Assassins Don't Die in Bed (Ed Noon Mystery Book 17) Kindle Edition

I've read them all in order and so far this one is the least likable. Like all Ed Noon books, he's over the top. But this one has some extra weird stuff happening which greatly reduces its believability. For example: The 150 MPH car chase was overdone. Being rescued from falling off a cruise ship was overdone. A giant 400 pound Sumo wrestler riding in a tiny Ferrari was overdone. Working secretly for the President was overdone. His government supplied equipment was overdone. You get the picture. I think you'd have to be a real fan of the Ed Noon series to appreciate his brash behavior, odd-ball antics and wise-guy attitude. If this was the "First Episode" I'd probably not be a fan after reading this one. But I've read enough of them to appreciate the character and the interesting manner in which Mr. Avallon develops the suspense and ultimate resolution of the crimes and mysteries in each episode. This one is just "OK".

Assassins is one of the best of the Noon spy novels. The series includes both classic private eye novels and other novels featuring Noon as a secret special agent who reports directly to the President himself via a special phone in Noon's office.Here, Noon is assigned to secretly protect an elder statesman on the way to Europe for historical negotiations. Finding that the politician has booked passage on the world's fastest cruise ship, Noon joins the voyage and proceeds to be on hand to secretly protect the politician. Along the way, however, Noon encounters a massive sumo wrestler, the world's sexiest woman, and others.This is a well -written, smoothly plotted novel that is easy to read and features Avallone at his best.

This is a mixture of the private eye genre (of which Avallone is a singular exponent) and the spy thriller so popular at the time. Some Avallone plots tend to fall apart upon "explanation," but this foray into the classic detective style (most of the action and suspects are on a closed pleasure cruise setting) works very well. One of the best entries in the Noon series.

Avallone's Ed Noon is a long-running character. Originally a hard-boiled private eye, by the publication of 'Assassins Don't Die in Bed', Noon had evolved into the 'private eye that reports to the President' - a sort of off-the-books super-spy.Noon gets a ring on his Super-Important Presidential Phone (capitalization necessary, as we read about this phone for about six pages). The President needs Noon to go protect a VIP from Communist Subversive Assassins while on a cruise for world peace. This is a job that NO ONE ELSE CAN DO.Noon packs his bag of tricks - the briefcase that explodes, the watch that explodes, the pen that explodes and the phone that no one else can use (or it'll explode) - and heads off on the cruise to save the VIP.The cruise is populated by your standard ACME Package of Characters:- 1 VIP (Extremely grave and charismatic) with matching Alcholic Wife.- 1 Political Enemy (non-white)- 2 Secret Service (with optional bumbling)- 1 Mercenary Vixen (comes complete with Enormous Heaving Bosom)Bonus! The package includes:- 1 Wacky Opponent with Bizarre Physical Appearance! (In this case, a sumo wrestler/judo expert named 'Gog' or something)The result is predictably bad. Assassins reads like a cut-rate James Bond thriller, except without the glamour, imagination or fun. Avallone's not-inconsiderable talent is wasted in this half-hearted pastiche.

Avallone's Ed Noon is a long-running character. Originally a hard-boiled private eye, by the publication of 'Assassins Don't Die in Bed', Noon had evolved into the 'private eye that reports to the President' - a sort of off-the-books super-spy.Noon gets a ring on his Super-Important Presidential Phone (capitalization necessary, as we read about this phone for about six pages). The President needs Noon to go protect a VIP from Communist Subversive Assassins while on a cruise for world peace. This is a job that NO ONE ELSE CAN DO.Noon packs his bag of tricks - the briefcase that explodes, the watch that explodes, the pen that explodes and the phone that no one else can use (or it'll explode) - and heads off on the cruise to save the VIP.The cruise is populated by your standard ACME Package of Characters:- 1 VIP (Extremely grave and charismatic) with matching Alcholic Wife.- 1 Political Enemy (non-white)- 2 Secret Service (with optional bumbling)- 1 Mercenary Vixen (comes complete with Enormous Heaving Bosom)Bonus! The package includes:- 1 Wacky Opponent with Bizarre Physical Appearance! (In this case, a sumo wrestler/judo expert named 'Gog' or something)The result is predictably bad. Assassins reads like a cut-rate James Bond thriller, except without the glamour, imagination or fun. Avallone's not-inconsiderable talent is wasted in this half-hearted pastiche. -- PORNOKITSCH