Death of a Citizen (Matt Helm, #1) in SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group

Dec 04, 2010 Mike (the Paladin) rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, spy-fi

Reviewed 2010, updated 2018.

Matt Helm, paragon of virtue, epitome of political correctness, man of the people....oh wait, that's another guy.

I guarantee some if they read this book today will be offended. Others will point to it and say, see I told you men were dogs, but don't go too fast, Helm likes his cat. The story here is okay. Who is the villain, what will be the outcome? Will Helm's new life survive the incursion of his old life?

Not a bad read actually a pretty good read especially if you Reviewed 2010, updated 2018.

Matt Helm, paragon of virtue, epitome of political correctness, man of the people....oh wait, that's another guy.

I guarantee some if they read this book today will be offended. Others will point to it and say, see I told you men were dogs, but don't go too fast, Helm likes his cat. The story here is okay. Who is the villain, what will be the outcome? Will Helm's new life survive the incursion of his old life?

Not a bad read actually a pretty good read especially if your into the whole spy/fi or nostalgia for the spy/fi era scene. Although in this one Helm hasn't hit his stride yet, it's still got it's share of action, violence and philosophical questions. I don't think anyone is actually going to come to this book or it's ilk for literary insight or esoteric meditation. If you do, well there are more problems here than your choice in reading material. LOL

Helm is a WWII operative in something like OSI (which was part of the beginnings of the CIA). BUT Helm is part of a somewhat separate group which is more secret and more..final in it's actions. Here we're told that while Helm was discharged from the army, he couldn't be discharged from his services to the "shadowy group" for whom he apparently carried out assassinations (among other things), as they (the organization) don't exist(no really, honest they don't...trust us). He gets drawn back into the dark and deadly world of his past. Of course if he didn't we wouldn't have a story, so... you know, had to go that way, his hand forced he does what he sees as necessary.

More "brain whiskey" than "brain candy" here (as I've said about other books) this case. 4 stars.

Just a note. Some have called these a more realistic and grittier world than the one seen in James Bond's world. I had a bad beginning with these books. "Back in the '60s" I read a lot of "spy-fi". I read books that ended up made into TV series and movies and a few books where TV shows or movies came first (the Man From U.N.C.L.E., I Spy, etc.). These included Ian Fleming and other main line spy/action novels. Sadly my introduction to Matt Helm were the movies.

If you've seen the Matt Helm movies (or the short lived TV series for that matter) you really know nothing about Matt Helm. The movies were played for laughs, the series tried for a 007 like persona. Helm is neither. He's a hard edged man who does what's needed. Helm's world is a lot more rough and gory than Bonds. While Bond may have a license to kill Helm seems to have a responsibility to kill. It's often his main job description it seems.

I am introducing myself to these books. You know..really, they're good reads. Highly Recommended. Enjoy. ...more

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Aug 24, 2021 Pop rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: james-bond-era

I first started reading Donald Hamilton’s Matt Helm series when I was in the US Army in early 1964, along with Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer and Johan D. MacDonald’s Travis MaGee. Not much else to do for entertainment, no TV or other outlets. This was the first in the series and was originally published in 1960. I don’t remember reading it, and that’s a good thing. Maybe never did read it back then. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was thoroughly glad I listened to this reading. I learned a lot about ...more

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Jun 11, 2014 David Dalton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: action, mystery, spies

I love these "old" Matt Helm stories. I bought this one, but discovered my Overdrive library has the first 9 or so. I am set for awhile.

The book truly reflects the world at the time it was written, in this case about 1960 or so. Good, bad, or indifferent, the story takes place at that point in time. The story incorporates the values of the early 60's.

Matt is a no-nonsense type of spy. He gets dragged back into the world he thought he left behind after WWII. No such luck Matt. Helm is tough, cool ...more

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