Murderers' Row

The Matt Helm Series, Book 5

De: Donald Hamilton

Narrado por: Stefan Rudnicki

Professional assassin and counteragent Matt Helm has been given a distasteful assignment. He is to disguise himself as gangster Jimmy "the Lash" Petroni and assault a fellow agent in order to help establish her cover in a top secret operation. But things don't quite go according to plan, and now Helm must take her place on a dangerous mission. Alone in Chesapeake Bay, pursued by his own government, Helm must carry out an assassination—before his employers catch up to him.

©1962, 2013 Donald Hamilton (P)2014 Skyboat Media, Inc.

47, XYY

Matt Helm aka “Eric”, cover story: James A. Peters, Atlas Enterprises Inc., a “reactivated” counter-agent, aka assassin. If someone dug deep into the records they would find another alias, Jimmy “the lash” Petroni. The lead professor on a top-secret project is missing. The project; Airborn Underwater Detection Apperatise (AUDAP). A slick device that can aid the U.S., or our enemies, in locating nuclear submarines. A questionable plan is rushed into operation to locate the professor before the enemy has time to extract the information in his head. Jean, a skilled operator, will play the role of an agent suffering from traumatic disorders, turning to alcohol to escape the feelings. The taking of lives in her role as a covert operator has lead her to a psychological breakdown. The idea is for Jean to publically display the effects of her emotional and mental trauma along with the alcohol dependency, baiting the enemy to kidnap her for interrogation. The hope is that she will be held captive in the same location as the professor. To further this crazy plan, Helm is to “rough up” Jean to make the ploy convincing, to the extent of breaking a limb. So much for the setup of the story. Yes, this is just the setup, but there is much more to come. Helm’s first strike causes Jean’s legs to tremble and she collapses. Later, Helm has another altercation with a young agent who in anger, tries to clobber him with a club, and Helm retaliates. These two incidents worry Mac, Helm’s handler, and he orders Helm to come in. Helm refuses of course and continues with his mission. He uses his Petroni cover to reveal who is behind the kidnapping of the professor and what their plans are. Helm remembers what Mac had told him at the briefing, “How to achieve this result is left entirely to the discretion of the agent on the spot. Do you understand?” Helm realizes what he must do. This may be one of the most dramatic episodes of the Matt Helm series. I’ve enjoyed this story and will continue with more of the series. Maybe when this is over, Helm will be able to visit his girlfriend, Gail Hendricks in Texas.

Words have changed meaning

Really enjoy the series, but the word rape have changed a lot in meaning since then, any way it can be replaced with something suitable to our time, like ravage?

Typical Matt Helm Book - entertaining mystery

I've read several of the Matt Helm books, and while the plots change, they are all basically the same. I compare them to Jack Reacher books, in that Matt Helm and Jack Reacher are smart and very logical. They think things thru carefully and solve the "mystery of the book" thru guile and logic, rather than brute force or some superpower. Much of the book takes place inside Matt's head, and Stefan Rudnicki is outstanding as the narrator and Matt's inner voice.

These are not what I'd call great books, but they are enjoyable mysteries, and most of them aren't much more than 5 hours long. I got them all as free downloads thru the Audible Plus benefit to my Audible membership. (I would not purchase or spend a credit on a book that short.) I listen to a lot of audio books, and I periodically fill in between books with a light-hearted and witty Matt Helm book. I will continue to do so.

first rate as usual

having read and reread the book, this reading of the book series is really well done, maybe a mistake here and there, but if there actually is a mistake i haven't found it,Michael caine said he memorized all the scripts by going over and over a thousand times, this reading of the series seems to be really gone over the same way, because the readings are so well done!

Great listen!

Hamilton can tell a great story. The reader, Stefan Rudnicki, is fantastic as well. Matt finds trouble everywhere.