Scan barcode
tittypete's review against another edition
3.0
"What if James Bond was more sexist and way more full of himself but did less?" This must have been the question Hamilton asked himself before writing this one. Matt Helm, secret assassin, goes to Sweden and shits on everyone, nails some babes and is devoid of human emotion. Then some people die. This is evidently to prevent the Russians from annexing northern Sweden. Full of late-fifties/early-sixties American hubris. Too bad. I kind of liked the first book in this series, Death of a Citizen. This was kind of a bummer of a follow up. Might try another down the line because I enjoy the drama. But then again maybe not. Might just watch the shitty Dean Martin movies instead.
rschmidt7's review against another edition
5.0
After reading this 2nd book in the series, I am completely hooked. These Matt Helm books remind me a lot of the Parker books by Richard Stark, being contemporaries with that series as well. What Parker is for noir crime novels, Matt Helm is for spy novels. If you understand what you're in for with these books -- that is, 1960s Cold War espionage, complete with all the dated tech and misogyny of that particular decade -- then they are a helluva read. I definitely plan to read the other 25 books in the Matt Helm series and would recommend them to anyone who enjoys action or spy novels.
krep___'s review against another edition
3.25
Book 2 in the series is a slight step up from the first in terms of plot complexity. Even though it's short novel, in Dashiell Hammett's hands this would have been a short story, but Hamilton uses it as a vehicle for Matt Helm's brand of hard-edged narration, sharing insights gained from his experience in the spy world or, more specifically, the world of the government hit man.
pussreboots's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jpmrrtx's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed The Wrecking Crew even more than the first one, Death of a Citizen. In Death of a Citizen we are introduced to the Matt Helm character and he is far different than the character in the movies. In this second installment Matt Helm has resigned himself to the loss of his marriage and family and returned to the service of the secret organization he worked with during the war. I saw a review where someone mentioned the book was dated, and yes the events take place during the cold war, but if a story is told well it holds up and isn't dated, and this story is told very well.
thecrankyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
joshster142's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
criminolly's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a mostly entertaining and reasonably realistic feeling espionage novel with newly returned to duty operative Matt Helm flying off to Sweden to track down a bad guy and take him out. It’s suitably twisty turny and and has some decent action and dialogue. Unfortunately it’s also unpleasantly misogynistic, with hero Helm beating a raping a female character at one point to bring her into line.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
More...