“The Removers,” first published in 1961, was the third book in the top- notch Matt Helm series, featuring what critics referred to as the hard-boiled spy, particularly when compared to the more genteel Bond series by Fleming. This is probably the best of the early Helm novels and is a solid plotted book with very little meandering. It actually as a story has less connection to spy fiction than to hardboiled tough guy novels, but perhaps that is what I like about it.

Here, Helm is now fully divorced from Beth, who could not handle the fact that the man she had thought was a puttering photographer/ writer had a past as one of the deadliest agents ever to fight against the Nazis in the European theater. Called out of retirement because of ghosts from his past, Helm could no longer hide the truth from Beth, who reeled in horror at the violence he had been involved in. She is now remarried and lives on a ranch in Nevada, somewhere near Reno. When Helm responds to her call for help, he finds that the new husband is a tough character in his own right and that dealings with the local hoods threaten the safety of Helm’s ex-wife and children.

The well-executed story is filled with tough guy situations and menacing thugs. This is a book primarily about gangsters and thugs and protecting family in the wild west. Of course, there is a young knockout for Helm to get involved with. It is action-packed and filled with tension. Throughout the entire novel, Hamilton doesn’t hit a wrong note even once. It is that well-written.
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Helm's ex-wife needs help, so he shows up in Reno, Nevada & finds himself in the middle of a mess with a local mobster, a foreign agent, his ex & her new husband. Hamilton contrasts a variety of characters & brings an ironic twist to the entire story in a masterful manner.

As usual, his descriptions of the countryside are fantastic. Having spent a bit of time in the area, I know that he did. He manages to quickly & thoroughly paint a picture of the area so that you feel as if you know the place. No extraneous details or extra words, yet a full description.

See this page:
http://homepage.mac.com/mmtz/dh/books.html
for more of Hamilton's work, including biographies, stories & nonfiction articles. It's truly a fantastic collection. ( )

Mr. Helm is a patient man, who always waits for his opportunity. It doesn't matter what torture he or those around him have to endure--he just waits until the opportunity comes, then he turns into the deadly killing machine he is. There is nothing that quite compares with this character - we can admire his ability and overlook his prejudices - but we don't want to be him. We'd like to be James Bond of course. He also gets all the girls, but has those clever quips as well. Helm is all business, with just a shade of irony to relieve the blackness of his character. As an author, Hamilton shares this same single-mindedness, telling his story economically and with the skill of a true professional at his job. ( )