This week, we’ve got a group of guys you don’t want to screw with, featuring two long-running series we’ve been covered before. The third book is the start of another one, so we’ll see how that goes — keep your fingers crossed. Let’s start it off with a later appearance from that fun-in-the-sun beach bum named Travis McGee.
THE GREEN RIPPER by John D. MacDonald — Seventeen books into the series and MacDonald throws this reader for a loop with the 18th. This 1979 entry was my fastest read of a Travis McGee novel ever. For some odd reason, I just flew through it. Also, it’s more in the vein of a James Bond story.
Her name was Gretel, and she was the one who finally conquered McGee. But in his world, nothing ever goes smoothly, especially when what he thought was his true love winds up dead from some mysterious disease. This sets McGee into action — this time not at some tilted windmill, but a dragon. No one can stop him from charging in — not even two mysterious agents who seem to know more than they are telling.
McGee goes across the country to a quasi-church of nefarious means. To go further into the church’s activities would be a major spoiler, but it’s actually pretty timely. McGee plays the part of a fisherman looking for his runaway daughter, but what he discovers sends a chill down the reader’s spine.
This book is loaded with action. You also get a sense that McGee is slowly coming to terms with his life, since early on in the story, he reflects on people he has lost who he helped. All the more shocking is how brutal this story gets for him. I mean, as much as he comes off like 007, he has a streak in him that makes Matt Helm look like a pussycat. Sure, it moves away from that carefree beach bum of early outings, but in no way should this book be passed over as later-period MacDonald. Its truly McGee throughout — just with a new purpose of not to be crossed.
THE INFILTRATORS by Donald Hamilton — For those keeping track, this 1984 book is 21 in the Matt Helm series, and is one of the later and thicker novels. Sometimes, they feel as though they were padded to hit a certain page count. Even though this one is double the size of earlier adventures, it reads like an earlier episode.
This time, Matt is entrusted to pick up a former prisoner and take her wherever she would like to go and make sure no one takes a shot or two at her — which, for Hamilton, happens pretty quick in this one. See, Madeline Ellershaw and her husband were both accused of being spies, with a wealth of evidence pointing to the fact. But Madeline’s husband went missing nine years ago and she was left holding the bag, so to speak. This actually turns out to be a much larger conspiracy that involves another government agency and the overthrow of the U.S. government.
The “who”s and “why”s are best left for readers to discover, but once a certain name pops up, most will know that what’s up. We actually see Madeline change from the out-of-shape mess who just got out of prison into a lean, mean, fighting machine, all thanks to Helm and his insistence of her spending time at his agency’s ranch.
New readers might want to read DEATH OF A CITIZEN before tackling this one, since a page and half gives away major plot points of that previous novel. Hamilton seems to have really come back to the Helm character in this one, especially with how he changes Madeline into someone that she would never believed in her previous life. I’ll just say that her character has a terrific payoff, even though Matt is none too pleased with how things end. Sometimes, the hero doesn’t get the girl. Especially when they become such a great shot.
RAVEN SETTLES A SCORE by Donald Mackenzie — I’ve got a better title for this 1978 book: RAVEN SURE IS A BORE. This is not the way to start out a detective series. It took less time to read this book than listen to the first Velvet Underground album. (I’m not joking; I finished reading as “European Son” was just starting.)
The cover promises a playboy ex-cop, but the story is a sleepwalk through a kidnap case. There is little I can fully remember from reading it, and I literally just finished it a few minutes ago. The case has something to do with a Korean drug cartel that kidnaps an American girl named Arabella. Our hero, John Raven, is called upon by someone I can’t even remember — or want to, at this point — to bring her back.
The novel moves at a fast clip but nothing really happens to keep a reader going. Yes, there is some forgettable gunplay, but to be honest, reading instructions to make iced tea is more engaging. From what I can tell, there are plenty of other books in this series. Now, it must sound like I’m being mean-spirited to some old, forgotten franchise, but I really have a near-zero recollection of what happened in it, or if anything happened. If the other books are anything like this one, I’ll skip them. —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DONALD HAMILTON:
• THE AMBUSHERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE ANNIHILATORS by Donald Hamilton
• THE BETRAYERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE DEVASTATORS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTERLOPERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTIMIDATORS by Donald Hamilton
• IRON MEN AND SILVER STARS edited by Donald Hamilton
• LINE OF FIRE by Donald Hamilton
• THE MENACERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE MONA INTERCEPT by Donald Hamilton
• MURDERERS’ ROW by Donald Hamilton
• NIGHT WALKER by Donald Hamilton
• ON GUNS AND HUNTING by Donald Hamilton
• THE POISONERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE RAVAGERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE RETALIATORS by Donald Hamilton
• THE REVENGERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE SHADOWERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE TERMINATORS by Donald Hamilton
• THE TERRORIZERS by Donald Hamilton
• TEXAS FEVER by Donald Hamilton
• THE VANISHERS by Donald Hamilton
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF JOHN D. MACDONALD:
• DARKER THAN AMBER by John D. MacDonald
• A DEADLY SHADE OF GOLD by John D. MacDonald
• THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY by John D. MacDonald
• THE GIRL, THE GOLD WATCH & EVERYTHING by John D. MacDonald
• NIGHTMARE IN PINK by John D. MacDonald
• A PURPLE PLACE FOR DYING by John D. MacDonald
• THE QUICK RED FOX by John D. MacDonald
• THE SCARLET RUSE by John D. MacDonald
• SOFT TOUCH by John D. MacDonald
• A TAN AND SANDY SILENCE by John D. MacDonald
• WHERE IS JANICE GANTRY? by John D. MacDonald
Related posts:
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Tough Guys Don’t Play Nice
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Trio of Testosterone
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Break from Character
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> To Helm and Back
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Better Than Bond
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
After a year or two looking for Matt Helm books, a dozen or so fell into my lap. One at a library sell, six or so at used bookstore (They had most of them but I left the later ones so I could pick up some Sam Durell’s), one in the free book section in the library. Though that one will probably fall apart as I read it.
Nothing against Sam Durell I’ve got stacks of them. But you should have grabbed all the Helms. Mainly since they are becoming harder and harder to find. Especially the later ones. I lucked out finding the bulk of later ones at one store at decent prices. But the last two I had to really search out.
What they really need is new editions like the Parker series, but I don’t think that is going to happen soon.
Yeah, Raven is a very dull series. I think I’ve read 3 or 4 of them, and the series does not improve.
Good to know I can skip the other Raven book I have.
Funny. Green Ripper was my first Travis McGee book; I found it at a used bookstore in Cos Cob, CT. Read it and went back for as many in the series as I could get (which is why I remember the store). It started my word-crush on MacDonald’s work, both McGee and non-McGee.
Funny enough I picked up this one and a few other McGee’s at a CT book store The Book Barn.
I grew up on John D. I read his work voraciously. Once upon a time I wrote to him. AND HE ANSWERED ME BACK — TWICE!!
Thanks for mentioning him.
Whew! Goawd, he’s good!
Fred Zackel
Even if MacDonald had only written THE EXECUTIONERS, which was seriously dumbed down for both films called CAPE FEAR, he would be worth remembering. But damn, he didn’t stop there, nor even write solely crime fiction. Some of the McGees run together, and his non-McGees average better, but, again, damn.
Of the “second wave” of hardboiled, I believe he’s probably the second best-selling now, after Spillane…and remarkable how much of both those guys is out of print now.