Destroyer · #3

Chinese Puzzle

by Richard Sapir & Warren Murphy · March 1972

6.5 / 10 average from 4 rated reviews

The president of the United States sat in the large soft chair, his shoeless feet resting on a green hassock before him, his eyes riveted on predawn Washington. His closest adviser was summing up in his professional manner: "It would not do to minimize what has happened. The dead man was, after all, a personal emissary from the Premier. But the Premier's visit to this country is still on. For one thing, the emissary was not poisoned over American territory," "The people who poisoned him, who could they have been? We have absolutely no clues from our intelligence. The Russians? Taiwan? Who? And I don't want history, Professor, I want information. Hard today information on how the Chinese security system could be breached." "That is unavailable as yet." "All right, damn it, then I've decided." The adviser looked up querulously. "Yes?" "That's it! I can't tell you anymore." Then he was alone, as every leader of every nation had always been when the difficult decisions had to be made. He lifted the receiver of a phone he had used only once since he had been inaugurated. The president said: "Hello, Sorry to wake you. I need his services...it is a grave crisis...I want to talk to him...and tell him to stand by for immediate service...understand, it's just an alert. Not a commitment, But Remo Williams knew otherwise. Alert. Commitment. Hell - with him in the picture it was past the point of no return. It was them or us!

Reviews (4)

Gunslinger 5/10 January 5, 2018

A Chinese general vital to an upcoming peace summit with the U.S. has gone missing and it's up to Remo and Chuin to find him. Nothing outwardly special, but it did have its moments: Chuin and their Chinese contact trading insults, the Puerto Rican hit, the dojo fight and Chuin kicking ass with a sword at the end. From what I heard, this was the first entry with the satire and humor for which the series would be known for. So, enjoyable, but only just an average entry.

ice_cracked 8/10 July 11, 2013

Finally with the third title in this series we have Remo featuring with his Korean instructor Chuin and we can savour some of the banter between them on what they are currently faced with which would appear is a major attraction to the readers of this series. Very good stuff I must admit and I am starting to understand why this series has been as successful as it has been. The title reads like a bizarre I'm not sure and you constantly look at what you have read and think to yourself what the f*** but it in a strange sort of way sort of makes sense (which I know is ridiculous) and you smile or laugh to yourself (which I again is ridiculous) but it is just good reading? Not sure this is only the third title of the series I have read but I very much enjoyed this one and will give another couple of titles in the series a go before making any concrete decision on the series but yeah this one was a bit of fun to read if you are look for something a little bit out there. Recommended reading in THIS series.

Richard Ragsdale 10/10 June 9, 2003

For a long-time Destroyer fan, this is an amazing book. This was where Saphir and Murphy decided to write a satirical series, rather than a straight, serious adventure series. You can actually see the evolution right on the page--things become more and more over-the-top and funny with each passing page. The final scene is a masterpiece of joy, gore, and ridiculous action. I love all of the Destroyer books--no two are alike, the characters are great, the action is satisfying, and Sinanju manages to be just plausible enough of a martial art while at the same time remaining quite goofy. There are books in the series that are more consistant, but I have a soft spot in my heart for this one, because its the first one that is just plain FUN. Do yourself a favor: read 'em all!

Doug 3/10 February 11, 2002

Chinese Puzzle is the first book I've ever read of The Destroyer series of books. Keep in mind that I'm not reviewing the entire series here, just this book. I thought Chinese Puzzle was unsatisfying, uninteresting, uninspiring and unbelievable. The plot was nonsense, the action hardly worth the effort to read off the pages, the characters too obviously calculated to be memorable and unique. There is some prattle about the state of the world but it reads like filler here. Compared the the Remo Williams movie from the 1980s, this is about 10 steps below that film on the entertainment scale. I might rate this book differently if I was an avid reader of The Destroyer series but I'm not, and after this book I don't plan to ever try one again. But reviewing it as just a book, standing or falling on its own merits, this book deserves only 2 stars. I'll be charitable and give it 3 because I rated the Clive Cussler book at 3 stars and that book was longer and therefore even more painful to slog through to the end. If I can say nothing else good about Chinese Puzzle at least I can say it is mercifully short. 3 stars it is.