Destroyer 46 Next of Kin by Warren Murphy
Destroyer 46 Next of Kin by Warren Murphy
The Destroyer finds its footing again in this novel about an unsuspected apprentice to Sinanju traitor, Nuihc. The apprentice, known as the Dutchman, combines Sinanju training with psychic abilities that make him a formidable opponent for Chiun and Remo. Add to that that he has sworn to the now deceased Nuihc that he will kill the remaining masters of Sinanju and you have the basis for a good story.
Murphy takes the time to develop the backdrop and build tension by getting into the head of the Dutchman who clearly doesn’t truly understand how deadly Remo and Chiun are. At times, unfortunately, it also felt as if the author didn’t remember how deadly the Masters of Sinaju are, making me wonder if there may have been a ghost writer involved in the novel. Remo is troubled by the need to hold his breath long before he should have been and there is an encounter with some strangely acting serpents that also didn’t feel quite “real” to me as a longtime admirer of the series. I’d also say that after a great buildup to the Dutchman’s powers, he didn’t use the psychic abilities nearly as effectively as I would have expected. Yet none of this truly detracted from the story and Chiun’s surprising sympathy for the Dutchman really humanized the tale. I would have expected Chiun to want to stamp out the illicit branch of Sinanju and yet he seems to not want to be driven to that extreme. Perhaps he is remembering his own failure to properly mentor Nuihc.
We also see some excellent interaction between Remo and Chiun—not the normal banter (there is plenty of that)—but genuine concern and affection for each other when they fear that the Dutchman may just have what it takes to kill one or both of them. Overall, it is one of the best novels in the series and also introduces one of its most interesting recurring villains.
