Murder Ward

The Destroyer #15

by Warren Murphy, Richard Sapir

The Robler Clinic is getting a reputation for too many deaths during routine operations. A gorgeous female administrator, Ms. Kathy Hahl, is discovering a profitable little racket, and her tame anaesthetist, Dan Demmet, is playing along nicely. When timid mother-dominated Nathan David Wilberforce - a subject of special interest to CURE - comes to a premature death at the clinic, Remo and Chiun decide it is time to infiltrate... And it is Remo who books in as the 'patient' - exposing him to the rare and deadly ageing drug.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Action, Humor, Martial Arts

152 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2002

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

[George K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Θανάσιμη θεραπεία", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.

Δέκατο πέμπτο βιβλίο της σειράς με ήρωες τον Ρέμο Ουίλιαμς και τον φοβερό Κορεάτη δάσκαλο του Σιναντσού Τσιουν, οπωσδήποτε ευχάριστο και ψυχαγωγικό για τους λάτρεις των παλπ περιπετειών της δεκαετίας του '70 (όπως η αφεντιά μου), αλλά συγκριτικά με προηγούμενα βιβλία μου φάνηκε κάπως πιο αδύναμο, με αρκετά πιο περιορισμένη δράση και ίσως πιο... φτωχά σκηνικά. Σε μια κορυφαία κλινική ένας γιατρός και μια διαχειρίστρια φαινομενικά κάνουν τα τέλεια εγκλήματα με σκοπό το κέρδος, μέχρι που πεθαίνει το λάθος πρόσωπο και οι Ρέμο και Τσιουν καλούνται να εξιχνιάσουν τις συνθήκες του θανάτου. Δεν το συζητάω, πέρασα ευχάριστα την ώρα μου, η γραφή είναι στα γνωστά επίπεδα, με το γνωστό χιούμορ και την ακόμα πιο γνωστή σάτιρα απέναντι στα πάντα, ενώ επίσης δεν λείπουν οι σκηνές βίας και οι αιματοχυσίες, όμως η πλοκή δεν ήταν και τόσο συναρπαστική και ενδιαφέρουσα όπως σε άλλα βιβλία της σειράς. Πάντως, επαναλαμβάνω, πέρασα καλά.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctors as murderers—it’s a highly disturbing concept. When people go into a hospital for surgery, they need to believe that the doctors and nurses are wholly committed to helping them recover their health. But in this Destroyer novel, a couple of those key personnel are turning a profit by making certain their victims (I mean their patients) never recover consciousness. It’s a chilling premise at the root of another enjoyable tale by Murphy and Sapir.

Two other things add substantially to the enjoyment of this novel. The first is the continued focus on Remo’s remarkable skills that include mental training as well as physical adeptness. Remo isn’t just good at killing people, he recognizes how others go about their shared trade and knows their weaknesses. In addition, the ongoing interactions between Chiun and Remo are especially well displayed in this novel—especially Chiun’s usually concealed caring for his pupil. It also doesn’t hurt that the resolution of this novel depends upon the superhuman mastery of the body that masters of Sinanju attain—and so reinforces just how different Remo and Chiun are from other humans.

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

[A. Grant]

I'm a broken record about this, but I go to these early Destroyer books for the femme fatales, and if you do, you can hardly go wrong with a villainous hot nurse.

This is a partial spoiler, but the way Remo finally handles her is almost as out-there as the way he NEARLY gets rid of the femme fatale in Destroyer # 2.

[Elden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 14 of these books almost a decade ago, when I was looking at my to read list I noticed this series again and decided to puck it up again. They are still funny and quick to read. Even though they feel quite dated.

[Bobby H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/4 stars. A disappointment. The banter between Remo and Chiun felt forced. Chiun was way too whiney and the overuse of sex did not advance the plot as likely intended. Should have been 3 stars but it gets a 1/4 star bonus for the technical research apparent in writing about medical procedures.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious

The story had action, suspense, but most of all comedy. I really enjoyed the interactions between Remo and Chiun. It was awesome!!

[Balkron · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating Scale:
1 Star - Horrible book, It was so bad I stopped reading it. I have not read the whole book and wont
2 Star - Bad book, I forced myself to finish it and do NOT recommend. I can't believe I read it once
3 Star - Average book, Was entertaining but nothing special. No plans to ever re-read
4 Star - Good Book, Was a really good book and I would recommend. I am Likely to re-read this book
5 Star - GREAT book, A great story and well written. I can't wait for the next book. I Will Re-Read this one or more times.

Times Read: 1

One of the first series I read consistently. This series and the Executioner series are responsible for my love of reading and stories.

Characters - Looking back to my younger reading days, I loved Remo Williams and thought he was one of the coolest characters in history. I still think Remo is a good character. Unique in a number of ways even today.

Story - The stories are average and fairly typical. Bad guys going to kill or hurt, Remo is going to kill them first (no way he is going to die not with Chuin as his teacher). Not much in creativity but it really worked for me as a male teenager. I started learning Judo and Karate partly because of Remo.

Overall - I started reading these when I was 16. I enjoyed them up until about age 19. My tastes changed from Military intrigue to Fantasy / SciFi. I would recommend reading these especially for younger males.

NOTE: I am going to rate these all the books in this series the same. Some of the stories are a bit better or a bit worse but I can't find one that I would rate a 2 or 4.

[Bryan457 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several IRS agents have died mysteriously. Remo is sent to protect the next likely target, who dies in a hospital where the doctors can be paid to assassinate patients. Remo and Chiun are sent to the hospital to sort things out.

A lot of good stuff in this one.

Favorite tidbits: Instead of Christmas we have “The Merry Feast of the Pig.” Chiun makes Remo a Christmas tree from an uprooted shrub by hanging two tennis balls, a popped golf ball, a slice of apple, and one yellow light bulb from it. Chiun wants Barbra Streisand as his Christmas gift and gripes at Remo nonstop because he refuses. Chiun says to kill the 6 sickest people in the hospital ward as a lesson to the others. Remo gripes because the Sinanju sex technique has taken all the pleasure out of it for him. Remo's corrupted version of “Deck the Halls,” “Deck the streets with fallen bodies, fa la la la la la la la la.”

Warning, sex and graphic gory violence.

[Jeff Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I would expect Smitty to be a little more grateful after what he went through in the previous book. Instead, he's back to being the ornery curmudgeon that we've grown to love.

While I enjoyed the plot of a doctor doing murder for hire, I rather doubt it took the supercomputers of CURE to figure it out.

Chiun is at his best, curing people of their ailments with Sinanju, and tearing the ears off a ne'er-do-well. Remo's just Remo, and that's the biz, sweetheart.

[Charles Millhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book some time ago and just got around to writing a review. I love these books!! Yes they are a bit corny but lots of fun. Still looking to complete my collection of them. They are hard to find even on eBay. But I like the challenge. Have an afternoon to blow, pick up a Remo Williams book. They aren't big and very quick reads. Have fun with them.

[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. This issue is the first appearance of the evil Dr Hahl.

[Joshua]

I love these Remo Williams books. Remo gets in trouble with Smith because he kills to many people. Then Remo has to try a different approach and yet people still die. Surprise!

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this hack series faithfully for years. Now I hear a movie (another move) is in the works. Not a bad read, And emojis a sympath tic character

[Michael Fortenberry]

average for the series

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hospitals can be deadly.

Suitable for teens and adults. Remo has a mystery to solve at Christmas , but the season doesn't depress him the way it has in the past. All hail sinanju.