The Removers by Donald Hamilton ~ 1961. This edition: Fawcett Gold Medal Books, 1963. Paperback. 176 pages.
Sometimes pictures are the best shortcut. Here we are then, with all you really need to know.
Oh, you didn’t really think I’d let this go without writing something more, did you?
I’ll keep it ultra-brief.
Think period piece, Cold War era kill-or-be-killed action fiction.
Beautiful women, in various shades of dangerous, dot our hero’s personal landscape.
Russian spies (or are they?), drug dealers, and an atomic sub-plot.
Helm drives an old pickup truck; his current love interest a ladylike shiny-new Mercedes ragtop; his ex-wife’s new man a sweet green Jaguar. Vroom vroom.
Blood flows, lots and often.
Matt Helm adds some interesting scars to his vast collection.
And you’ll never look at an Afghan hound the same way again.
In other words, good manly entertainment, clipping along in top gear speed.
My rating, you ask?
10/10.
Because it was so much better than I expected it to be. (My expectations were admittedly quite low.) Turns out that I couldn’t put it down.
Number three in a series of something like twenty-three. Or is it twenty-seven? Hang on. Twenty-seven. Thank you, Wikipedia.
Next stop, ABE, for the two preceding books, because these build on each other in good serial fiction fashion.
Leaves & Pages 
“You’ll never look at an Afghan hound the same way again”?!
Okay. Now you’ve really piqued my curiosity 😉
But – would you say he’s better than James Bond?
Yes.
Let me elaborate. I haven’t seen the movie Matt Helm (and apparently there is one – these books, or some of them, were put on film at some point) but he’d have to be pretty hot stuff to beat the Sean Connery Bond.
But as far as the on-paper James Bond, Matt Helm would have no trouble taking out JB with one arm broken and his only weapon a jagged rock. (Or his remaining fist.) I mean, this dude is tough. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Matt Helm was portrayed in movies by–wait for it–Dean Martin. Because who else comes to mind when you think real, REAL tough 1960s American KGB kidney-crusher?
Hmm, Dean Martin vs Sean Connery? Let me think….
Well, despite that rare 10 score, I think I’ll pass on these. Not my cuppa tea. Nor my kind of crumpet.
DEAN MARTIN???!!! Oh, my word. Not who I would have picked, for sure, for sure. The Matt Helm of the novel is youngish (okay, maybe early 40s, youngish to those of us past that point in our lives) and not exactly what one would call a joke-cracker.
Here, look what I found: http://worstmoviesevermade.com/best-worst-spy-fi-movie-series-ever-matt-helm-films-1966-1969/
I think I will stick with the book version. I found Mr Helm quite intriguing; looking forward to filling in a few of the blanks regarding his life and career before this book # 3 in what turned into a very long series.
Sounds extremely jolly! I hope the preceding two hold up as well — it’s always fun when you get hold of a series that works for you and can go tearing through it.