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The Big Bang Audiobook
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(3.01) - 122 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In midtown Manhattan, Mike Hammer, recovering from a near-fatal mix-up with the Mob, runs into drug dealers assaulting a young hospital messenger. He saves the kid, but the muggers are not so lucky. Hammer considers the rescue a one-off, but someone has different ideas, as indicated by a street-corner knife attack. With himself for a client, Hammer—and his beautiful, deadly partner Velda—take on the narcotics racket in New York just as the streets have dried up and rumors run rampant of a massive heroin shipment due any day. In a New York of flashy discotheques, swanky bachelor pads, and the occasional dark alley, Hammer deals with doctors and drug addicts, hippie chicks and hit men, meeting changing times with his timeless brand of violent vengeance.
Originally begun and outlined by Spillane in the mid-sixties, and expertly completed by his longtime collaborator Max Allan Collins, The Big Bang is vintage Mike Hammer on acid—literally.
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"This book is solid, gritty and sexy crime work. Max Collins doesn't overdo it, but turns in a solid, taut page turner of a novel in grand Mike Hammer tradition. "
— Tim (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Resuming his role from the short-lived CBS television series, actor Stacy Keach slips effortlessly back into character and even offers up his musical expertise by providing original jazz compositions as accompaniment. The sound production is stellar as realistic sound effects are peppered throughout and help to amplify the reading. The big bang from Hammer’s Colt .45 will literally rattle the walls! Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“Mike Hammer is the original hard-boiled dick—shoot first, dodge questions later…Fun, if you don’t take it very seriously and think of it as a slightly skewed dream you once had.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Though it came from two authors, Bang has a clear, consistent narrative voice…The pace clips along, as conversation leads to assault leads to conversation…Bold enough to be memorable.”
— AV Club -
“A great success…The Big Bang is filled with classic Spillane villains, vixens, and a healthy dose of Velda.”
— Post and Courier -
“A triple combination of talent comes together to bring the iconic Mike Hammer back for a new adventure. Collins, working with Spillane’s incomplete manuscript and copious notes, has completed a sterling addition to the Hammer canon. The third creative element to this mix is the impeccable vocal artistry of Stacy Keach, an actor who for a generation is the embodiment of Mike Hammer…Keach’s smooth, confident reading perfectly captures Spillane’s most famous creation, whether he’s delivering a punch in the face, a slug from a .45, or a kiss to a dame. Pure unabashed, pleasurable pulp.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review) -
“The image of a brooding figure contemplating the decline evident all around him, along with characters done in broad strokes, invite comparisons to Batman…an enormously entertaining confection with its politically incorrect views, giving fans of the Mad Men TV series as well as proponents of vigilante justice something to talk about over the watercooler.”
— Library Journal -
“Sentences are packed with gritty detail, action scenes have more kicks and slams than a championship karate playoff and the plot—Hammer takes on the narcotics mob on the eve of a big heroin shipment to Manhattan in the mid-’60s—is tight.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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Finalist for the Scribe Award for Best Original General Fiction
The Big Bang Listener Reviews
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" I like Mike Hammer, but this one was mucho violence and sex, a little over the top. I borrowed this from e-book library, "overdrive" and read it on the nook. "
— Charles, 1/18/2014 -
" This is the first of Mickey Spillane novels I have read. It will not be the last. "
— Joseph, 11/27/2013 -
" Two stars for the book, plus a bonus star since it's my first experience of the famous Mickey Spillane / Mike Hammer. "
— James, 9/9/2013 -
" This book is solid, gritty and sexy crime work. Max Collins doesn't overdo it, but turns in a solid, taut page turner of a novel in grand Mike Hammer tradition. "
— Tim, 5/31/2013 -
" I'll have to start at the other end of the Spillane oeuvre, I guess. "
— Chip, 10/19/2012 -
" Not as good as his others. "
— Nathan, 10/6/2012 -
" Oh my Gosh! Mike Hammer is a walking Sexual Harassment suit waiting to happen. "
— Mike, 9/30/2012 -
" He's not Spillane, but Collins isn't bad. "
— Mike, 5/24/2011 -
" More like a 3.5 because the one or two chapters seem to repeat the same information and I do hate repetitive writing when it comes to mystery/thriller genre. "
— Ben, 4/30/2011 -
" A bit more run of the mill than I would have preferred. Not bad, but not great either. Glad it wasn't the first Mike Hammer book I read. Good Sunday read, but not much else. A 2.5 if you could give half stars. "
— Du, 4/9/2011 -
" Not like the first ones. Or maybe I've aged. "
— Al, 2/14/2011 -
" Not a bad read. Almost vintage Spillane. "
— Ron, 11/27/2010 -
" Not as good as his others. "
— Nathan, 11/23/2010 -
" Not a bad read. Almost vintage Spillane. "
— Ron, 7/14/2010 -
" Not like the first ones. Or maybe I've aged. "
— Al, 6/3/2010
About the Authors
Mickey Spillane (1918–2006) was one of the most popular authors of all time, with millions of copies of his books in print worldwide. He introduced Mike Hammer to readers in 1947 with I, the Jury. He was named a Grand Master in 1995 by the Mystery Writers of America.
Max Allan Collins is the author of Road to Perdition, the acclaimed graphic novel that inspired the movie, and of the multiple-award-winning Nathan Heller series of historical hardboiled mysteries. One of most prolific and popular authors working in the field today, he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2017. He is also the literary executor of Mickey Spillane.
About Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is perhaps best known for his portrayal of hard-boiled detective Mike Hammer. He played Ken Titus on the sitcom Titus, Warden Henry Pope in the hit series Prison Break, and has been seen in numerous film and stage productions. He won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ernest Hemingway and starred as Richard Nixon in the US National Tour of Frost/Nixon. His performance in the title role of King Lear has received international acclaim.