There is no doubt that the Nick Carter, Killmaster, series was created simply to cash in on the extreme popularity of the James Bond phenomenon. The character of Carter was too perfect, too much a man's man and a woman's desire, too feared an opponent, and too capable an agent.
What probably surprised the creators, working for the Universal Printing and Distribution Corporation, was that he didn't show up, sell a few books, and then go away. Nick Carter became a phenomenon all his own!
261 books. That makes the Nick Carter, Killmaster, storyline one of the more written action series in the history of publishing.
Over 30,000,000 copies of Nick Carter books were sold. Averaged over the length of the series, that would result in each book having sold around 115,000 copies.
That is not at all shabby for a series that was just a copycat.
But the Killmaster series had something else going for it that may not have been intentional but was nevertheless a factor. It had some highly qualified authors putting out these episodes quickly and frequently.
At first blush the speed that the books had to be "cranked out" would make it seem that each story was rushed and therefore not likely to be good. But this speed seems to have at worst kept the books from being better. The books seem to prove that quality writers routinely produce quality writing.
Martin Cruz Smith, Michael Collins, David Hagberg, W.T. Ballard, Thomas Costain, and Ralph Hayes. These are six of the known authors that penned the Nick Carter series. They, and others, have gone on to create reputations for highly successful and highly skilled writing. They brought to the Killmaster stories prowess at creating fiction that they would show in other works under their own name.
The Killmaster books do have a fair amount of variation in style and quality. Some are not so good. Some are in the 1st person while others are told as a 3rd person narrative. In a handful, Carter is a deep thinking agent and in many he is a shoot-first action hero.
But in all the books, Agent N-3 is the quintessential American hero, a man who is not afraid to head into danger and is capable of handling any opponent.
Nick Carter has a lean face. His hair is normally dark brown in color, thick and glossy with a "mildly satanic" widow's peak. He possesses a high, unlined forehead above a straight nose. His eyes are wide-set over high cheekbones; said to be "strange eyes hardly ever still and changing color as often as the sea". His mouth is firm and well shaped, usually reserved but sometimes with a hint of sensuality.
In keeping with his many years of arduous activities, his body is in the peak of conditioning. His shoulders are massive. He has a narrow and tight waist and his legs are described as "tanned pillars of smooth muscles". His muscles were no overly obvious but were, nevertheless, like steel cables.
There are several items of interest in the indefatigable Nick Carter. So many, in fact, it is hard to know which one should lead off.
In keeping with his role as a super-secret agent for the American government agency AXE, Nick Carter has a small tattoo of an axe on the inside of his right elbow. That is one way to remain inconspicuous.
Another fact is Nick's weapons that he takes with him everywhere. There is his pistol, a luger he calls Wilhelmina, held in a shoulder holster on his left side. Hugo is the name for his stiletto, sheathed in a piece of chamois above his right wrist and spring loaded to fly into his grip with a touch.. And lastly, he carries a gas pellet that goes by the name Pierre, golf ball sized but exactly where the pellet is hidden is not known.
The cover for the headquarters of AXE in Washington is the Amalgamated Press and Wire Service, located on Dupont Circle. In charge is David Hawk. He is a stern man described as on the older side of life but still referred to as "lean, wiry, and leather-tough." He has a fondness for cigars, chomping hard on them when tensions arise. Though he is known to not like leaving his offices, he frequently has to in the performance of his job. He does not travel well. He liaises with most upper level governmental leaders but answers only to the "Chief", also known as the President.
Note: The identity of the authors attributed to each book comes from an AWESOME reference book, "Action Series and Sequels" by Bernard A. Drew, copyrighted by him 1988 and published Garland Publishing, Inc. If the names are correct, he gets the credit. If there is a mistake, it'll be my fault. Trust me.
BOOKS
Number of Books: 261
First Appearance: 1964
Last Appearance: 1990
As a couple of visitors to this site have pointed out, the numbering of the books that I use is very much open to argument. I have used the best judgment I had at the time but except in the later years of the series where the publisher was nice enough to number them, many are arguable.
One nice thing, though, is that the books do not need to be read in any particular order. Starting from the beginning and working your way through, it might be better to read #10 before #163, for example, because of the separation in time but wondering if you should read #72 before #73, it hardly matters.
1 Run, Spy, Run Run, Spy, Run
Written by Michael Avallone, Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1964
Nick becomes involved in a scheme by the Red Chinese to eliminate key diplomats around the world and replace them with people more sympathetic to the cause.
2 The China Doll The China Doll
Written by Michael Avallone, Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1964
he President calls upon Axe to take over the guarding of Khrushchev as he visits the U.N. Nick soon discovers the true enemy is the brutal organization, CLAW.
3 Checkmate In Rio Checkmate In Rio
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1964
Why have six different U.S. Intelligence operatives working in Rio suddenly and expeditiously killed? Heading there, Carter finds himself the prospective number seven.
4 Safari For Spies Safari For Spies
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1964
Nyanga is an infant nation, south of the Sahara, in existence for less than a year in which someone is spark riots and attacks to disrupt the nascent government.
5 Fraulein Spy Fraulein Spy
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1964
To answer the mystery of what became of the heir to the Nazi party, Martin Bormann, Carter heads to Buenos Aires to check one a man who might be him.
6 Saigon Saigon
Written by Michael Avallone, Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1964
In a Vietnam where the French had recently been forced out and the Americans were only just entering, a General Minh has plans to take control of the entire region.
7 A Bullet For Fidel A Bullet For Fidel
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1965
Photographs of an area of southeastern Cuba shows something new in that region that wasn’t there before. The first and biggest worry is that it is new missiles.
8 The 13th Spy The 13th Spy
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1965
Someone is leaking vital documents from American embassies and passing them along to the Red Chinese. Nick’s mission is to find out who and stop the flow.
9 The Eyes of the Tiger The Eyes of the Tiger
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1965
Somewhere in a vault in Switzerland lies a golden tiger, a Japanese statuette of considerable value that two men want to finance a resurgence of fascism.
10 Istanbul Istanbul
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1965
The opium trade coming out of Turkey has been increasing over the years. Running it is a cartel protected by four extremely dangerous assassins.
11 Web Of Spies Web Of Spies
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1966
A brilliant British scientist, on vacation on the Spanish Costa Brava, is being stalked by the infamous group known as The Spinners for reasons unknown.
12 Spy Castle Spy Castle
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1966
One of the richest men in the world has an unsurpassed hatred for Russia and an overriding determination to see its destruction, no matter who stands in the way.
13 The Terrible Ones The Terrible Ones
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1966
Who are the Terrible Ones? Are they remnants of Trujillo’s soldiers, Chinese infiltrators, or Fidelistas? And why are they after the millions in treasure Trujillo hid?
14 Dragon Flame Dragon Flame
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1966
Sent on a “vacation” on a yacht off the coast of Hong Kong, Carter has to investigate rumors of tensions along the borders between the Reds and the Tongs.
15 Hanoi Hanoi
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1966
A secret base in the jungle, guarded by soldiers from Communist China and staffed by Germans, is a rocket installation able to send something deadly into orbit.
16 Danger Key Danger Key
Written by Lew Louderback
Copyright: 1966
When several CIA agents, assigned to investigate new Cuban refugees, are killed in freak accidents, AXE is alerted. CLAW is again at work.
17 Operation Starvation Operation Starvation
Written by Nicholas Browne
Copyright: 1966
Johnny Wu has a plan to dominate the world, using a spore that can either help rice crops or destroy them. Carter must find and free a scientist being held and stop Wu.
18 The Mind Poisoners The Mind Poisoners
Written by Lionel White
Copyright: 1966
Something is causing university students to engage in increasingly violent riots, totally beyond the norm and it is spreading wildly.
19 The Weapon of Night The Weapon of Night
Written by Valerie Moolman
Copyright: 1967
Around the country, there area random power outages, water supplies turning red, strange flashing lights in the sky and unusual smog formations with a foul odor.
20 The Golden Serpent The Golden Serpent
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
A group out of Mexico is demanding the return of the Southwestern United States, led by a wealthy Countess with a desire for her own country.
21 Mission To Venice Mission To Venice
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
No one doubted that there would be hell to pay when the U.S. lost a hydrogen bomb off the coast of Yugoslavia. Carter is tasked with recovering the explosive.
22 Double Identity Double Identity
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
Tensions are rising between Pakistan and India. Carter’s job is to eliminate whoever is causing the trouble but all evidence points to it being another Nick Carter!
23 The Devil's Cockpit The Devil's Cockpit
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
Movies showing many aspects of American life in extremely bad lights are being made and exploited to embarrass the American government.
24 The Chinese Paymaster The Chinese Paymaster
Written by Nicholas Browne
Copyright: 1967
A dissident Chinese scientist is killed in a secluded Chinese village. This is the first of numerous acts of violence attributed to an agent known as the Chinese Paymaster.
25 Seven Against Greece Seven Against Greece
Written by Nicholas Browne
Copyright: 1977
The Seven includes a wealthy Greek, a mad revolutionary, and a beautiful princess without a soul. Together, they want to conquer the world.
26 Assignment: Israel Assignment: Israel
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
The Butcher was a Nazi responsible for more deaths than any other war criminal. Now he is back, funded by the Chinese, with another plan for the elimination all Jews.
27 The Filthy Five The Filthy Five
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
Five members of a secret group are being paid one billion dollars to assassinate the President of the United States. First, though, they must eliminate Nick Carter.
28 A Korean Tiger A Korean Tiger
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
The culprit in a murder case is found to be a member of traitorous member of AXE who has fled to the Far East. Carter is sent to the traitor.
29 The Bright Blue Death The Bright Blue Death
Written by Nicholas Browne
Copyright: 1967
The Teutonic Knights follow a madman who was determined to avenge the fall of the Third Reich through a disease that causes a slow and agonizing death to its victims.
30 The Red Guard The Red Guard
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1967
The Red Chinese have created a new weapon far more devastating than either the Americans or the Soviets have with which they wish to force all nations into submission.
31 Macao Macao
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1968
The lovely Princess da Gama holds the truth to the identity of a man whose crazed mind could unleash a devastation upon the world but she is reluctant to get involved.
32 Operation Moon Rocket Operation Moon Rocket
Written by Lew Louderback
Copyright: 1968
The Red China is behind the murders of several American astronauts. Their killers were soon found dead. To save the space program, Carter must set himself up.
33 The Judas Spy The Judas Spy
Written by William L. Rohde
Copyright: 1975
Mr. Judas is a master spy whose talents were for sale to the highest bidder. This time the bidder is Red China and it is in Indonesia that he is being used.
34 Hood of Death Hood of Death
Written by William L. Rohde
Copyright: 1968
Call girls active in Washington is not unusual but they seem to be killing key government officials and that is out of the ordinary.
35 Amsterdam Amsterdam
Written by William L. Rohde
Copyright: 1968
A private spy network operating across Europe has gotten their hands on America’s nuclear plans, bringing it to the attention of AXE.
36 Temple Of Fear Temple Of Fear
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1968
In the back alleys of Tokyo, a spy network is at work passing information that point to a plot against both the U.S. and Red China.
37 14 Seconds To Hell 14 Seconds To Hell
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1968
The head of the highly secret Chinese nuclear site has an immense hatred for both the U.S. and U.S.S.R., fanned by a beautiful woman with her own agenda.
38 The Defector The Defector
Written by George Snyder
Copyright: 1969
Nick must travel into Red China to find and free the wife and son of a noted research doctor before he turns himself over to the ChiComs.
39 Carnival For Killing Carnival For Killing
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
The son of a friend of Carter asks him to help with strange troubles in the upper reaches of Brazil. It soon becomes clear that Castro is deeply involved.
40 Rhodesia Rhodesia
Written by William L. Rohde
Copyright: 1968
There is “enough gold to ransom the world” to be gotten. Pursuing it are three people with different motives and determined to not let Carter stop them.
41 The Red Rays The Red Rays
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1969
At a party in California, Carter learns the Red Chinese have a new weapon, a bizarre sex ray that will pose a tremendous danger to the world.
42 Peking and The Tulip Affair Peking and The Tulip Affair
Written by Arnold Marmer
Copyright: 1969
In the Peking assignment, Nick Carter again confronts the Nazi leader, Martin Bormann. In The Tulip Affair, Carter must track down a former AXE agent.
43 The Amazon The Amazon
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
Nick Carter challenges the perils of the Amazon trying to find and retrieve a small electronic brain that has the horsepower of many large-scale computers.
44 The Sea Trap The Sea Trap
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
From an island stronghold guarded closely by convicts picked for their ferocity, a madman has developed a weapon that makes any submarine a floating death trap.
45 Berlin Berlin
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
Billions of dollars have been funneled through various means to the coffers of a neo-Nazi organization whose leader is determined to become the next Fuhrer.
46 The Human Time Bomb The Human Time Bomb
Written by William L. Rohde
Copyright: 1969
When a young AXE agent disappears while investigating a pharmaceutical plant in central Colorado, Carter is sent to find out what is going on behind the security fences.
47 The Cobra Kill The Cobra Kill
Written by Manning Lee Stokes
Copyright: 1969
While in Hong Kong on a short vacation, Carter receives word that his services are urgently needed in Malaysia to find a Red Chinese rebel leader called the Red Cobra.
48 The Living Death The Living Death
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
Seven scientists from different lines of study have over the past year been afflicted with a strange disease that has corrupted their minds.
49 Operation Che Guevara Operation Che Guevara
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
The revolutionary leader, Che Guevara, killed by Bolivian soldiers two years before, but now reports are saying that he is still alive and still fighting.
50 The Doomsday Formula The Doomsday Formula
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
Volcanic action Hawaii is far greater in the past months than normal. What made it a matter to interest AXE is the rumor that Japanese Communists were behind it.
51 Operation Snake Operation Snake
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
Nick Carter did not believe in the Abominable Snowman until he came face to face with it while in Nepal to find out what the Chinese government is up to.
52 The Casbah Killers The Casbah Killers
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1969
When AXE’s top man in Morocco disappeared, Carter comes to Casablanca to learn an Arab leader was extending his tendrils from out of the Moroccan mountains.
53 The Arab Plague The Arab Plague
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1970
Defections, policy shifts, and frayed relations, are but a few of the strange behaviors of world leaders brought by an Arab who is using mind-controlling drugs.
54 The Red Rebellion The Red Rebellion
Written by Jon Messmann
Copyright: 1970
A triple agent named Simon Colare is working with the notorious Red Chinese Major Su Yat to foment unrest on American campuses.