''Hood of Death'' is the 34th

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

in the long-running

Nick Carter-Killmaster ''Nick Carter-Killmaster'' is a series of spy adventures published from 1964 until 1990, first by Award Books, then by Ace Books, and finally by Jove Books. At least 261 novels were published. The character is an update of a pulp fiction privat ...

series of spy novels. Carter is a US secret agent, code-named N-3, with the rank of Killmaster. He works for AXE – a secret arm of the US intelligence services.

Publishing history

The book was first published in 1968 (Number A326X) by Award Books part of the Beacon-Signal division of Universal Publishing and Distributing Corporation (New York, USA), part of the

Conde Nast Publications Conde may refer to: Places United States * Conde, South Dakota, a city France * Condé-sur-l'Escaut (or simply 'Condé'), a commune Linguistic ''Conde'' is the Ibero-Romance form of "count" (Latin ''comitatus''). It may refer to: * Count ...

Inc. The novel was written by

William L. Rohde William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

. Copyright was registered on 15 March 1968.Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1977: January–June. By Library of Congress. Copyright Office, p3042

Plot summary

The novel is set in July 1968. Four men – a senator, cabinet official, banker and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

– have died suddenly apparently of natural causes. All the men own substantial shares in the same

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

oil and munitions companies. David Hawk, chief of secret US intelligence agency AXE, is suspicious. Nick Carter, agent N3, goes undercover as oil executive Jerry Deming. He joins the same high-level social circuit as the dead men offering himself as bait. As he returns home one evening in the company of Ruth Moto he is attacked and his home robbed by a gang of armed men (Hans Geist, Sammy, Chick Soong and an unnamed man). AXE has identified six Asian women, including Ruth Moto, who have attended a variety of social functions with the dead men. Carter targets the women at his next function - an exclusive party at the secluded Lord estate in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

where he poses as Alastair Williams, an executive from

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

. Carter discovers that the six Asian women are part of a high-class call girl group collaborating with the Baumann Group (possibly led by Carter's arch-enemy, Judas) and Chinese communists. After a firefight with armed staff at the estate, Carter escapes with one of the girls (Jeanyee Ahling). He tricks her into boarding a private plane and flying back to Washington, D.C. under AXE protection. Carter attempts to interrogate her on the plane but is largely unsuccessful. As Carter feigns sleep Jeanyee places a thin plastic hood over his face that releases a poison gas – the method used to kill the four high-profile victims. Carter holds his breath and Jeanyee removes the mask thinking Carter has died. Carter confronts Jeanyee but she jumps to her death from the plane. Carter resumes his social activities as Jerry Deming. Eventually, he meets Sonya Ranyez – another of the six call girls. AXE traces a lead to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Carter checks out a large Chinese restaurant on the coast, which has its own small marina. Staking it out at night he boards a cruiser taking Sonya and the remaining girls and the gang members out to sea. The cruiser meets up with a schooner in the

Magothy River The Magothy River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 through Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located south of the Patapsco River ...

. A meeting takes place with Hans Geist, Sammy, Chick Soong – apparently a middleman acting for communist China – and a heavily bandaged man who may be Judas/

Martin Bormann Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery. He gained immense power by using his position as Adolf Hitler's private secretary to control the flow of information ...

. It becomes clear that China is seducing / pressuring prominent US business leaders to supply crude oil. If they fail to comply they are murdered using the Hood of Death. Carter, still posing as Jerry Deming, sets up a meeting with Ruth's father, Akito Moto in search of a job as an oil broker. Akito agrees to meet him. Carter confronts Akito in his office. Akito recognizes Carter as the man who caused disruption at the Lord estate party. Soong bursts in and Carter shoots him and Akito. Geist and Sammy are killed later. Ruth kills herself rather than be arrested.

Main characters

*Nick Carter –agent N-3, AXE (posing as Gerald Parsons Deming; Alastair Beadle Williams) *David Hawk –head of AXE; Carter's boss *Ruth Moto – call girl *Jeanyee Ahling – call girl *Sonya Ranyez – call girl *Ulysses Lord – aka John Villon, reclusive estate owner *Akito Tsogu Nu Moto – posing as Ruth's father *Chick Soong – Chinese middleman, gang member *Sammy – gang member

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hood of Death 1968 novels Nick Carter-Killmaster novels Novels set in the United States Novels set in Maryland Novels set in Baltimore Novels set in the 1960s