''The Silencers'' is the title of a 1962 spy novel by
Donald Hamilton
Donald Bengtsson Hamilton (March 24, 1916 – November 20, 2006) was an American writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction about the outdoors. His novels consist mostly of paperback originals, principally spy fiction, but also crime ...
, the fourth in a series of books featuring assassin
Matt Helm.
Plot summary
When a female agent in
Mexico is killed before Helm can complete his mission to extract her, he finds himself teamed up with the woman's sister as he fights to save the lives of a number of scientists and
Congressmen.
Film adaptation
''The Silencers'' has the distinction of being
the first Matt Helm novel adapted as a film. The movie version was released in 1966 and starred
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
as Helm. Rather than follow Hamilton's storyline, the filmmakers took elements of the plot, combined it with elements of the first Helm book, ''
Death of a Citizen'', and cast the story in a comedic vein, spoofing the
James Bond film franchise.
External links
Synopsis and summary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silencers, The
1962 American novels
American novels adapted into films
Matt Helm novels
Novels set in Mexico