THE EXPEDITOR

       John Eagle is an agent for a unspecified U.S. intelligence agency.
       The son of a Scottish engineer father and a English mother, the man who would be known as John Eagle was born on an Apache reservation south of the Gila River. His parents had come there while his father worked on a road construction project. His mother died of blood loss during his delivery and his father, taking to drink in sorrow, died soon after in a construction accident.
       The young infant was left an orphan in the hands of his father's friend, an Apache warrior who took the responsibility of raising the child as his own son. The old man taught Eagle in the ways of the Indian tribe - taught him to run, stalk, sneak, and kill with great skill.
       When Eagle reached the age of maturity, he hungered for adventure and, seeing an ad for young men like himself, answered the odd classified and met Mr. Merlin.
       After triumphing in a test in which three men were set to stalk and eliminate him, Eagle was offered a contract by the mysterious Mr. Merlin. The terms of the contract were simple albeit strange.
       Eagle could not seek to discover what agency he worked for nor could he try to find out who Merlin really was. He was not to expect any comfort or aid from his government should be he caught while on assignment. In fact, he should not even admit to his citizenship!
       In exchange for accepting these conditions and undertaking a series of assignments, Eagle would receive a yearly salary of $100,000 tax-free. Should he live to see the end of his engagement, he would receive a tax-less one million dollars.
       The Mr. Merlin, almost more interesting a character than John Eagle, is the head of the secret intelligence agency who has had several 'lives'. First he was a much decorated hero of WWII where he eschewed the safety of the Pentagon for the behind the lines fighting. He lost the use of his legs as a result of his missions but earned considerable accolades. His next life was as a writer where he, under a pseudonym, wrote many best-selling mysteries. His third life was as a businessman where he exceeded even his own goals and became a billionaire many times over. Finally, with all his personal objectives met, he decided that it was time to pay back again for his success by creating an organization of Expeditors dedicated to keeping America strong. Thus far he had only one such member, John Eagle, but he wasn't finished yet.

       The series was created by the prolific produer Lyle Kenyon Engel who specialized in syndicate writing, namely creating a concept and then hiring young or hungry writers to churn out series under a house name. The first writer, and the one to set the tone for the series, was the highly capable Manning Lee Stokes who also wrote many Nick Carter Killmaster adventures.

       If you want straight action, some humor, and great adventure, don't overlook the Expeditor. Despite the rather goofy name, the stories are quite enjoyable and worthy of a chance. Don't expect great drama or characterization but for a fast, fun read, it is good.
       This is especially true for this series since it was a syndicate-generated one which meant that there was little room for character building outside that which was established at the beginning and none whatsoever for character advancement as it was vital to keep things even so one book didn't conflict with a previous one.
       So, enjoy them for gun-popping, fist-flying, bodice-ripping excitement and don't expect any more.