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New Adventures of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer #3
The New Adventures of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Vol. 3: Encore for Murder
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.
3 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Mickey Spillane
327 books466 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 16, 2024
This is an audiobook that is part of a series. Each volume can exist on its own. This one does differentiate a little from the others. This one is just one story while the other two had two stories. In this one Mike is hired to bodyguard an old flame as she returns back to Broadway after a long stint away from there. In typical Mike Hammer fashion Mike soon finds himself in dangerous situations, the mob, and women throwing themselves at him.
My rating is skewed a little bit as I am probably rating this partly from a nostalgic point of view. The production has Stacy Keach reprising his role as Mike Hammer. He portrayed him on television many years ago so you know the portrayal is going to be spot on. As soon as I hear his voice or the opening theme I am immediately transported back to a time where I was a kid sitting in front of the television screen. The author picks up the stories from the original author Mickey Spillane. He nails it in my eyes. It might not be politically correct for today's society but I cannot help smile and laugh at the dialogue, the dangerous situations the character finds himself in, or the sexual innuendo laced throughout the story. Even though it is set in modern times it is a film noir that harkens back to the past. And with this being an audiobook it really reminds of the audio drama before the invention of the television. As for the story it works but it is not the strongest. It has all the hallmarks one expects in this type of book. A tough main character, villains and gorgeous women who want the main character.
I am sort of sad that there are no more of these volumes left for me to listen to in work. I loved them. It made the time in work go by so fast and it brought back many memories for me. I thought the production was terrific with the actors, the sound effects, and the music. I had no problem visualizing the story as if it was a television episode. If I was rating this on those factors this would easily get a five star rating. Like I said the story was not the best and that is why I went with four stars. That being said I will probably listen to these again in the future.
My rating is skewed a little bit as I am probably rating this partly from a nostalgic point of view. The production has Stacy Keach reprising his role as Mike Hammer. He portrayed him on television many years ago so you know the portrayal is going to be spot on. As soon as I hear his voice or the opening theme I am immediately transported back to a time where I was a kid sitting in front of the television screen. The author picks up the stories from the original author Mickey Spillane. He nails it in my eyes. It might not be politically correct for today's society but I cannot help smile and laugh at the dialogue, the dangerous situations the character finds himself in, or the sexual innuendo laced throughout the story. Even though it is set in modern times it is a film noir that harkens back to the past. And with this being an audiobook it really reminds of the audio drama before the invention of the television. As for the story it works but it is not the strongest. It has all the hallmarks one expects in this type of book. A tough main character, villains and gorgeous women who want the main character.
I am sort of sad that there are no more of these volumes left for me to listen to in work. I loved them. It made the time in work go by so fast and it brought back many memories for me. I thought the production was terrific with the actors, the sound effects, and the music. I had no problem visualizing the story as if it was a television episode. If I was rating this on those factors this would easily get a five star rating. Like I said the story was not the best and that is why I went with four stars. That being said I will probably listen to these again in the future.
August 24, 2020
5 Stars for The New Adventures of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer Volume 3: Encore For Murder (audiobook) Adapter Max Allan Collins author Mickey Spillane read by Stacy Keach and a supporting cast produced by Carl Amari. I think it’s wonderful that this series is continuing. Max Allan Collins is doing a great job keeping the Mickey Spillane world alive.
July 12, 2023
The last of this series, and perhaps the most fun, if not the most original of the three plots. A lover from Hammer's youth, well before he became the hardened cynic we know, is back in town -- a stage actress about to launch a comeback, only she is receiving death threats. Is she really the target, or is it because of something her late husband knew -- or did? As more about the late husband becomes known, Hammer realizes there are overlapping problems at play -- and a brewing clash between Chicago and NYC crime families.
By this point, the formula for these mysteries is pretty well-established and it is always more a question of how the various pieces will shake out. Is our client all they claim to be (or not be)? Is the woman-du-jour of Hammer's life a damsel in distress or a femme fatale? Will Velda, Hammer's long-suffering assistant (and now partner) finally just throw in the towel on him (nah, that one isn't even in question). In short, it ain't art, anymore than a Coney Island dog is high cuisine, but just like a good hot dog, sometimes this is just what you need. A perfect distraction during rush hour traffic with a great voice cast, lead by Stacey Keach, who portrayed this character on screen and audio more than any other actor and knows just how to sell it.
By this point, the formula for these mysteries is pretty well-established and it is always more a question of how the various pieces will shake out. Is our client all they claim to be (or not be)? Is the woman-du-jour of Hammer's life a damsel in distress or a femme fatale? Will Velda, Hammer's long-suffering assistant (and now partner) finally just throw in the towel on him (nah, that one isn't even in question). In short, it ain't art, anymore than a Coney Island dog is high cuisine, but just like a good hot dog, sometimes this is just what you need. A perfect distraction during rush hour traffic with a great voice cast, lead by Stacey Keach, who portrayed this character on screen and audio more than any other actor and knows just how to sell it.
November 29, 2014
Unlike THE LITTLE DEATH, I felt the production of ENCORE FOR MURDER was a little off at times. That, coupled with some very cheesy dialog and uncharacteristic Hammer lines, made ENCORE FOR MURDER just an average take it or leave it Mike Hammer story for me. Which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed the other audio book I listened to recently.
In ENCORE FOR MURDER Mike Hammer is hired by a former flame who is planning a comeback in the showbiz industry. Taking to the bright lights of Broadway, Hammer, in characteristic fashion turns out more lights than those that shine on him as bad guys from mob outfits get in the way and get knocked down.
As you'd expect, Hammer rekindles his flame with the damsel in distress, though it's not as straightforward as you'd think - with the diva heavily focused on her career as opposed to the needs of a certain page 1 PI. Then, after receiving death threads in the post, which are subsequently leaked to the press, the diva goes missing. Here, Hammer heats up. His job turns deadly - from glorified bodyguard to doing what he does best - filling caskets with criminals.
ENCORE FOR MURDER is a very quick listen, one that isn't complicated by deep plotting and deep characters. This is pop corn pulp PI - easily consumed, enjoy it for what it is.
Review also appears on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
In ENCORE FOR MURDER Mike Hammer is hired by a former flame who is planning a comeback in the showbiz industry. Taking to the bright lights of Broadway, Hammer, in characteristic fashion turns out more lights than those that shine on him as bad guys from mob outfits get in the way and get knocked down.
As you'd expect, Hammer rekindles his flame with the damsel in distress, though it's not as straightforward as you'd think - with the diva heavily focused on her career as opposed to the needs of a certain page 1 PI. Then, after receiving death threads in the post, which are subsequently leaked to the press, the diva goes missing. Here, Hammer heats up. His job turns deadly - from glorified bodyguard to doing what he does best - filling caskets with criminals.
ENCORE FOR MURDER is a very quick listen, one that isn't complicated by deep plotting and deep characters. This is pop corn pulp PI - easily consumed, enjoy it for what it is.
Review also appears on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
July 12, 2020
With a thoroughly derivative plot and mediocre writing by Max Allan Collins the only thing to recommend this direct to audio thriller is the performance of Stacy Keach. He is very good playing a character that should have been retired long ago.
April 13, 2023
Audiobook version: Just like listening to an old-time radio show. LOVED IT. Stacy Keach was my heart throb in the 80’s TV series and his voice in these audio books still does it for me. Oh the nostalgia!
June 24, 2024
An ok radio play where the performance of Stacy Keach keeps a mediocre mafia story together. It's still jarring to listen to the dissonance of a 1950s guy in a modern day environment, Mike might as well be a time traveler.
December 16, 2020
A few writer short cuts here and there but a great read.
January 31, 2021
Another fun ride for Mike Hammer fans! The 3rd and most recent in the "New Adventures" series, and I sincerely hope it won't be the last!
October 16, 2023
I have forgotten the story already.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
January 30, 2013
Picked this up in a sale at the library for $5, a deal to good to pass up.
Some good and some bad about this production. On the negative side, the production value does not seem to be as good as the first in this series. It's still up there in terms of being an old time radio drama, rather than just an audiobook but I felt there was a lack of background music and sounds. On the plus side, it was one long story, as opposed to two separate episodes. Velda plays more of an active role and is no longer sitting in the background as just Mike Hammer's secretary.
Overall, worth listening to. It's short and enjoyable even if you are not a Spillane fan.
Some good and some bad about this production. On the negative side, the production value does not seem to be as good as the first in this series. It's still up there in terms of being an old time radio drama, rather than just an audiobook but I felt there was a lack of background music and sounds. On the plus side, it was one long story, as opposed to two separate episodes. Velda plays more of an active role and is no longer sitting in the background as just Mike Hammer's secretary.
Overall, worth listening to. It's short and enjoyable even if you are not a Spillane fan.
May 28, 2011
I rate the audio novel "Mike Hammer's Encore for Murder" by Mickey Spillane four of five stars. This short story is set in modern day (cell phones, internet, etc) with Mike Hammer stuck in the 1940's (well not really, but, he hasn't changed much from the classic Hammer stories). This was a fully acted audio novel with several readers and significant sound effects/music. Really nicely done and a pleasure to listen too. I specially liked the easy to follow the storyline. I do recommend this audio novel.
June 5, 2015
I needed a fun audio book to keep me awake while driving, and this was perfect. Short, funny, a little raunchy at times, not deep. Still, it fit the bill. I enjoyed the old-timeyness of the radio show format. I probably wouldn't have liked reading it though.
November 27, 2012
A real mystery with thrills, but he kills an awful lot of people.
April 17, 2013
Campy, but tons of fun. Solid production.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews