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Mike Hammer #16
Kiss Her Goodbye: A Mike Hammer Novel
Mike Hammer has been away from New York for too long. Recuperating in Florida after the mob shoot-out that nearly claimed his life, he learns that an old mentor on the New York police force has committed suicide. Hammer returns for the funeral--and because he knows that Inspector Doolan would never have killed himself. But Manhattan in the seventies no longer feels like home. Hammer's longtime partner, Velda, disappeared after he broke it off for her own safety, and his office is shut down.When a woman is murdered practically on the funeral's doorstep, Hammer is drawn into the hunt for a cache of Nazi diamonds that makes the Maltese Falcon seem like a knickknack and for the mysterious woman who had been close to Doolan in his final days. But drug racketeers, who had it in for Doolan, attract Hammer's attention as well. Soon he is hobnobbing with coke-snorting celebrities at the notorious disco, Club 52, and playing footsie with a sleek lady DA, a modern woman on the make for old-fashioned Hammer. Everything leads to a Mafia social club where Hammer and his .45 come calling, initiating the wildest showdown since Spillane's classic One Lonely Night.
2 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2011
12 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Mickey Spillane
314 books449 followersMickey Spillane was one of the world's most popular mystery writers. His specialty was tight-fisted, sadistic revenge stories, often featuring his alcoholic gumshoe Mike Hammer and a cast of evildoers who launder money or spout the Communist Party line.
His writing style was characterized by short words, lightning transitions, gruff sex and violent endings. It was once tallied that he offed 58 people in six novels.
Starting with "I, the Jury," in 1947, Mr. Spillane sold hundreds of millions of books during his lifetime and garnered consistently scathing reviews. Even his father, a Brooklyn bartender, called them "crud."
Mr. Spillane was a struggling comic book publisher when he wrote "I, the Jury." He initially envisioned it as a comic book called "Mike Danger," and when that did not go over, he took a week to reconfigure it as a novel.
Even the editor in chief of E.P. Dutton and Co., Mr. Spillane's publisher, was skeptical of the book's literary merit but conceded it would probably be a smash with postwar readers looking for ready action. He was right. The book, in which Hammer pursues a murderous narcotics ring led by a curvaceous female psychiatrist, went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
Mr. Spillane spun out six novels in the next five years, among them "My Gun Is Quick," "The Big Kill," "One Lonely Night" and "Kiss Me, Deadly." Most concerned Hammer, his faithful sidekick, Velda, and the police homicide captain Pat Chambers, who acknowledges that Hammer's style of vigilante justice is often better suited than the law to dispatching criminals.
Mr. Spillane's success rankled other critics, who sometimes became very personal in their reviews. Malcolm Cowley called Mr. Spillane "a homicidal paranoiac," going on to note what he called his misogyny and vigilante tendencies.
His books were translated into many languages, and he proved so popular as a writer that he was able to transfer his thick-necked, barrel-chested personality across many media. With the charisma of a redwood, he played Hammer in "The Girl Hunters," a 1963 film adaptation of his novel.
Spillane also scripted several television shows and films and played a detective in the 1954 suspense film "Ring of Fear," set at a Clyde Beatty circus. He rewrote much of the film, too, refusing payment. In gratitude, the producer, John Wayne, surprised him one morning with a white Jaguar sportster wrapped in a red ribbon. The card read, "Thanks, Duke."
Done initially on a dare from his publisher, Mr. Spillane wrote a children's book, "The Day the Sea Rolled Back" (1979), about two boys who find a shipwreck loaded with treasure. This won a Junior Literary Guild award.
He also wrote another children's novel, "The Ship That Never Was," and then wrote his first Mike Hammer mystery in 20 years with "The Killing Man" (1989). "Black Alley" followed in 1996. In the last, a rapidly aging Hammer comes out of a gunshot-induced coma, then tracks down a friend's murderer and billions in mob loot. For the first time, he also confesses his love for Velda but, because of doctor's orders, cannot consummate the relationship.
Late in life, he received a career achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America and was named a grand master by the Mystery Writers of America.
In his private life, he neither smoked nor drank and was a house-to-house missionary for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He expressed at times great disdain for what he saw as corrosive forces in American life, from antiwar protesters to the United Nations.
His marriages to Mary Ann Pearce and Sherri Malinou ended in divorce. His second wife, a model, posed nude for the dust jacket of his 1972 novel "The Erection Set."
Survivors include his third wife, Jane Rodgers Johnson, a former beauty queen 30 years his junior; and four children from the first marriage.
He also carried on a long epistolary flirtation with Ayn Rand, an admirer of his writing.
His writing style was characterized by short words, lightning transitions, gruff sex and violent endings. It was once tallied that he offed 58 people in six novels.
Starting with "I, the Jury," in 1947, Mr. Spillane sold hundreds of millions of books during his lifetime and garnered consistently scathing reviews. Even his father, a Brooklyn bartender, called them "crud."
Mr. Spillane was a struggling comic book publisher when he wrote "I, the Jury." He initially envisioned it as a comic book called "Mike Danger," and when that did not go over, he took a week to reconfigure it as a novel.
Even the editor in chief of E.P. Dutton and Co., Mr. Spillane's publisher, was skeptical of the book's literary merit but conceded it would probably be a smash with postwar readers looking for ready action. He was right. The book, in which Hammer pursues a murderous narcotics ring led by a curvaceous female psychiatrist, went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
Mr. Spillane spun out six novels in the next five years, among them "My Gun Is Quick," "The Big Kill," "One Lonely Night" and "Kiss Me, Deadly." Most concerned Hammer, his faithful sidekick, Velda, and the police homicide captain Pat Chambers, who acknowledges that Hammer's style of vigilante justice is often better suited than the law to dispatching criminals.
Mr. Spillane's success rankled other critics, who sometimes became very personal in their reviews. Malcolm Cowley called Mr. Spillane "a homicidal paranoiac," going on to note what he called his misogyny and vigilante tendencies.
His books were translated into many languages, and he proved so popular as a writer that he was able to transfer his thick-necked, barrel-chested personality across many media. With the charisma of a redwood, he played Hammer in "The Girl Hunters," a 1963 film adaptation of his novel.
Spillane also scripted several television shows and films and played a detective in the 1954 suspense film "Ring of Fear," set at a Clyde Beatty circus. He rewrote much of the film, too, refusing payment. In gratitude, the producer, John Wayne, surprised him one morning with a white Jaguar sportster wrapped in a red ribbon. The card read, "Thanks, Duke."
Done initially on a dare from his publisher, Mr. Spillane wrote a children's book, "The Day the Sea Rolled Back" (1979), about two boys who find a shipwreck loaded with treasure. This won a Junior Literary Guild award.
He also wrote another children's novel, "The Ship That Never Was," and then wrote his first Mike Hammer mystery in 20 years with "The Killing Man" (1989). "Black Alley" followed in 1996. In the last, a rapidly aging Hammer comes out of a gunshot-induced coma, then tracks down a friend's murderer and billions in mob loot. For the first time, he also confesses his love for Velda but, because of doctor's orders, cannot consummate the relationship.
Late in life, he received a career achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America and was named a grand master by the Mystery Writers of America.
In his private life, he neither smoked nor drank and was a house-to-house missionary for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He expressed at times great disdain for what he saw as corrosive forces in American life, from antiwar protesters to the United Nations.
His marriages to Mary Ann Pearce and Sherri Malinou ended in divorce. His second wife, a model, posed nude for the dust jacket of his 1972 novel "The Erection Set."
Survivors include his third wife, Jane Rodgers Johnson, a former beauty queen 30 years his junior; and four children from the first marriage.
He also carried on a long epistolary flirtation with Ayn Rand, an admirer of his writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
April 20, 2021
I read the newly published, revised edition, NOT the Otto Penzler edition. I received this as a book giveaway. I am not familiar with the original ending to know how it changed. I have read numerous M. Spillane and Spillane/Collins collaborations.
One of the pleasures of reading a series is the comfort that comes from familiar elements such as language, world view, personalities. Much of the fun comes from how the author plays off that background.
This story will not disappoint readers. There are enough twists and new characters to keep the story fresh.
One of the pleasures of reading a series is the comfort that comes from familiar elements such as language, world view, personalities. Much of the fun comes from how the author plays off that background.
This story will not disappoint readers. There are enough twists and new characters to keep the story fresh.
May 19, 2017
The pacing in this novel is absolutely perfect. Reading this, it's easy to
see how many of today's crime thrillers are but imitations of Spillane's
writing. There are no wasted words. The novel takes Hammer back into the depths of seventies New York, and from the Special VIP room of Studio 54 to the honeymoon suite of a major hotel with a sexy female attorney.
Hammer takes pleasure in killing and he's no slouch at it here with a
terrific body count. There's murders and drug smuggling and Nazi loot
and a shoot out with major implications. It was a flawless read and impossible to a discern who wrote whichpart. Great stuff.
see how many of today's crime thrillers are but imitations of Spillane's
writing. There are no wasted words. The novel takes Hammer back into the depths of seventies New York, and from the Special VIP room of Studio 54 to the honeymoon suite of a major hotel with a sexy female attorney.
Hammer takes pleasure in killing and he's no slouch at it here with a
terrific body count. There's murders and drug smuggling and Nazi loot
and a shoot out with major implications. It was a flawless read and impossible to a discern who wrote whichpart. Great stuff.
February 25, 2011
The latest collaboration between the late Spillane and Max Allan Collins. Mickey Spillane left a number of unfinished manuscripts after his death and Collins was given them. This is the third Mike Hammer he's finished from notes and outlines left.
Mike Hammer returns to New York city for the funeral of a friend and mentor. He's been living in Florida for a year, recovering from near fatal wounds incurred in a gun battle with a homicidal lunatic. Though not fully healed, he makes the trip.
His friend had committed suicide as the ravages of cancer were about to reduce him to a pain filled husk.
The only thing, Hammer didn't buy it. He knew his friend too well. Someone had murdered him, never mind what the evidence showed and he intended to find out who before he returned to Florida. The city wasn't the same anymore. It's the 1970s and disco reigns, hedonistic thrills are overlooked by the powers that be.
And Velda was gone!
Hammer is only back in town a day before bodies start turning up, an attempt is made on his life, and his nose tells him he was right.
A slam bang climax, pure Spillane, and an ending that took me back to that first blush with spillane's work.
Recommended.
Mike Hammer returns to New York city for the funeral of a friend and mentor. He's been living in Florida for a year, recovering from near fatal wounds incurred in a gun battle with a homicidal lunatic. Though not fully healed, he makes the trip.
His friend had committed suicide as the ravages of cancer were about to reduce him to a pain filled husk.
The only thing, Hammer didn't buy it. He knew his friend too well. Someone had murdered him, never mind what the evidence showed and he intended to find out who before he returned to Florida. The city wasn't the same anymore. It's the 1970s and disco reigns, hedonistic thrills are overlooked by the powers that be.
And Velda was gone!
Hammer is only back in town a day before bodies start turning up, an attempt is made on his life, and his nose tells him he was right.
A slam bang climax, pure Spillane, and an ending that took me back to that first blush with spillane's work.
Recommended.
April 4, 2017
This one I enjoyed more than most of the Spillane/Collins collaborations. I'm not sure how much original Spillane was in there and how much Collins added to finish the book, but one scene in a hotel was vintage Spillane. If Collins wrote that part then kudos to him for getting the feel and style just right.
Like so many other Spillane novels, this one is a tale a revenge. Mike Hammer returns to New York to attend the funeral of an old friend who apparently committed suicide. Of course, Mike doesn't believe that for a moment and, as you might expect, he's right.
Good stuff if your a fan.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the audio book by narrated by Stacy Keach, to whom this book is dedicated. He has the perfect gravelly voice for a hard boiled private eye.
Like so many other Spillane novels, this one is a tale a revenge. Mike Hammer returns to New York to attend the funeral of an old friend who apparently committed suicide. Of course, Mike doesn't believe that for a moment and, as you might expect, he's right.
Good stuff if your a fan.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the audio book by narrated by Stacy Keach, to whom this book is dedicated. He has the perfect gravelly voice for a hard boiled private eye.
November 2, 2019
Another one that Collins finished up after Spillane's death. It was fun, but I didn't like it as much as the last one I read. They really jumped the shark a couple of times with Hammer mowing down people in droves. Still, it was an interesting chapter in his continuing adventures & there are always a few nuggets thrown in. This time it was the list of celebrities at a hot club. I'm sure I missed some good references because I don't know enough about the bright & beautiful. Those I caught were good.
Well narrated by Stacy Keach who titles himself "the Mike Hammer of a generation". He's not wrong.
Well narrated by Stacy Keach who titles himself "the Mike Hammer of a generation". He's not wrong.
April 16, 2011
Kiss Her Good-Bye by Mickey Spillane
I forgot how violent Mickey Spillane Books are. Mike Hammer has retired due to battle wounds. The damage to his spirit is far worse than that to his body.
There is something timeless about Mickey Spillane's work. Morality is based on personal philosophy rather than legal precedent. The settings may be dated but the emotions are truly timeless. Loyalty to friends and just retribution characterized Mike Hammer stories. A manly sublimation of a personal desire for commitment also characterizes Mike Hammer.
You can depend to find colorful figures, moderate sex, gratuitous violence and thoughtless action in Mickey Spillane novels. They are consistently entertaining and a genre which is generally underrated. If you are looking for education or illumination Spillane won’t be your choice but if you just want relaxing entertainment, run out and introduce yourself to Mickey Spillane and Mike Hammer!
I recommend the book.
I forgot how violent Mickey Spillane Books are. Mike Hammer has retired due to battle wounds. The damage to his spirit is far worse than that to his body.
There is something timeless about Mickey Spillane's work. Morality is based on personal philosophy rather than legal precedent. The settings may be dated but the emotions are truly timeless. Loyalty to friends and just retribution characterized Mike Hammer stories. A manly sublimation of a personal desire for commitment also characterizes Mike Hammer.
You can depend to find colorful figures, moderate sex, gratuitous violence and thoughtless action in Mickey Spillane novels. They are consistently entertaining and a genre which is generally underrated. If you are looking for education or illumination Spillane won’t be your choice but if you just want relaxing entertainment, run out and introduce yourself to Mickey Spillane and Mike Hammer!
I recommend the book.
June 20, 2011
You know what's you're getting into when you read a Mike Hammer novel. Hammer is a cornerstone of the American detective canon- the unrepentant bruiser of a P.I. who shoots first and asks questions later. You'll get a lot of macho, male fantasy nonsense. You get a main character who lords himself and, eventually, his knowledge of the mystery over everyone in creation. A general contempt for women pervades. You likely know all that going in.
I've read and enjoyed many of the original Mike Hammer novels. I even sampled The Big Bang, one of the "lost" Hammer novels cobbled together by novelist Max Allan Collins. I say all that to say that I found this to be the ugliest, least delicate, and brutal of the entire series. There are some sparks of ingenuity here, some nice descriptions of New York City in the '70's. I would guess it's a kick for many fans of the character to see him interacting with the drug-fueled disco culture of that time.
I just couldn't get past how silly huge swaths of Kiss Her Goodbye were. Everywhere Mike Hammer goes, people know him. They cower in front of him. They treat him like a golden god. This happens in other Hammer novels, but it's taken to a ridiculous degree here and it's distracting. The central mystery is alright, I guess, although the big "twist" at the end is telegraphed from out of nowhere. If there were any big clues about the reveal in the last ten pages, I absolutely missed them.
I've read and enjoyed many of the original Mike Hammer novels. I even sampled The Big Bang, one of the "lost" Hammer novels cobbled together by novelist Max Allan Collins. I say all that to say that I found this to be the ugliest, least delicate, and brutal of the entire series. There are some sparks of ingenuity here, some nice descriptions of New York City in the '70's. I would guess it's a kick for many fans of the character to see him interacting with the drug-fueled disco culture of that time.
I just couldn't get past how silly huge swaths of Kiss Her Goodbye were. Everywhere Mike Hammer goes, people know him. They cower in front of him. They treat him like a golden god. This happens in other Hammer novels, but it's taken to a ridiculous degree here and it's distracting. The central mystery is alright, I guess, although the big "twist" at the end is telegraphed from out of nowhere. If there were any big clues about the reveal in the last ten pages, I absolutely missed them.
July 11, 2017
Memorable quote ‘Die any way you like’
The charismatic Mike Hammer returns in a true to form classic P.I tradition. In ‘Kiss Her Goodbye’, the battle scared and emotionally hardened Hammer is forced out of retirement to dispel the suicide verdict handed down to his former police mentor Dooley. As with any Hammer novel, bodies of beautiful women soon turn up seemingly linked to the Dooley suicide with a mugging gone wrong, a random hooker rundown, and a nightclub singer very much alive and dangerous.
The latest instalment in the series co authored by Max Allan Collins is just as violent and atmospheric as previous Hammer outings if not more so with one scene amassing a body count of 24 in a showdown not to be forgotten. While part of a long running series, Kiss Her Goodbye read well as a standalone with a self contained story while still providing enough historical context to tie together crucial plot elements and character motives from previous novels. I also liked the way Hammer further embraced and relished bloodshed and the reaction of those close to him after the last bullet left the chamber.
Fans of Mickey Spillane won’t be disappointed as Collins doesn’t miss a beat in delivering a Hammer novel in a voice only the Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America could muster.
The charismatic Mike Hammer returns in a true to form classic P.I tradition. In ‘Kiss Her Goodbye’, the battle scared and emotionally hardened Hammer is forced out of retirement to dispel the suicide verdict handed down to his former police mentor Dooley. As with any Hammer novel, bodies of beautiful women soon turn up seemingly linked to the Dooley suicide with a mugging gone wrong, a random hooker rundown, and a nightclub singer very much alive and dangerous.
The latest instalment in the series co authored by Max Allan Collins is just as violent and atmospheric as previous Hammer outings if not more so with one scene amassing a body count of 24 in a showdown not to be forgotten. While part of a long running series, Kiss Her Goodbye read well as a standalone with a self contained story while still providing enough historical context to tie together crucial plot elements and character motives from previous novels. I also liked the way Hammer further embraced and relished bloodshed and the reaction of those close to him after the last bullet left the chamber.
Fans of Mickey Spillane won’t be disappointed as Collins doesn’t miss a beat in delivering a Hammer novel in a voice only the Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America could muster.
September 5, 2011
Max Allan Collins ... super-author
Mike Hammer... iconic character
Mix these two fantastic ingredients, and voila... a tepid, meandering mess that couldn't carry me to page fifty.
I've loved movies based on Max Allan Collins books, I even met him in a bar at an author conference, and a few of my friends (Joe Konrath) know him, so I was excited to put my hands on this book. So much for that expectation.
Having never read a Mike Hammer book probably hurt, because if I had read earlier works then I might have understood the fawning attention other characters lavished on Hammer. But that shouldn't matter. Any book should be good enough to catch and keep your attention, be it the first book in a series, or a later book cobbled together by another, albeit superstar author. This one felt saccharine and contrived, at least through the first fifty pages.
I'm old enough now that I won't waste my time finishing a book just to see if it will turn and finally hook me 100 pages in. And as a fellow, though far less known author, I don't have the luxury of being able to write books that don't get your attention right off the bat.
So for me, time lost that I'll never recover. I won't compound my mistake by reading the rest of the book.
Kiss this book goodbye.
Norm
http://www.normcowie.com
July 8, 2011
Mike Hammer returns. "Kiss Her Goodbye" was written by Max Allan Collins from two unfinished manuscripts after Mickey Spillane's death. I found the later Mike Hammer disappointing, but there are flashes of the earlier one here. There are also flashes of the later one and clumsy dialog. It's a mixed bag, but the story pulled me in as that earlier Mike Hammer took over more and more as it moved along. I stopped reading Spillane's late works and this story takes place after an early book in which Mike has a shoot out with the son of a mob boss and is severely wounded, but the son is killed. He's been in Florida for a year recuperating. A call from Pat Chambers, his old friend, about the death of their mentor, Inspector Doolan brings Mike back to New York City. Slowly, the dirt and grit of the city enters his blood again as he chases leads and leaves a pile of dead bodies. I never did like the way woman come into his life and there are a few here. Still, it was good to see Mike Hammer back for probably what is the last time.
February 20, 2016
Kiss Her GoodBye by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins.
The introduction to this Mike Hammer mystery was straight to the point. This was begun during Mickey Spillane's last days and released into the hands of Max Allan Collins by M.S. to be finished. trusting act of confidence by a dying author. I found this quite moving.
Mike finds himself at his long time mentors funeral. It seems that Doolan has taken his own life, an unacceptable fact that Mike intends to disprove no matter what the consequences may be. Determination & loyalty drive Mike on starting with those present at Doolan's funeral.
There was a smooth start to this story but then I found a significant change in direction which I took to be when M.A.C.'s took over the writing. The ending was developed well including significant other(s) from Mike's past.
The introduction to this Mike Hammer mystery was straight to the point. This was begun during Mickey Spillane's last days and released into the hands of Max Allan Collins by M.S. to be finished. trusting act of confidence by a dying author. I found this quite moving.
Mike finds himself at his long time mentors funeral. It seems that Doolan has taken his own life, an unacceptable fact that Mike intends to disprove no matter what the consequences may be. Determination & loyalty drive Mike on starting with those present at Doolan's funeral.
There was a smooth start to this story but then I found a significant change in direction which I took to be when M.A.C.'s took over the writing. The ending was developed well including significant other(s) from Mike's past.
July 30, 2019
This is the first Hammer book in order of events that Max Collins finished from notes and partly written transcripts by Spillane. It takes place a year after the Survival ZeroSurvival Zero, in which Mike is shot up badly in a gunfight and presumed dead. Instead, he's been recovering in Florida and while he's on pain pills and doctor-prescribed exercises to heal, he's still wounded.
Hammer gets a call from Captain Chambers that an old cop friend has killed himself, and so Mike reluctantly returns to New York City for the funeral. From there, things start to get interesting as slowly Mike gets off the pain killers that have dulled and quieted him and into a nest of related mysteries which while each is simple enough, combine to be very complicated indeed.
And behind the scenes is the father of the mobster he killed in the previous book; is he out for revenge or does he really willing to keep the peace?
This is the bloodiest Mike Hammer book I have ever read, although it starts out peaceful enough. When all is done he's wiped out over thirty people and some of them its difficult to really justify or defend. Mike crosses the line several times in this novel that he never did in previous ones, and is left at the end in a position that makes self defense challenging at best.
Its not the best Hammer, nor even the best Max Collins Hammer book but it does present us with an interesting Hammer who's getting older and is in pain most of the book, dealing with his old wound, and Velma is gone for most of the novel as well, leaving him alone and perhaps a bit more brutal than he usually is.
Hammer gets a call from Captain Chambers that an old cop friend has killed himself, and so Mike reluctantly returns to New York City for the funeral. From there, things start to get interesting as slowly Mike gets off the pain killers that have dulled and quieted him and into a nest of related mysteries which while each is simple enough, combine to be very complicated indeed.
And behind the scenes is the father of the mobster he killed in the previous book; is he out for revenge or does he really willing to keep the peace?
This is the bloodiest Mike Hammer book I have ever read, although it starts out peaceful enough. When all is done he's wiped out over thirty people and some of them its difficult to really justify or defend. Mike crosses the line several times in this novel that he never did in previous ones, and is left at the end in a position that makes self defense challenging at best.
Its not the best Hammer, nor even the best Max Collins Hammer book but it does present us with an interesting Hammer who's getting older and is in pain most of the book, dealing with his old wound, and Velma is gone for most of the novel as well, leaving him alone and perhaps a bit more brutal than he usually is.
May 10, 2021
Though I consider this novel “new,” it has been reprinted after ten years by Titan books, and made that much better by placing the originally intended ending upon the work.
Private Eye Mike Hammer is back in the big city. After some time in Florida, where he became older, while he is waiting things to quiet down after his involvement in the death of a mobster’s son, he returns for a funeral.
The funeral is for a mentor, someone with whom he worked during his short-lived stint on the police force. Yet something does not feel right. Though the evidence suggests the apparent suicide theory is strong, Hammer just knows that the retired cop was not the type. Add into this event that brought him out are a few sudden killings that occur around the protagonist.
And though his lovely friend, partner, secretary Velda is not currently in Mike’s life currently, there is the exotic torch singer at the 80’s themed disco where everyone goes, if not to hear her, then to get their fifteen minutes of fame.
As I find with all these Spillane/ Collins duos (where the latter, with permission from the author before he died, takes chapters, unfinished stories, and story ideas, and fleshes them out) this is entertaining for any Mike Hammer fan. As to the originally intended ending…it is perfect! I remember when reading this originally how disjointed the conclusion was. It took me, the reader, down a road, with what was sure to be a reveal, only to seem to hedge on that reveal and finish as it might have two pages before. Understanding that there were other forces at work (the original editor) it now makes sense.
With the original ending as part of this story, Kiss Her Goodbye, Titan Books edition, is that much more satisfying.
Private Eye Mike Hammer is back in the big city. After some time in Florida, where he became older, while he is waiting things to quiet down after his involvement in the death of a mobster’s son, he returns for a funeral.
The funeral is for a mentor, someone with whom he worked during his short-lived stint on the police force. Yet something does not feel right. Though the evidence suggests the apparent suicide theory is strong, Hammer just knows that the retired cop was not the type. Add into this event that brought him out are a few sudden killings that occur around the protagonist.
And though his lovely friend, partner, secretary Velda is not currently in Mike’s life currently, there is the exotic torch singer at the 80’s themed disco where everyone goes, if not to hear her, then to get their fifteen minutes of fame.
As I find with all these Spillane/ Collins duos (where the latter, with permission from the author before he died, takes chapters, unfinished stories, and story ideas, and fleshes them out) this is entertaining for any Mike Hammer fan. As to the originally intended ending…it is perfect! I remember when reading this originally how disjointed the conclusion was. It took me, the reader, down a road, with what was sure to be a reveal, only to seem to hedge on that reveal and finish as it might have two pages before. Understanding that there were other forces at work (the original editor) it now makes sense.
With the original ending as part of this story, Kiss Her Goodbye, Titan Books edition, is that much more satisfying.
March 20, 2017
I'm tempted to give this three stars - It reads like several half-written books patched together with two twist (and different) endings tacked on. Then again, it's a Mike Hammer novel, and we know what we're getting when we begin a Mike Hammer novel; A superman PI who relishes in offing people left and right. By those standards, the novel succeeds, and though it creates a celebrity out of Hammer (Everyone in NYC knows his names and exploits) we conversely get to see an older, wounded, more human Hammer. Human is a word I previously couldn't apply to this character.
For those of you who like to try to solve the mystery as you read, there's not much here for you. The author withholds all clues from the reader and overloads you with useless characters, murders, break-ins, mafioso, Jewish diamond sellers - The list goes on.
So why four stars? If we accept the book as a Mike Hammer novel, that is, a one dimensional and violent novel read purely for the fun of it, it succeeds and offers up a couple of novelties to boot, such as New York at the height of it's urban decay, the 1970s disco subculture which features heavily, the quick pacing, Nazis (Because, sure, why the hell not?) and a plethora of characters for Mike to interact with (i.e, kill.)
The bottom line being, if you're looking for literature, this isn't it. If you're looking for great a Hard Boiled mystery, this isn't it. It is, however, outstanding for a Hammer novel...And if you're in the market for one of those, this might be your best bet.
For those of you who like to try to solve the mystery as you read, there's not much here for you. The author withholds all clues from the reader and overloads you with useless characters, murders, break-ins, mafioso, Jewish diamond sellers - The list goes on.
So why four stars? If we accept the book as a Mike Hammer novel, that is, a one dimensional and violent novel read purely for the fun of it, it succeeds and offers up a couple of novelties to boot, such as New York at the height of it's urban decay, the 1970s disco subculture which features heavily, the quick pacing, Nazis (Because, sure, why the hell not?) and a plethora of characters for Mike to interact with (i.e, kill.)
The bottom line being, if you're looking for literature, this isn't it. If you're looking for great a Hard Boiled mystery, this isn't it. It is, however, outstanding for a Hammer novel...And if you're in the market for one of those, this might be your best bet.
December 14, 2024
Magnificent. It's difficult to tell exactly what parts of this novel were the late Spillane and which parts were Collins, but knowing that Collins was a huge fan of Spillane from an early age and that he was an admirer of the violence and high body count in the early novels, it feels like the massive amount of violence and bloodshed in this novel was Collins as pro-writer-fanboy trying to make this his dream Spillane novel, and in no way is that a bad thing. This novel is incredible. And violent, and razor sharp in just about every way. I cannot properly express how much I love this book. This is a damned good novel. Anyone who loves either of these writers or just simply noir itself will absolutely love this book.
April 23, 2024
Dopo uno scontro a fuoco con la mafia newyorkese, malandato e ferito, Mike Hammer si è ritirato in Florida, deciso a non rimettere più piede in quella sporca metropoli. Ma una telefonata del suo amico Pat lo costringerà a rituffarsi nel fango newyorkese. Questo romanzo fa parte dei cosiddetti tesori perduti di Spillane, che Max Allan Collins ricevette in eredità e rimodellò a piacimento. Non tutti sono buoni, anzi, diversi non sono altro che prodotti commerciali mediocri che sfruttano il nome del defunto Spillane. Ma non è il caso di questo lavoro, ben congegnato e ben scritto. Davvero piacevole rincontrare un vecchio amico che pensavi di avere perduto per sempre.
December 25, 2020
Lots of random violence and sex mixed in with a thin and bizarre plot involving Nazis, Russian Tsars, fabled diamonds, drug cartels, and so on. There's not much detecting going on between the multiple murders (by Mike Hammer and others) and the women throwing themselves at Mike Hammer. The dialogue may have been clever in 1950, but the novel is set in the 80's and even by that standard, the repartee comes out as corny and to some, perhaps offensive. Sorry to say but the Mike Hammer character does not hold up well and the story is bad.
January 30, 2021
This is a Mike Hammer book, not an Otto Penzler book. It is one of the best Mike Hammer books, hands down. When you get to the gangland shoot out in the old mafioso club, you will laugh your ass off, (if you are a Mike Hammer fan)!
This book has some of the funniest, off-hand dialogue of any in the Mike Hammer series. It also has some of the most descriptive narrative. It reads, visually, like a motion picture. Absolutely fantastic.
This book has some of the funniest, off-hand dialogue of any in the Mike Hammer series. It also has some of the most descriptive narrative. It reads, visually, like a motion picture. Absolutely fantastic.
March 1, 2025
The genre that Spillane wrote in was unique. The tough P.I. with a trigger finger, the "dames and dolls", and of course the mob figures. While the throwback to the genre is interesting, the exorbitant amount of unnecessary violence in some ways ruins the book and the "character" of Mike Hammer. He is not always on the right side of justice.
May 7, 2017
This may be my first Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer book. Mike is a real classic tough guy - I couldn't believe how many people he shot dead in less then a week (30?). I enjoyed the book...so many prototypes...
January 9, 2023
Fantastic read with Mike hammer in fine form. I loved both of the revelations/twists at the end of this murder mystery. Familiar stuff but classic. Again I listened to the Stacey Keach audible book. He is so good as Mike hammer I am not sure I could read a Hammer book to myself.
November 27, 2023
the other author should not have finish writing the book because he is not Mickey Spillane. I have read several Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer books and they were all great, this one was at the bottom of the barrel. I do not recommend it.
February 26, 2017
Hammer did himself end with the killing in this one.......More like a one man infantry platoon..
February 20, 2019
Was fine. It's pulp.
March 2, 2022
Not my favorite of the Mike Hammer books.
May 23, 2022
Another good Mike Hammer finished by Max Allan Collins, working from Mickey Spillane's original notes. Very entertaining.
September 19, 2022
A good read
November 17, 2022
Hard boiled as they come. Complicated plot with a body count that staggers the mind.
June 15, 2025
This was a great story. The story was typically Mike Hammer. I enjoyed the story more because it revealed a vulnerable Hammer. Enjoy.
October 9, 2025
hard boiled film noir detective story !
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