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Lone Wolf #1
Night Raider
Burt Wulff has gone beyond fear, beyond love, even beyond hate. He's simply beyond giving the slightest damn whether he lives or dies, so long as he can kill the killers - thousands of them, all over American and all over the world. He is the lone wolf.
- GenresEbooks
192 pages, paperback
First published January 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 22, 2025
Night Raider
From 1973
Barry N. Malzberg writing as Mike Barry
Burt Wolff is a police officer who’s had enough. His fiancee dies of an overdose (murder? Self administered? Unclear unless I missed something). Wolff leaves the force and goes on a mission to kill the drug dealers who are destroying New York. Very well-plotted.
Now he’s the Lone Wolf.
From 1973
Barry N. Malzberg writing as Mike Barry
Burt Wolff is a police officer who’s had enough. His fiancee dies of an overdose (murder? Self administered? Unclear unless I missed something). Wolff leaves the force and goes on a mission to kill the drug dealers who are destroying New York. Very well-plotted.
Now he’s the Lone Wolf.
July 21, 2017
In all, Malzberg penned fourteen Lone Wolf novels, beginning with 1973's Night Raider and ending with 1975's Philadelphia Blow-Up. These are often referred to as Men's Adventure Novels and are unquestionably set in the 1970's with clothes and styles to match.
Wulff, the Lone Wolf (get it), was originally a narcotics agent with the NYPD. After he went too far in his zeal to catch the wrongdoers, his fiancé is found overdosed in a Bronx tenement. It is not entirely clear whether the set up is done by drug dealers out to get revenge or other narcotics officers who were just as crooked as the dealers, but Wulff throws his badge out the window and sets out to wreak vengeance on the drug lords.
Wulff's point of view is that all of American society has been corrupted by the drug trade and that many people are simply dead inside. He singlehandedly (an army of his own) takes on the drug trade and woe to any who stand in his way.
In fact, Wulff takes joy in wreaking his vengeance. When confronted with a man who had given up in fear, Wulff muses that it was pity because if the man still had some fight in him, he would have killed him. "Killing this type was a pleasure; he had discovered that already. It would be fun to shoot him down in a ravine somewhere and leave the body for the creeping plants. But it was no fun in shooting a corpse and [the man] was more than half-way there."
Wulff has a fatalistic approach to his task. He felt that there was no hope and that he was one man against millions of them, but he still had to try. "He figured right from the beginning that it was hopeless. But in the absence of anything else you had to try."
This book is action-packed from page one one. The violence permeates the book and is as sudden and devastating as any. Wulff's character is a little bit like Mike Hammer with his sudden and destructive violence, but he has lost his moral anchor and Wulff is ready, if he could, to gun down every drug dealer in cold blood.
This is simply an action movie with no pause and it is quick reading and well done as what it is.
Wulff, the Lone Wolf (get it), was originally a narcotics agent with the NYPD. After he went too far in his zeal to catch the wrongdoers, his fiancé is found overdosed in a Bronx tenement. It is not entirely clear whether the set up is done by drug dealers out to get revenge or other narcotics officers who were just as crooked as the dealers, but Wulff throws his badge out the window and sets out to wreak vengeance on the drug lords.
Wulff's point of view is that all of American society has been corrupted by the drug trade and that many people are simply dead inside. He singlehandedly (an army of his own) takes on the drug trade and woe to any who stand in his way.
In fact, Wulff takes joy in wreaking his vengeance. When confronted with a man who had given up in fear, Wulff muses that it was pity because if the man still had some fight in him, he would have killed him. "Killing this type was a pleasure; he had discovered that already. It would be fun to shoot him down in a ravine somewhere and leave the body for the creeping plants. But it was no fun in shooting a corpse and [the man] was more than half-way there."
Wulff has a fatalistic approach to his task. He felt that there was no hope and that he was one man against millions of them, but he still had to try. "He figured right from the beginning that it was hopeless. But in the absence of anything else you had to try."
This book is action-packed from page one one. The violence permeates the book and is as sudden and devastating as any. Wulff's character is a little bit like Mike Hammer with his sudden and destructive violence, but he has lost his moral anchor and Wulff is ready, if he could, to gun down every drug dealer in cold blood.
This is simply an action movie with no pause and it is quick reading and well done as what it is.
January 12, 2021
this guy mike barry wrote 12 books in 1973. this is the first one. it isn’t very good. lots of spelling mistakes and the characters all do inexplicably dumb things. i’m hooked. i will read the rest of the series.
December 7, 2016
NIGHT RAIDER was written in the 70's, and it brings to mind images of Dirty Harry and Death Wish types of movies, although this reads more like a 70's TV series where even the violence doesn't seem real. The Lone Wolf is the main character who is on a vengeance trip against all drug dealers in the wake of the death of his girl with drugs involved, and he's left the police force after reassignment. Several other books in the series follow and the ending of the book sets up for that. Not a great book by any means, but not all bad either. Next up in the series is Bay Prowler which I'll read and review in the future.
July 25, 2013
I received this book from Prologue publishing for an honest review.
Originally published in 1973, this book has been released in e-book format.
This crime novel begins with a narcotics officer, Burt Wulff, discovering his fiancé has died of a drug overdose. This sends Wulff into a frenzy. With the police force raiding the confiscated drugs, or helping the dealers, Wulff retires and goes on a one man vigilante spree. His goal is to start at the bottom of the food chain and work his way to the top of the drug organizations. He has no fear of death because he reminds us often that he died the day his fiancé died.
The war on drugs was much discussed in the early 1970's. So, it's no surprise that crime novels were written around this hot button issue.
The dialogue was cheesy , but the pace was on turbo charged. Wulff had a unique ability to get the answers he needed. Along the way he picks up the support of a rookie cop. Although, Wulff still works alone.
For some reason, for me personally, many novels published in the seventies don't translate well over time. What I mean is, it just doesn't stand the test of time. I can read old pulps from the forties and fifties and not be bothered much by the obvious out dated terms and attitudes. But, the seventies stuff just seems corny beyond belief.
However, it was a reminder of the times. Drugs were tearing the country apart. Young, innocent kids were dying before their lives had really begun. Having a person close to him die, after he had fought hard to try and break down the dealers in an honest way, Wulff snaps.
This book would probably appeal to a male audience a bit more than a female audience.
If you like pulps or hard boiled crime dramas, you will probably enjoy checking this one and others out from the Prologue library.
Overall a C.
Originally published in 1973, this book has been released in e-book format.
This crime novel begins with a narcotics officer, Burt Wulff, discovering his fiancé has died of a drug overdose. This sends Wulff into a frenzy. With the police force raiding the confiscated drugs, or helping the dealers, Wulff retires and goes on a one man vigilante spree. His goal is to start at the bottom of the food chain and work his way to the top of the drug organizations. He has no fear of death because he reminds us often that he died the day his fiancé died.
The war on drugs was much discussed in the early 1970's. So, it's no surprise that crime novels were written around this hot button issue.
The dialogue was cheesy , but the pace was on turbo charged. Wulff had a unique ability to get the answers he needed. Along the way he picks up the support of a rookie cop. Although, Wulff still works alone.
For some reason, for me personally, many novels published in the seventies don't translate well over time. What I mean is, it just doesn't stand the test of time. I can read old pulps from the forties and fifties and not be bothered much by the obvious out dated terms and attitudes. But, the seventies stuff just seems corny beyond belief.
However, it was a reminder of the times. Drugs were tearing the country apart. Young, innocent kids were dying before their lives had really begun. Having a person close to him die, after he had fought hard to try and break down the dealers in an honest way, Wulff snaps.
This book would probably appeal to a male audience a bit more than a female audience.
If you like pulps or hard boiled crime dramas, you will probably enjoy checking this one and others out from the Prologue library.
Overall a C.
March 9, 2018
This ebook has been in my Nook library since I downloaded a free copy from Barnes and Noble in 2012. It is a Prologue imprint, "serving as inspiration for contemporary literature, a vibrant living record of crime...genre." It was originally published in 1973, and it still holds up 45 years later. I recommend it to fans of the revenge crime genre.
February 2, 2017
A fast paced and violent thriller. First of 14 books written by Barry Malzberg under the Mike Barry name. Malzberg is one of my favorite writers.
November 2, 2023
When I decided to dive in the 70's Men's Adventure world, I was overwhelmed with all the choices. I read the first Remo Williams The Destroyer, and I like it very much. Then I thought about the grand daddy of them all, Don Pendelton's The Executioner, but an article that I read on a blog swooned me toward The Lone Wolf stating that the series was essentially one big novel breaks up in 14 parts (novel). Even if the publisher of the 70's imposes a very fast, rush output, we can see that the author of the series is really talented. The writing style of Barry N. Malzberg suits me perfectly, I like is turn of phrase and his storytelling style. Night Raider is the story of Burt Wulf who goes on a revenge fuel crusade against the drug dealers/cartel. The pacing is brisk, the action is sudden and we get some social commentary on the devastating effect of drugs on a whole city/society throughout the novel. We can feel that Burt Wolf is starting to break down psychologically and losing the grasp on his sanity and I believed this will become the most interesting aspect of the series going forward. So far, Night Raider as been the best Men's Adventure novel that I read.
June 26, 2021
A gritty, violent and nihilistic vigilante story. The main character, Burt Wulff, has an extremely pessimistic view of the world. The book isn’t written very well, but it has a sense of momentum which makes it a quick read.
July 10, 2016
Here's the plot: Wulf finds a drug dealer, beats him up, finds out who his boss is, kills him, then goes to find that guy. Rinse, repeat end of book. There's also a couple of strange rants about cars that are hilariously pointless. Overall ok read even with the casual racism and anti drug rants dotting the book.
December 14, 2014
A vigilante story. Chapters change POV. Barry gets us inside the characters' heads and does some nice stream-of-consciousness writing. Plot is too extreme to be real; the story is a violent wish-fulfilment fantasy as the hero cleans up one thread of the NYC drug trade. A quick read and fun.
February 23, 2018
I was barely able to finish this book. It purports to be an action/adventure of a man out to cleanse NY City of the drug problem. Not only was it poorly written, but the main character was cardboard and it was strictly a me too book attempting to catch the overflow from its betters
July 5, 2020
It’s like Mickey Spillane but angrier and with less artistry. Let that sink in.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews