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The Destroyer #20
Assassin's Play Off
Assassins Play-Off (The Destroyer, No. 20) [Mass Market Paperback] [Jan 01, 1975] Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
178 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
53 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Warren Murphy
296 books125 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 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 23, 2017
Yep, still re reading these and some new ones I've managed to get. As usual the earlier ones are still the best and this being one of those that embodies what these fun reads are all about. This one has it all including the best villain of the series plus a trip to Sinanju the village where Chiun comes from.
Funny, irreverent and satirical.
My guilty pleasure .....after all these years
Funny, irreverent and satirical.
My guilty pleasure .....after all these years
June 22, 2023
Remo Williams is The Destroyer, an ex-cop who should be dead, but instead fights for the secret government law-enforcement organisation CURE. Trained in the esoteric martial art of Sinanju by his aged mentor, Chiun, Remo is America's last line of defence. This volume opens with a brutal fight in the streets of New Jersey before Remo and Chiun find themselves in battle after battle. Their arch-enemy and fellow assassin, the Maestro of Mayhem known as Nuihc, is hoping to knock out his competition. It all comes to a boil in Chiun's hometown in North Korea as the Destroyer finds himself in a fight to the death after suffering three brutal suicide attacks by surprisingly skilled adversaries which leave him nearly incapacitated.
This is my first book in the Destroyer series and was first published in September 1975, so it’s a little bit dated in some of its attitudes but doesn’t dwell on anything long. Told with great pace and the minimum of characterisation (though we do get an insight into how Remo found himself as the Destroyer, which was good), this boils down to a grudge with three suicide assassins destroying his shoulders and one leg, leaving him incapacitated for the final battle. Can he survive? What do you think? A good, quick read that did everything it was supposed to, this was good fun and I enjoyed it. If you like this kind of thing - pulpy fiction from the 70s - you’ll enjoy this. If you don’t, well, you wouldn’t have picked the book up in the first place, would you?
This is my first book in the Destroyer series and was first published in September 1975, so it’s a little bit dated in some of its attitudes but doesn’t dwell on anything long. Told with great pace and the minimum of characterisation (though we do get an insight into how Remo found himself as the Destroyer, which was good), this boils down to a grudge with three suicide assassins destroying his shoulders and one leg, leaving him incapacitated for the final battle. Can he survive? What do you think? A good, quick read that did everything it was supposed to, this was good fun and I enjoyed it. If you like this kind of thing - pulpy fiction from the 70s - you’ll enjoy this. If you don’t, well, you wouldn’t have picked the book up in the first place, would you?
February 12, 2021
Nuihc is back with another plan to kill Remo and become Master of Sinanju. As with all of his plans, it depends completely on the Sinanju tradition that prevents the Master (i.e. Chiun) from killing a member of the village—meaning that Chiun cannot simply kill Nuihc and be done with him. (One does wonder if perhaps he shouldn’t punish him for his continued rudeness in the rather extreme ways that all masters of Sinanju tend to act.)
Nuihc is also clearly becoming afraid of Remo as well, because this time his plan involves training three westerners to attack Remo in a way that allows them to injure him even as Remo kills them. So Remo is coming to the big show down in very bad shape.
I liked the concept behind this novel, but I think it could have been enacted better. The back-and-forth insults and charges of cowardice between Nuihc and Chiun became rather tiresome as did the insults of the people of Sinanju toward Chiun when they thought that Nuihc would win. The novel was still enjoyable, but won’t rank as one of the great Remo vs. Nuihc showdowns.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Nuihc is also clearly becoming afraid of Remo as well, because this time his plan involves training three westerners to attack Remo in a way that allows them to injure him even as Remo kills them. So Remo is coming to the big show down in very bad shape.
I liked the concept behind this novel, but I think it could have been enacted better. The back-and-forth insults and charges of cowardice between Nuihc and Chiun became rather tiresome as did the insults of the people of Sinanju toward Chiun when they thought that Nuihc would win. The novel was still enjoyable, but won’t rank as one of the great Remo vs. Nuihc showdowns.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
October 12, 2017
Like all the books in the series I have read, I enjoyed it. The banter between Remo and Chiun is engaging and I enjoy the imaginative action scenes. This one Remo was in real trouble, counter assassins making suicidal attacks to eventually damage Remo enough that he would be easy prey for another master assassin; his old foe, Nuihc.
September 1, 2018
3.75 stars.
February 5, 2019
Good entry in this series. I like the books where Chiun is featured.
September 22, 2019
The villain who sustained for 20 volumes is no more.
The usual banter and the softer side of Chiun is shown
The usual banter and the softer side of Chiun is shown
March 6, 2021
It's a good and fast read. Lots of action and twists and turns.
January 3, 2022
Another great one!
The suspense carried me right to the end. What another great story in the destroyer series. I can’t wait for the next one.
The suspense carried me right to the end. What another great story in the destroyer series. I can’t wait for the next one.
March 27, 2025
Not as racist or misogynist as some of the others, so that's good. A nice light, fun read.
May 6, 2015
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.
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.
June 12, 2015
I absolutely loved the Remo Williams movie as a kid. Still do, actually. It's always been one of my favorites. And while I knew it was based on a series of books, I never had the chance to read any. Then, a few years back, my local comic book store briefly toyed with the idea of selling pulp fiction books on the side, and this was one of them.
This copy is battered and looks badly water-damaged (the entire bottom half is brown with a wavy pattern showing the water line).
Finally getting around to reading it, and at least the characterization seems to have held up in the film adaptation. These are the same characters I enjoyed so much in the movie, only they can get a little more graphic with the fights here. An absolute blast to read.
Chiun and Remo face an old enemy and events lead to a showdown in Sinanju, the village where the ancient practice was founded, and where Chiun is high lord as the Master of Sinanju. But for how long...
This copy is battered and looks badly water-damaged (the entire bottom half is brown with a wavy pattern showing the water line).
Finally getting around to reading it, and at least the characterization seems to have held up in the film adaptation. These are the same characters I enjoyed so much in the movie, only they can get a little more graphic with the fights here. An absolute blast to read.
Chiun and Remo face an old enemy and events lead to a showdown in Sinanju, the village where the ancient practice was founded, and where Chiun is high lord as the Master of Sinanju. But for how long...
June 24, 2010
Nuihc, #4
While Chiun is in Korea, Remo is sent to investigate some very unusual deaths. And Remo is ambushed and severely wounded by people Nuihc has trained to hurt Remo in suicide attacks. Remo realizes that Nuihc is behind it and knows that Chiun is in danger. He struggles to get to Korea for the showdown.
One of the best of the series. We finally get to Korea and see Sinanju, the jewel of the Orient, and learn the truth about the people that Chiun devotes his life to serving.
Favorite tidbits: Chiun destroys a tank with his hands. The battle with Nuihc at the end. Quote, “This is it?” (as Remo sees Sinanju) “What a dump.”
Warning, sex and graphic gory violence.
While Chiun is in Korea, Remo is sent to investigate some very unusual deaths. And Remo is ambushed and severely wounded by people Nuihc has trained to hurt Remo in suicide attacks. Remo realizes that Nuihc is behind it and knows that Chiun is in danger. He struggles to get to Korea for the showdown.
One of the best of the series. We finally get to Korea and see Sinanju, the jewel of the Orient, and learn the truth about the people that Chiun devotes his life to serving.
Favorite tidbits: Chiun destroys a tank with his hands. The battle with Nuihc at the end. Quote, “This is it?” (as Remo sees Sinanju) “What a dump.”
Warning, sex and graphic gory violence.
February 23, 2012
The third and final Destroyer book in the "best of" omnibus I picked up a couple years ago. Though it's highly regarded by fans I wasn't as fond of this one largely due to the fact that Remo and Chiun spend large portions of the book separated from one another -- Remo investigating a murder and dealing with a series of attacks by assassins here in the States and Chiun in his native country. While the Remo storyline is entertaining and makes for some great passages, Chiun's tale got a bit stale and my favorite parts of any Destroyer novel are usually the interplay between the series' two "stars". A good read but not my favorite so far.
March 8, 2017
I used to read the Destroyer and Executioner novels, when I was in my teens, and this was a nice trip back.
For those who read this series, this one involves a Sinanju reject and his devious plan to take advantage of his knowledge to train others to take down Remo. It covers some history of Sinanju, a trip to the ancestral village in North Korea, and the usual amount (a fair amount) of Remo fighting and getting his ass almost kicked, over and over.
I enjoyed it and, by coincidence, it was a perfect choice to revisit the series with.
For those who read this series, this one involves a Sinanju reject and his devious plan to take advantage of his knowledge to train others to take down Remo. It covers some history of Sinanju, a trip to the ancestral village in North Korea, and the usual amount (a fair amount) of Remo fighting and getting his ass almost kicked, over and over.
I enjoyed it and, by coincidence, it was a perfect choice to revisit the series with.
February 9, 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. This book chronicles the 4TH meeting with the renegade master of Sinanju, Nuihc. Recommended
June 15, 2015
Who'da thunk it - Kim Il Sung in a Destroyer novel? It was well-played and amusing.
I was happy to see the depth of Chiun's love for Remo, whether he would ever admit it or not. Other than that, a fairly uneventful entry.
I was happy to see the depth of Chiun's love for Remo, whether he would ever admit it or not. Other than that, a fairly uneventful entry.
April 8, 2016
Не очень понравилось то, что Римо, оказавшись один (Чиун уехал на родину) выглядит как тряпка, которую не побил только ленивый. Выходит, вся его крутизна и талант только в Чиуне? Не впечатлило и даже немного разочаровало.
July 27, 2010
I enjoy these but they do sort of run together after a while. I don't remember much about them individually.
June 18, 2022
Well done. Reread in the Ukraine. Interesting to think about how easy it is to give someone power and then use them to do something else.
May 10, 2012
Love this whole series and have forever. am re-reading during my convalescence because they make me happy.
February 5, 2021
Getting a simple quick adventure into pulp like stories of old.
April 21, 2013
My favorite of the Destroyer series.
February 19, 2014
The villain Nuich returns to threaten Remo and Chiun. The final show down takes place in the fabled village of Sinanju.
November 16, 2015
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
July 29, 2016
Chuin and Remo vs Nuihc - it gets no better than this!
August 1, 2021
Sinanju vs Sinanju.
Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir offering. Suitable for teens and adults. A story of a house of assassins that engages in a strange duel for dominance.
Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir offering. Suitable for teens and adults. A story of a house of assassins that engages in a strange duel for dominance.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews