The Death Dealers

Published in 1966, Spillane's Tiger Mann #3 (of 4) continues his experiment in the espionage spy genre as a excursion from his gumshoe detective characters.

In this book Tiger has to get close to, protect and then extract assistance from a Middle Eastern Arab and his young bride, oil contracts playing off America with Russia. Add to the mix a dangerous assassin spoiling the American play and with revenge in mind for Tiger Mann while he is in the country.

Dated somewhat by it's racial slurs and rampant macho stance, it is however true to the era and the genre, so the reader shouldn't complain on those matters. There was no lack of action and at 172 pages it moves fast enough to keep up the interest.

There is little of challenge in the reading, as is usual with Spillane, but there was plenty to entertain me while this sat in my car to fill in those spare moments.

3 stars