tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477956438422079368.post6322966410180711756..comments2024-03-19T06:42:22.048-04:00Comments on Paperback Warrior: Matt Helm #02 - The Wrecking CrewPaperback Warriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237105535257849119noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477956438422079368.post-81298496810944186652020-08-12T21:17:37.723-04:002020-08-12T21:17:37.723-04:00Personally, I greatly enjoyed Death of a Citizen, ...Personally, I greatly enjoyed Death of a Citizen, but was never that enamored of The Wrecking Crew - except it was a solid 'character' book. It had good scenes that stuck with me - but the plot does meander, at times - something that I don't feel happens in many Helm books. The Helm series, at least the first 15 or 20, are as great overall as Tom says. Even this book offers rewards in the depth that Hamilton gradually introduces. On one level, all his books sound like a 50's anti communist spy smasher pulp on the surface. Yet in each book, despite saying he just does what his boss orders him to do, Helm does some very subtle things that turns a corner, and if you give it some thought, makes him deeper than Bond or any of the other leads in a similar series. As a series, the Helm books offer everything - humor, pathos, grit, determination - and deeper thought than you expect - or notice - on first reading. These books are a GREAT experience to read - and re-read - many times over. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00128886739431131973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477956438422079368.post-46580585814676145362020-07-23T16:31:05.868-04:002020-07-23T16:31:05.868-04:00Though I enjoyed Death of a Citizen, I just couldn...Though I enjoyed Death of a Citizen, I just couldn't finish The Wrecking Crew. Too much exposition on unimportant stuff and not enough tradecraft. It just didn't hold up and I found myself skimming paragraphs at a time. Compare this to the Quiller books, James Munro, Jimmy Sangster, etc. I enjoy reading about the internal life of characters, but these guys don't ground to a halt, they move!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15472425883861570886noreply@blogger.com