Mike Hammer, the toughest PI of all, draws a seemingly routine assignment—playing bodyguard to diva Rita Vance on the eve of her big Broadway comeback. But Rita is an old flame of Hammer's, and when their romance is rekindled, the detective finds the actress facing death threats and himself the target of one hit man after another. When the actress disappears, the show must go on, which with Mike Hammer means swift, violent retaliation. While the cops and feds go down a false trail, Hammer seeks to make a rescue before Rita's curtain comes down. But first he must make sense of a mystery that takes him from a Soho art gallery to a mountain lodge, from Little Italy to a waterfront confrontation that is way, way off Broadway.
Working from the plot for an unwritten novel found in the files of the late Mickey Spillane, Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) has fashioned a compelling noir thriller that is vintage Mike Hammer all the way.
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“Thisnoir thriller is based on an idea from Mickey Spillane. Stacy Keach superblyportrays the iconic gumshoe Mike Hammer. The TV show’s jazzy theme song setsthe perfect atmosphere, and other sound effects and music composed andperformed by Keach add to the package. The supporting cast creates outstandingvoices for Velda, Mike’s gorgeous secretary, actress Rita Vance, and a cadre ofNew York City characters and those farther afield. As the cynical loner, Mikeworks at protecting Rita, an old flame, but she disappears. The trail takesMike to Soho, Little Italy, a mountain lodge, and finally a conflict on thewaterfront. The first-person narrative, with its sly humor so characteristic ofSpillane’s stories, is perfect for Keach. This wonderful listening experienceis reminiscent of old-time radio drama. Winner of the AudioFile EarphonesAward.”
— AudioFile
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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.
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.
Wendy McElroy has written on women’s issues for Reason, Liberty, and the National Review. She is the author of several books on feminism and has worked as a scholar for such think tanks as the Cato Institute. She was a 1997 Mencken Award finalist.