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The Destroyer #73
Line of Succession
Remo's and Chiun's jobs at CURE are in danger, when a mysterious stranger saves two presidential candidates from assassination
- GenresAdventure
252 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 5, 1988
About the author
Warren Murphy
298 books126 followersWarren Murphy was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of The Destroyer series, the basis for the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. He worked as a reporter and editor and after service during the Korean War, he drifted into politics.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 2, 2023
The Dutchman returns to once again assert his claim to be the true heir to Sinanju. Unfortunately, in doing so, he also proves his lack of worth to be the heir by killing a Sinanju villager and ending Remo’s hopes for happiness.
The Dutchman was trained by Chiun’s first pupil, Nuihc. While he thinks his skills are superior to Remo’s, they are not. What makes him dangerous is his pyrokinesis and his mastery of illusions. He invades Sinanju while Remo and Chiun are in the U.S. and reads Chiun’s histories, learning important details about their work for CURE. He then sends letters revealing key information about CURE to the vice president and governor who are running for president (the book is set in 1988). Both men begin to work into their campaigns an anti-covert-intelligence-operations theme—an idea that is strengthened by attempts on the two men’s lives.
This novel is a lot of fun and brings an unusual threat to CURE as Smith has to decide just how much he loves the constitution he has been protecting all of these years (by breaking it). Does he end the threat to CURE by killing presidential candidates? Or does he accept that if they win, they have the right to disband his organization. It’s a good tension complicated by President Reagan doubting Smith. I believe this is also the first book in which it is stated that Chiun and Remo mess with the memories of ex-presidents so that they cannot reveal CURE’s secrets—setting up the plot of a future novel when Reagan has an accident and gets his memories back.
Overall, this is an important story in the Destroyer series. The confrontation with the Dutchman will not be the last, but never again will he hurt Remo as badly as he does in this novel.
The Dutchman was trained by Chiun’s first pupil, Nuihc. While he thinks his skills are superior to Remo’s, they are not. What makes him dangerous is his pyrokinesis and his mastery of illusions. He invades Sinanju while Remo and Chiun are in the U.S. and reads Chiun’s histories, learning important details about their work for CURE. He then sends letters revealing key information about CURE to the vice president and governor who are running for president (the book is set in 1988). Both men begin to work into their campaigns an anti-covert-intelligence-operations theme—an idea that is strengthened by attempts on the two men’s lives.
This novel is a lot of fun and brings an unusual threat to CURE as Smith has to decide just how much he loves the constitution he has been protecting all of these years (by breaking it). Does he end the threat to CURE by killing presidential candidates? Or does he accept that if they win, they have the right to disband his organization. It’s a good tension complicated by President Reagan doubting Smith. I believe this is also the first book in which it is stated that Chiun and Remo mess with the memories of ex-presidents so that they cannot reveal CURE’s secrets—setting up the plot of a future novel when Reagan has an accident and gets his memories back.
Overall, this is an important story in the Destroyer series. The confrontation with the Dutchman will not be the last, but never again will he hurt Remo as badly as he does in this novel.
October 21, 2021
#73 in the Destroyer series. Remo & Chiun retire to North Korea. Much chaos ensues.
February 4, 2023
Certainly not one of the better Destroyer novels, but still largely a fun read. Let’s call it 2.5 rounded up.
February 15, 2016
One of the big men's adventure series from the 70's than ran an impressive 145 books. The series while an adventure/action story is also full of satire toward much of the mainstream fads and icons of the time. An interesting main character and the sarcastic mentor makes this a funny action/adventure read. This issue tells of the 3rd battle with the Dutchman, disciple of the evil Sinanju master Nuihc. Recommended
June 7, 2009
Good.
November 23, 2017
Fast paced and fun
Once again the destroyer and master have saved the world again in a fast and fun way in there own bickering way
Once again the destroyer and master have saved the world again in a fast and fun way in there own bickering way
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews