The Betrayers (1966) (Matt Helm #10) by Donald Hamilton. Remember this book is set in 1966. International tensions abound, worries about the Russians and the Chinese stoke many diplomatic decisions, and there was a little war going on over in Nam. That is the backdrop for this spy thriller that finds Matt Helm once again battling for his country.
Forced to take a leave after saying injudicious things about the U.S. involvement in southeast Asia, Helm plans a great tour of Hawaii. But like so many things in the life of a spy, this proves to be too much of a coincidence to let go. Seems the station chief in that area “may” have gone rogue. There “might” be something that Agent In Charge (AIC) Monk is planning. The agency wants Helm to look into it under his already scheduled vacation.
Of course there is something going on. Of course there are beautiful women falling into our hero’s path, and there is a growing danger. But we never see outright just what the danger is, at least until the trap is sprung. There is the young blond surfer who might be an Agency mole, or she could be working straight out for the Monk. Then there is the socialite wife of a failing businessman who might be Helm’s unknown sister-in-law, or a Russian spy.
And what are the Chinese doing in this. And just what is the evil plot?
Matt has to navigate these dangerous waters without a guide, discover what the scheme is, foil it and not get killed in the process. But who is he to trust? Along the way we get a tourist’s view of mid-sixties Hawaii including several of the different islands and local customs. Keep in mind that Hawaii had become a state less than 20 years before so it was still considered very exotic, not that it isn’t now.
If you only know Matt Helm from the Dean Martin starring movies, you don’t know Helm at all. More assassin that white knight, he is pragmatic when it comes to using the lives of the people around him, a realist about his job, and finally true to himself and his worth in the larger picture. With this character Donald Hamilton sealed his place in the world of spy fiction for all time. ( )

The tenth Matt Helm novel, the Betrayers, is one of the best. It is taught, well-put-together, and simply a straightforward spy novel. Here, Helm goes to Hawaii, originally for some R & R, but then to outwit a possibly-rogue agent and his group of anti-war activist newbies. This novel features the sun and surf of Oahu and Maui, including Helm getting surf lessons from a blonde bikini-clad agent and enough action and bodies strewn in his wake to make this action- packed thriller. There are plenty of twists and turns and double agents and double crosses to make this one a terrific read. One of the things that makes this Helm novel so terrific is that Hamilton doesn’t try to make the story too big or have it go in too many directions. It is a straight- ahead espionage novel with one agent pitted against another agent and the guessing game of who is on whose side and who has crossed over. It is hard to avoid being cynical and distrustful when everyone is whispering secrets to everyone else and it seems as if they all think you are suddenly the most interesting man in the world. ( )

This is #10 in the Matt Helm suspense series. As a light read it was satisfying.

Matt is due for a holiday and he plans for a trip to Hawaii but his boss has him check out the activities of one of their agents who seems to be playing with the other side. The other side is the Chinese. Matt meets a couple of beautiful women who he thinks are playing with his enemies but of course things aren't always as they seem.

It has been awhile since I have read a 1960's era detective novel and it brought back memories of reading them in the '60's because they were considered " risque". ( )

I'm waiting to reach that point in the Matt Helm series where the writing slacks off, the situations start to repeat in a too obvious way, and the writer doesn't seem to care any more - but with the Betrayers, book ten in the series, it hasn't happened yet. In fact, this book improves upon its predecessor. As it opens, Helm is grieving (at least as much as such a cold-blooded character can grieve) over the death of his pretend bride from the previous book. This makes his encounters with the two women he meets in this book that much more interesting and gives the story a depth that some of the previous books lack. The increased depth doesn't mean there is less of everything else, however. The book was published in 1966 and has lots of oblique references to the Vietnam War, which makes it more topical than the other Helm books I have read. The plot has Helm's Hawaiian vacation spoiled by Mac's plans to have him investigate a fellow agent who may be collaborating with the other side. The fellow agent is well known to Helm from their work together during the war -- and, of course, they despise each other, giving them a chance to conclude the final showdown that was interrupted 20 years or so earlier before it reached a fatal conclusion. What makes the Helm books fascinating is the first person narrative by the intelligent, calculating, shrewdly observant Matt Helm. At one moment, he's planning to get himself trapped to get into the enemy camp, at another moment he's commenting on women in pants (which he does in EVERY SINGLE BOOK), giving his opinion of power brakes, power steering, and automatic transmissions ("no" to all of them), or waxing philosophic about his gun. It's the consistency and the inner toughness of Helm, with sparks of humanity showing through as much as he tries to hide them, that carry all these books through. When you read one of the best ones - like this one - you feel like you've been punched in the gut and had all the breath knocked out of you - but you kind of like it.... ( )

I think it as well written as any other in the series, but I never liked it quite as much as the others. ( )