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The Destroyer #42
Timber Line (The Destroyer #42): The Destroyer #42
The copaiba is a biotech holy grail: a tree whose sap does double-duty as Diesel fuel. Tap a tropical forest, fill the tanks of a nation! That’s fine if you’re a country close to the equator, but American energy giant Tulsa Torrent has an even better idea: genetically modify the pulpy profit centers to thrive in the cooler conditions of Northern California. Everything's proceeding apace until the bodies begin piling up and forest fires breaking out. The copaiba project is too economically significant for CURE to let the chips fall where they may—it could eliminate America’s need for foreign oil—so Smith sends in one “Remo O’Sylvan, U.S. Forest Service tree reclamation technician.”
Remo Williams is The Destroyer, an all-American cop recruited—through highly unorthodox methods—by a secret government law-enforcement organization. Trained in the esoteric martial art of Sinanju by his aged Korean mentor, Chiun, Remo is America's last line of defense against mad scientists, organized crime, ancient undead gods, and anything else that threatens the Constitution. An action-adventure series leavened with social and political satire, the Destroyer novels have been thrilling readers worldwide for decades.
Remo Williams is The Destroyer, an all-American cop recruited—through highly unorthodox methods—by a secret government law-enforcement organization. Trained in the esoteric martial art of Sinanju by his aged Korean mentor, Chiun, Remo is America's last line of defense against mad scientists, organized crime, ancient undead gods, and anything else that threatens the Constitution. An action-adventure series leavened with social and political satire, the Destroyer novels have been thrilling readers worldwide for decades.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
14 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Warren Murphy
245 books120 followersWarren 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 8, 2021
An old acquaintance of Harold Smith’s discovered a tree that produces raw kerosene like a maple tree produces syrup. That was twenty years ago and the trees have been successfully transplanted from the Amazon to the U.S. and are about ready to prove their worth. Naturally, lots of people find the idea that the U.S. could become self-sufficient in oil production troubling and want to burn the grove to the ground. Remo and Chiun have to stop them from doing it.
This is a fun adventure. Nothing about it is too deep and you have to keep reminding yourself that this was written forty years ago when the oil and gas situation was very different than it is today. There are the usual cast of over the top personalities as Remo blunders around trying to find the villain, eliminating suspects usually because they die. Chiun, of course, figures things out much faster, but doesn’t deign to give Remo the information he needs. How Sinanju will survive when Remo becomes reigning master remains to be seen.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
This is a fun adventure. Nothing about it is too deep and you have to keep reminding yourself that this was written forty years ago when the oil and gas situation was very different than it is today. There are the usual cast of over the top personalities as Remo blunders around trying to find the villain, eliminating suspects usually because they die. Chiun, of course, figures things out much faster, but doesn’t deign to give Remo the information he needs. How Sinanju will survive when Remo becomes reigning master remains to be seen.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
April 3, 2022
More of a mystery than most of the books in the series so far but the ending just kind of happens with out the reader finding out the how.
August 17, 2025
[Content Warning-This episode depicts graphic situations that may be disturbing to sensitive readers]
Murphy really cuts loose in this episode of The Destroyer.
American energy independence is at stake when Remo and Chiun are called into actions to stop a plot that would destroy a project involving huge trees that can produce diesel from their sap. The bodies stack up like cord wood, so to speak, as Remo and Chiun pursue the mysterious case before them. The story has some dead ends and cliffhanging moments that may have been a bit unnecessary, but they kept the pages turning.
The duo's strengths are exhibited in numerous ways as they chop their way through a California forest in search of answers. In traditional Remo style, he earns his reputation as a skill interrogator with the woman spearheading the movement to stop a logging company from their deforestation efforts.
We also learn that Chiun is somewhat of a poet, much to Remo's dismay. The banter between the two is hilarious. I like these little books because in between any serious meat and potatoes reading, they serve as a sort of chewing gum for the brain.
3/5
Murphy really cuts loose in this episode of The Destroyer.
American energy independence is at stake when Remo and Chiun are called into actions to stop a plot that would destroy a project involving huge trees that can produce diesel from their sap. The bodies stack up like cord wood, so to speak, as Remo and Chiun pursue the mysterious case before them. The story has some dead ends and cliffhanging moments that may have been a bit unnecessary, but they kept the pages turning.
The duo's strengths are exhibited in numerous ways as they chop their way through a California forest in search of answers. In traditional Remo style, he earns his reputation as a skill interrogator with the woman spearheading the movement to stop a logging company from their deforestation efforts.
We also learn that Chiun is somewhat of a poet, much to Remo's dismay. The banter between the two is hilarious. I like these little books because in between any serious meat and potatoes reading, they serve as a sort of chewing gum for the brain.
3/5
March 22, 2019
Rating 3
An okay entry in the series.
It is in sequence of books which are neither terrible nor particularly good.
The core story of oil production which was an ever present news story during the 1970’s so I can understand why it was used. The addition of back story to Smith was welcome and at least tried something different.
But overall the story just did not excite or gel for me, the chiun-remo banter was okay, ibut again it was another story that bounced along and suddenly the page count was achieved and it simply stopped.
So overall cannot really think of much to say other than it was okay. Only recommend for destroyer completists or if you want a book to read during short journey.
An okay entry in the series.
It is in sequence of books which are neither terrible nor particularly good.
The core story of oil production which was an ever present news story during the 1970’s so I can understand why it was used. The addition of back story to Smith was welcome and at least tried something different.
But overall the story just did not excite or gel for me, the chiun-remo banter was okay, ibut again it was another story that bounced along and suddenly the page count was achieved and it simply stopped.
So overall cannot really think of much to say other than it was okay. Only recommend for destroyer completists or if you want a book to read during short journey.
May 20, 2017
Part of a weaker phase in the series with a very straight-forward story and the usual twists and turns. 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.
August 29, 2017
Trees that bleed crude oil, eco warriors, and government bureaucracy. Sounds like a job for Remo and Chiun.
June 27, 2020
#42 in the Destroyer series. The discovery of trees with diesel fuel as sap incurs the wrath of radical environmentalists. Remo & Chiun to the rescue! Much chaos ensues.
January 16, 2024
For a Remo Williams novel, this was pretty boring. Remo and Chiun are tasked with protecting a project growing diesel producing trees. Sounds stupid is stupid.
February 12, 2016
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. Remo & Chiun must protect a scientist that has discovered a solution to the oil crises. Recommended
July 27, 2010
good.
July 2, 2022
One of the worst of the series. Inconsistent, bad plot, story doesn't hold together
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews