The Arms of Kali

The Destroyer #59

by Warren Murphy, Richard Sapir

1st edition Signet 1984 paperback, fine In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Thriller, Adventure, Action

253 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 2, 1984

About the author

Warren 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.

Reviews

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been one of the great Destroyer novels. It introduces the goddess Kali and depicts her connection to the Glorious House of Sinanju. If you expect this to be a good connection (you know, ancient house of assassins and a goddess of death and murder) than you couldn’t be more wrong. For Kali once “seduced” (not literally) Master Lu and his loss of control to become her unwilling servant makes him the worst master of Sinanju to ever live. Lu escaped Kali in the end, but her curse lingers on the house and now it’s coming for Remo.

A new cult of Kali is murdering airline passengers and CURE has to track down the culprits. Unfortunately, when Remo gets close, he begins to fall under Kali’s influence and risks becoming the new Master Lu. Frankly, it should have been a great book, but Remo didn’t feel like Remo ever in this novel and the account of Kali and Remo and Chiun’s struggles with her bored me terribly. I wonder if perhaps a ghost writer actually penned the novel. It just didn’t feel like a Destroyer book. The only saving graces are 1) it introduces Kali whom, if memory serves, will return to trouble Remo and Chiun again; and 2) it introduces Master Lu.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Karen Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tongue in cheek story of CURE agents Remo and Chuin investigating the ritual strangling murders and robberies of airline passengers. The trail leads to a cult worshiping the goddess Kali, who commands her followers to kill in her name.

The story takes several twists and turns, including Remo trying to fight off the influence of Kali and not fall under her murderous spell. The head of CURE, Smith, also has a prominent role as he searches for an airline executive that is using the cult to literally wipe out the competition.

There is a lot of violence (of course, because this IS a Destroyer novel) and as usual, witty dialogue that is laugh out loud in places. If you are looking for a quick weekend read that leaves you smiling, this novel will for the bill.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating between 3 & 3.5

A fairly average entry in this series
More fantastical than the majority as it features the goddess Kali (as evident by the title) and another Master from the past and their mistakes/death
Has a larger role for Smith than is normal but not as much humour I thought
Overall a recommendation burly definitely mid range of the series

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

#59 in the Destroyer series. The Indian goddess Kali has a score to settle with Remo. Much chaos ensues.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is #59 in The Destroyer series, but only the second one I've read (the first being Created, the Destroyer). I was pleased to see more of Chuin in this book, as he didn't have a big role in the first book. As in #1 this is a summer popcorn flick in book form. While there are a few aspects which could be taken as commentary, it is mostly action and satire throughout. I really picked up on the humor of this book more so than in Created, which was a nice touch.

Over all, it isn't deep, it isn't literature, it isn't even epic. But it's fun, and that's all it intended to be. Four stars.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remo Williams may or may not a chosen one and/or reincarnation of the god Shiva. We don't know, but the followers of the cult of Kali think so and send a overly endowed killer with a secret after Remo.

More fun, over the top action and adventure as we get away from the spy stuff and add another layer to the series mythology.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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. Remo must face the death goddess Kali, an ancient enemy of the House of Sinanju. Recommended

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

You gotta like Kali.