Firing Line

The Destroyer #41

by Warren Murphy

Ruby is too hot to handle, and Remo is being ordered to play fireman. But friendship comes first, even to a Master of Sinanju, and Remo is steaming mad. Mad enough, in fact, to walk out. It's out of the frying pan and into the fire because Chiun, deferring to tradition, refuses to quit CURE. And they both know that soon he could be hot on Remo's tail. But the heat's really on when Remo meets up with Sparky, a walking Molotov cocktail. New York firefighters are walking off the job, and an arson gang, with Sparky in tow, has decided to strike while the iron's hot. Unless they receive the ransom they demand, they'll turn the city into the biggest backyard barbecue in history.

Genres: Thriller, Adventure, Action

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

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]

With Firing Line, Murphy provides another strong volume in the Destroyer series. This time, Remo and Chiun have to go head-to-head with a villain who can make fire with his mind. He’s only a teenager, but he’s got a taste for burning buildings—and people—and Remo is on his list. Chiun is particularly concerned because of an ancient Sinanju legend involving the only time a Master of Sinanju failed in a mission—and a pair of curses that ordain that a descendent of Sinanju and of the original fire maker will refight the battle in the future. It's always nice for Remo to have to solve different problems, and the fact that the bad guy is technically a child adds a lot of complexity as the traditions of Sinanju abhor killing children. But how can Remo stop this firebug without killing him?

This novel is also worth reading as it is the last appearance of Ruby Gonzalez. Ruby started strong in this series and then was poorly written for most of the rest of her appearances. Fortunately, she ends on a strong note. She’s decided to leave CURE and Smith has decided that means she must die. Remo, her friend, naturally doesn’t want to take that assignment. Ruby’s fate is worth reading the novel for.

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

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3

A very average story in the series. A few bits of humour and joking about US politics. But overall a straight action adventure.
Other reviewers say that this is one of the stories by murphy only with little input from sapir.
Perhaps so but there is certainly something missing from the story. The sarcastic spiky humour is very noticeable by its absence. Also the character of ruby who never really fitted into the series after her initial story, had painted the writers into a corner from which they could not escape.
The resolution to her story line was very meh I thought.
Another story story as well with sinanju legend returning to fight the master, seems to happen every couple of books.

Overall okay but not a must read unless you wonder why ruby disappears from the series.

[Marko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Part of a weaker phase in the series with a very straight-forward story, wasting the promise of a good character. Unfortunately, the series seems to suffer from the absence of Sapir and even Remo's and Chiun's skills seem to change from book to book to serve the story. Not a must read at all and the same is true for the series until book 44.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It would’ve been a full four but the filler chapter 10 dropped the story 1/2 a point.

[DLCressman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read as always

Even when some things date these stories some things are timeless and the Master of Sinanju should be listened to.

[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. In this issue the team must stop the super powered arsonist while the NY fire department is on strike. Recommended

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect summer read - short, quick, and fun! It's the same ol' line up, Remo, Chiun, Smith, Ruby, CURE and the ancient art of Sinanju! This time, they are up against Solly and Sparky, who like to set fires where they shouldn't! Sparky can do it all by himself, sort of a natural human torch! Like I said, fun and quick!

[Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining trash, tries to have commentary on society in the 80's, but mostly it's just a bunch of casual racism. Some funny bits and good action with a workman like prose that keeps the novel flowing well. The literary equivalent of a forgotten JCVD movie.

[colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

read 07.25.84