Look into My Eyes

The Destroyer #67

by Warren Murphy, Richard Sapir

The Destroyer Facing Destruction

Beautiful and brainy Russian operative Anna Chutesov had very little use for men--whether they were her Soviet superiors or her American adversaries.

But then again, she had never met a man like Remo. She had already found out what he could do in the sphere of sex.

Now she watched as he handled the two guards who wanted to take her back to Russia. Remo lifted his arms. Unfortunately he had two throats in his hands as he did so.

"That was amazing," Anna said. "I never even saw your hands move."

"What are you happy about? Now I've got to face the man who taught me," said Remo. "No one's better than him."

Remo and Chiun were on a collision course--and the world could end not with a bang but with their crash....

Genres: Adventure

253 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 6, 1987

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 4 out of 5]

Murphy has been building for several books toward Remo’s “transition” into a full master of Sinanju. Chiun has been complaining for several books that Remo is physically ready but needs rest to allow the transition to take place. And of course there is never any time for rest because each novel involves a nation-threatening crisis. This time, however, things break down, and Remo and Chiun essentially quit just as a Russian super hypnotist escapes from Russia and becomes a major problem for the U.S. and CURE.

This could have been a very mediocre book despite Chiun and Smith being “caught” by the hypnotist who forces them to switch sides. What makes it special is the core of the transition in which, over several chapters, Remo has a fantastic conversation with the Great Wang—the man who discovered the sun source and created Sinanju several thousand years ago. (Before Wang, Sinanju was just a house that produced a lot of competent assassins—they weren’t the supermen that created the martial arts that they become.) Wang is a phenomenal character who appears (despite being dead) to be more sane and balanced than either Chiun and Remo. He sees through their peculiarities and understands that they are very similar despite appearing to be polar opposites. His attempt to talk some sense into Remo is just wonderful, but I suspect it only works if you have read a lot of the preceding sixty-six novels.

This book also introduces Russian agent Anna Chutesov who is a recurring character. She and Remo have a somewhat romantic interest in each other, but that isn’t what makes her so good. She sees through problems exceedingly well and she’s a breath of fresh air for the series. Seeing Smith talked into not trying to force Chiun and Remo to eliminate her to preserve the secret of CURE was just great.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a milestone in the series because Remo is finally as good as Chiun, his trainer. It's not really worth 4 stars unless you are a fan of the series. Probably really only a 2 star book or series.

It's a lot of fun, though. Especially the early ones, if you lived through & remember the headlines of the day. They make fun of a lot of things & situations. Sapir was a political columnist & sharpened his claws often in these stories.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5

This book I think was one that works for those who have read the majority (or all) of the series so far.
The meeting between Remo and Wang was amusing while highlighting how much Remo has changed since book one, and also how much Chiun has changed. The great Wang shows how much alike they have become as both are clearly bonkers.
The second story line follows a Russian with an extraordinary ability to hypnotise anyone who could be a danger to him, who is essentially bored and afraid of the Russian government and so escapes to America to try and live a quiet life
Unfortunately he gets to enjoy having an army of people who all obey him and that sets him off trying to start a world war.

Both story lines were very good and it felt like this closed a chapter on the story as Remo has equalled or perhaps surpassed Chiun in Sinanju. Or maybe not depending on what subsequent authors decided to do, as past this point I have only read random novels and not continued consecutively which I intend to do this time around.
Overall a solid recommendation although upped to 3 stars for the enjoyment factor of a long term reader of the series.

[Marko · Rating 4 out of 5]

At last a book that takes a step forward in Remo's and Chiun's relationship and even takes a critical look at the characters of these two assassins as Remo meets a legendary Master of Sinanju.

(The four stars are granted in the context of this series only.)

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

#67 in the Destroyer series. Remo & Chiun encounter a master of mind control. Much chaos ensues.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant edition of the Destroyer series. At last an adversary worthy of Remo and Chiuns formidable powers!
The Russians have always studied parapsychology and the wonders of the human mind.
In this story such a person with the power of super hypnosis escapes from a very special village and decides to conquer the world.
Remo is having a bad time being aT one with the universe and Chiun is still carping on as usual, unable to understand his white allies.
How do you fight someone who can instantly take over your mind!
Who's real and who's not?
A cracking return to form, full of irreverent humour and violence and of course the special banter between Remo,Chiun and the lemon faced Smitty.
Deserves the 5 stars.

[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. The little Russian has a secret ability which makes him both a threat and a treasure to the Soviet Union and they want him back. The little man is a super-hypnotist and is able to make just about anyone do just about anything. Recommended