paper back copies of the series.

These Donald Hamilton novels have all been great stories!

love all his books

Another hard-hitting story that sees the intrepid and sometimes ruthless agent on top form, having to deal with not only communist spies, but his own side in the shape of rival government departments. Given that this and the other books in the series are not new, the level of violence (both described and implied) is sometimes fairly shocking.The plot involves an extended pursuit through the wilds of Canada, a setting which is well depicted by the author's economical but effective prose. And there are quite a few satisfying twists along the way, with motives of the various characters not always being what they first seemed. Alas, I found the biggest twist quite easy to see coming.If you have enjoyed any of the other books in this long-running series, you will enjoy this one. And if you are new to the world of Mr. Helm, this entry would make a suitable introduction - although ideally you would start by reading the origin story,  Matt Helm - Death of a Citizen .Highly recommended, and definitely worth the full five stars. Matt Helm - Death of a Citizen

A good book in a great spy series.

Great speedy delivery and well on time. Good to see these books reprinted as they return one to the 60,s , one of my favourite periods. cheers Ewan