It was the eighth novel in his long-running series of adventures featuring secret agent Matt Helm.

Matt Helm is sent to Canada where his assignment is to stop a scheme to bring a Soviet submarine within striking distance of the United States.

At the end of the fourth film, 1969's The Wrecking Crew, it is announced that Matt Helm's next cinematic adventure would be The Ravagers (presumably based upon this novel).

Martin, however, declined to return to the role for a fifth time and the film was never made.

Hawn wanted $150,000 to appear which Columbia weren't prepared to pay.