Five stars just ain't enough for this top-notch thriller. Usually after a few sequels a series gets old and stale and formulaic. Hamilton's Matt Helm series, however, just keeps getting better and better. Although this is one of the latest in the series, it just might be the best.

Hamilton throws a lot is stuff in this thriller and it all fits together and all works. We see the return of Helm's ex-wife and his son, all grown up and a desperate plea for vengeance. We have a deadly terrorist liberation group planting bombs and killing innocents. We have the old Mafia chief, his daughter targeted by assassins, his gorgeous sexy wife, and gun battles in the streets.

This is a terrific book, one that is almost impossible to put down. It may be referred to as spy fiction but it has more in common with hardboiled detective novels than Bond and company. ( )

A good read that explores some of Helm's sentimental side. He's the cold blooded assassin, but he's still human & has his quirks, the pivot point of many of the novels. In this case, they're the basis. Very well done with some interesting opinions, as always.

I found them especially interesting in light of several articles I read today about how the FBI has deprioritized searching for missing persons & identity theft in favor of looking into music & other computer pirating, something that should be a civil matter. Not an exact fit, but the all consuming national fear of drugs is similar in many ways & has tied up resources that could have been better used elsewhere, not to mention eroded our civil rights.

Anyway, a good read & now I'm on to [b:The Frighteners|1085486|The Frighteners (Matt Helm, #25)|Donald Hamilton|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Bsw3vuUWL._SL75_.jpg|1072257]! ( )