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Mike Shayne #1
Dividend on Death
A girl begs Mike Shayne to help keep her from killing her own mother
Mike Shayne has just poured himself a drink when Phyllis Brighton tries to throw herself out the window of his downtown apartment. Luckily, he blocks her just before she can launch herself over the sill. She tried to warn him she was crazy, but he didn’t listen. Her doctor and her new stepfather, on the other hand, both believe Phyllis is suffering from a kind of Electra complex— a fixation with her mother that is so intense that Phyllis would rather kill her than share her with anyone else. Shayne agrees to do whatever he can to keep Phyllis from killing her mother, but that doesn’t ensure that the woman will live.
When Mrs. Brighton is found with a knife buried in her back, all signs point to the Phyllis’s guilt. But this hard-boiled private investigator didn’t stop someone from jumping out a window just to send her to the electric chair. And it doesn’t take a degree in psychology to find a killer—it takes brains, eyes, and two strong fists. Mike Shayne is just the man for the job.
Mike Shayne has just poured himself a drink when Phyllis Brighton tries to throw herself out the window of his downtown apartment. Luckily, he blocks her just before she can launch herself over the sill. She tried to warn him she was crazy, but he didn’t listen. Her doctor and her new stepfather, on the other hand, both believe Phyllis is suffering from a kind of Electra complex— a fixation with her mother that is so intense that Phyllis would rather kill her than share her with anyone else. Shayne agrees to do whatever he can to keep Phyllis from killing her mother, but that doesn’t ensure that the woman will live.
When Mrs. Brighton is found with a knife buried in her back, all signs point to the Phyllis’s guilt. But this hard-boiled private investigator didn’t stop someone from jumping out a window just to send her to the electric chair. And it doesn’t take a degree in psychology to find a killer—it takes brains, eyes, and two strong fists. Mike Shayne is just the man for the job.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1939
39 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Brett Halliday
508 books62 followersAKA David Dresser
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 - February 4, 1977), primary pen name of Davis Dresser, was an American mystery writer, best known for the long-lived series of Mike Shayne novels he wrote, and later commissioned others to write. Dresser wrote non-series mysteries, westerns and romances under the names
Asa Baker, Matthew Blood, Kathryn Culver, Don Davis, Hal Debrett, Anthony Scott, Peter Field, and Anderson Wayne.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 - February 4, 1977), primary pen name of Davis Dresser, was an American mystery writer, best known for the long-lived series of Mike Shayne novels he wrote, and later commissioned others to write. Dresser wrote non-series mysteries, westerns and romances under the names
Asa Baker, Matthew Blood, Kathryn Culver, Don Davis, Hal Debrett, Anthony Scott, Peter Field, and Anderson Wayne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 25, 2024
The Mike Shayne mystery series eventually grew to 77 novels, all penned under the name Brett Halliday, originally used by Davis Dressner as a pseudonym and later as a house name by Robert Terrall,
Ryerson Johnson, and Dennis Lynds. At its best, the Shayne series featured a tough, no-nonsense, hardboiled, redheaded detective.
Dividend On Death, originally published in 1939, is one of the best the series, as tough as it gets, as hardboiled as it gets. It is everything that a Michael Shayne novel should be and few of the other novels met
this pinnacle of success.
For the Mike Shayne fan who has read other novels in the series, a lot of the usual stuff is here, including murders on a Miami Beach estate, Shayne up to it in his eyeballs, a lushy sexy femme fatale of a nurse, bodies falling wherever Mike turns, a young, seemingly innocent heiress, a few half out of their mind people, Chief Peter Painter and Chief Will Gentry, and people warning Shayne off the case before he
can even put his finger on what is going on. Lucy Hamilton, who later became his right-hand girl and the best secretary imaginable, doesn't make an appearance till later in the series, but Phyllis does and, early in the Shayne legacy, she was quite important.
Dividend on Death is dark, cloudy, and, at the same time, hot as oil leaping off a griddle. Its sexy, pulpy, and just a plain good read for anyone who enjoys hardboiled detective yarns from the forties and fifties.
Ryerson Johnson, and Dennis Lynds. At its best, the Shayne series featured a tough, no-nonsense, hardboiled, redheaded detective.
Dividend On Death, originally published in 1939, is one of the best the series, as tough as it gets, as hardboiled as it gets. It is everything that a Michael Shayne novel should be and few of the other novels met
this pinnacle of success.
For the Mike Shayne fan who has read other novels in the series, a lot of the usual stuff is here, including murders on a Miami Beach estate, Shayne up to it in his eyeballs, a lushy sexy femme fatale of a nurse, bodies falling wherever Mike turns, a young, seemingly innocent heiress, a few half out of their mind people, Chief Peter Painter and Chief Will Gentry, and people warning Shayne off the case before he
can even put his finger on what is going on. Lucy Hamilton, who later became his right-hand girl and the best secretary imaginable, doesn't make an appearance till later in the series, but Phyllis does and, early in the Shayne legacy, she was quite important.
Dividend on Death is dark, cloudy, and, at the same time, hot as oil leaping off a griddle. Its sexy, pulpy, and just a plain good read for anyone who enjoys hardboiled detective yarns from the forties and fifties.
June 2, 2025
Despite taking me so long to finish (I was in Manhattan, NY), this was a fantastic read. I'll definitely be reading more Mike Shayne stories in the future!
Highly recommended, even if you've read a hundred other pulp detective novels before.
Highly recommended, even if you've read a hundred other pulp detective novels before.
May 8, 2009
Dividend on Death is the first mystery Davis Dresser wrote about tough, redheaded, Miami-based private investigator Michael Shayne. Dresser wrote the novel under the pseudonym "Brett Halliday," and he would go on to write 49 more novels about Shayne before other authors stepped in to write 27 more, all under the house name "Brett Halliday" (the last novel about Shayne was published in 1976). Shayne also appeared in hundreds of short stories, as well as several films, a TV series, and a radio series.
Despite that, Shayne hasn't left much of a mark in pop culture. It's safe to say that many present-day fans of Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, and their ilk haven't even heard of him, let alone read any Brett Halliday novels.
Since Shayne's reputation (if he even has one) is that of "the generic P.I.," I found Dividend on Death a pleasant surprise. Its plot is farfetched and Dresser uses an average of two adverbs per sentence, most of them unnecessary, but it's a fun read. It seems to be influenced by The Maltese Falcon, especially in its use of a heavy gangland figure named Gordon whom Shayne meets in a hotel room (in much the same fashion Sam Spade meets Casper Gutman). Like Gutman, Gordon employs a pint-sized gunman and has a beautiful "daughter." Gordon enlists Shayne to track down a possibly priceless artifact. Not content to crib from just one mystery, however, Dresser folds this plot into another one about a hysterical (and beautiful) rich girl who's being tormented by her live-in psychiatrist, who--it should go without saying--is up to no good.
This is a decent, quick read for hard-boiled mystery fans. It's not great, but it's fun.
Despite that, Shayne hasn't left much of a mark in pop culture. It's safe to say that many present-day fans of Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, and their ilk haven't even heard of him, let alone read any Brett Halliday novels.
Since Shayne's reputation (if he even has one) is that of "the generic P.I.," I found Dividend on Death a pleasant surprise. Its plot is farfetched and Dresser uses an average of two adverbs per sentence, most of them unnecessary, but it's a fun read. It seems to be influenced by The Maltese Falcon, especially in its use of a heavy gangland figure named Gordon whom Shayne meets in a hotel room (in much the same fashion Sam Spade meets Casper Gutman). Like Gutman, Gordon employs a pint-sized gunman and has a beautiful "daughter." Gordon enlists Shayne to track down a possibly priceless artifact. Not content to crib from just one mystery, however, Dresser folds this plot into another one about a hysterical (and beautiful) rich girl who's being tormented by her live-in psychiatrist, who--it should go without saying--is up to no good.
This is a decent, quick read for hard-boiled mystery fans. It's not great, but it's fun.
August 11, 2016
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Mike Shayne had just sat down with a nice cocktail when his prospective client, Phyllis Brighton, tries to throw herself out the window of his apartment. She claims that she’s crazy, that she has an Electra complex, a fixation so intense that Phyllis believes she’ll kill her mother rather than share her with anyone else—and she’ll pay Shayne if he can prevent it. Just after she leaves, Shayne is visited by another party, and he promises a hefty payday if Shayne can keep Phyllis’ mother alive. Glad to take two payments for one job, Shayne accepts… but to his chagrin, that night he finds Mrs. Brighton is found with a knife in her back, and a discombobulated Phyllis standing over her corpse. Working fast, he hustles her out of the crime scene and does his best to keep the police off her trail, even as she remains the prime suspect. Shayne needs to work fast to uncover the truth of who did kill Mrs. Brighton—before the detectives find Phyllis. All this while juggling another job, a seemingly unrelated search for an art collector heading into Miami hiding a potentially rare find…
And with that, we have a suitably complex plot, several sub-plots that may or may not be related—and may or may not be what they appear—and a missing Phyllis, who may or may not be crazy. Her psychiatrist all but steps out of a gothic’s mad scientist role, and everyone affiliated believes she’s snapped and done the deed, but Shayne is unwilling to let a confused client fry for something he’s pretty sure she didn’t commit. Thus, he treks up and down the streets of Miami, trying to unravel the truth—and with the subsequent murders and subplots, the truth is something that becomes less clear the closer Shayne gets to it.
I’d forgotten that the early Mike Shayne novels—the first half-dozen or so—were intriguingly odd hybrids, mixing elements of the traditional mystery with hardboiled noir and screwball comedy. The mystery is very Golden Age, down to Shayne pulling all the suspects together for the murderer’s grand reveal and dénouement, like something out of Ellery Queen or Nero Wolfe. There’s some great moments of wit and humor; one of my favorites is when two detectives barge in on Shayne, and he ends up cutting himself a sandwich using the murder weapon right under their noses. Yet there’s a distinct hardboiled edge: Shayne stays up all night drinking and smoking, shrugs off brutal beatings and four (!) bullets, and is a terrible flirt with the ladies… up until somebody barges in on him, as the books are a titch too clean for any of these romances to come to fruition. Dresser straddled the fence between the traditional fair-play whodunnit and the newer hardboiled school, and actually succeeds at doing so—it’s an odd “kitchen sink” approach, but it may appeal to both audiences.
In terms of writing, Dresser is not my favorite of the Brett Hallidays; his prose—the dialogue in particular—is often bland and pulpy, getting the point across but not creating much excitement while doing so. If you want to see why Chandler or Hammett are held up as classics of American literature, read them back-to-back with this one. This isn’t to say Dresser is bad; he has a knack for writing a twisty-turny, fast-paced mystery, and while reading Dividend on Death you’ll rarely be bored or confused. Instead, he’s a pretty good example of average writing—very pulpy writing as well, without much flair in terms of imagery or emotion. His pacing is stronger than his prose, which accounts for something. And there’s a definite charm to its blend of fair-play mystery, hardboiled noir, and screwball comedy—while it doesn’t excel at any one of those elements, it’s quite decent at all three.
I can see why Mike Shayne became the everyman detective; this first novel is quite well plotted and has some brilliant twists, and if you like it, the ensuing 77 novels give Shayne plenty of room for growth and adventure. Shayne is a bit generic in terms of personality—what this book gives us is “alcoholic,” “dedicated,” and “detective”—and the prose is capable but unexceptional. But the tight plotting and well-done mystery give the reader a lot to work with. The use of psychological elements is also worth mentioning, not just an interesting twist for Phyllis’ character but also very much indicative of its time. While it might not be the non-plus ultra of the detective genre, Dividend on Death is a good pick for readers who enjoy a bit of action in a solid mystery, especially due to its good balance between well-plotted Golden Age whodunnit and grittier crime-noir.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received an e-ARC from MysteriousPress via NetGalley in exchange for an open and honest review.
Full review, and other mystery reviews, found here.
Mike Shayne had just sat down with a nice cocktail when his prospective client, Phyllis Brighton, tries to throw herself out the window of his apartment. She claims that she’s crazy, that she has an Electra complex, a fixation so intense that Phyllis believes she’ll kill her mother rather than share her with anyone else—and she’ll pay Shayne if he can prevent it. Just after she leaves, Shayne is visited by another party, and he promises a hefty payday if Shayne can keep Phyllis’ mother alive. Glad to take two payments for one job, Shayne accepts… but to his chagrin, that night he finds Mrs. Brighton is found with a knife in her back, and a discombobulated Phyllis standing over her corpse. Working fast, he hustles her out of the crime scene and does his best to keep the police off her trail, even as she remains the prime suspect. Shayne needs to work fast to uncover the truth of who did kill Mrs. Brighton—before the detectives find Phyllis. All this while juggling another job, a seemingly unrelated search for an art collector heading into Miami hiding a potentially rare find…
And with that, we have a suitably complex plot, several sub-plots that may or may not be related—and may or may not be what they appear—and a missing Phyllis, who may or may not be crazy. Her psychiatrist all but steps out of a gothic’s mad scientist role, and everyone affiliated believes she’s snapped and done the deed, but Shayne is unwilling to let a confused client fry for something he’s pretty sure she didn’t commit. Thus, he treks up and down the streets of Miami, trying to unravel the truth—and with the subsequent murders and subplots, the truth is something that becomes less clear the closer Shayne gets to it.
I’d forgotten that the early Mike Shayne novels—the first half-dozen or so—were intriguingly odd hybrids, mixing elements of the traditional mystery with hardboiled noir and screwball comedy. The mystery is very Golden Age, down to Shayne pulling all the suspects together for the murderer’s grand reveal and dénouement, like something out of Ellery Queen or Nero Wolfe. There’s some great moments of wit and humor; one of my favorites is when two detectives barge in on Shayne, and he ends up cutting himself a sandwich using the murder weapon right under their noses. Yet there’s a distinct hardboiled edge: Shayne stays up all night drinking and smoking, shrugs off brutal beatings and four (!) bullets, and is a terrible flirt with the ladies… up until somebody barges in on him, as the books are a titch too clean for any of these romances to come to fruition. Dresser straddled the fence between the traditional fair-play whodunnit and the newer hardboiled school, and actually succeeds at doing so—it’s an odd “kitchen sink” approach, but it may appeal to both audiences.
In terms of writing, Dresser is not my favorite of the Brett Hallidays; his prose—the dialogue in particular—is often bland and pulpy, getting the point across but not creating much excitement while doing so. If you want to see why Chandler or Hammett are held up as classics of American literature, read them back-to-back with this one. This isn’t to say Dresser is bad; he has a knack for writing a twisty-turny, fast-paced mystery, and while reading Dividend on Death you’ll rarely be bored or confused. Instead, he’s a pretty good example of average writing—very pulpy writing as well, without much flair in terms of imagery or emotion. His pacing is stronger than his prose, which accounts for something. And there’s a definite charm to its blend of fair-play mystery, hardboiled noir, and screwball comedy—while it doesn’t excel at any one of those elements, it’s quite decent at all three.
I can see why Mike Shayne became the everyman detective; this first novel is quite well plotted and has some brilliant twists, and if you like it, the ensuing 77 novels give Shayne plenty of room for growth and adventure. Shayne is a bit generic in terms of personality—what this book gives us is “alcoholic,” “dedicated,” and “detective”—and the prose is capable but unexceptional. But the tight plotting and well-done mystery give the reader a lot to work with. The use of psychological elements is also worth mentioning, not just an interesting twist for Phyllis’ character but also very much indicative of its time. While it might not be the non-plus ultra of the detective genre, Dividend on Death is a good pick for readers who enjoy a bit of action in a solid mystery, especially due to its good balance between well-plotted Golden Age whodunnit and grittier crime-noir.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received an e-ARC from MysteriousPress via NetGalley in exchange for an open and honest review.
Full review, and other mystery reviews, found here.
December 27, 2024
So...I said recently that I'm not much into hardboiled detective novels. Yet here I am again with Brett Halliday's Dividend on Death (1939). And not a bad little detective novel at that. Yes, we've got the tough-talking detective, and the curvy dames, and the over-the-top bad guys, but somehow Halliday makes it all work.
Dividend on Death is Halliday's first Michael Shayne novel. It doesn't really read like a first effort though. Shayne is well-developed as a character and it is obvious from his interactions with other characters that he has a firmly established background. He hasn't "just appeared" here in print. So, while this may be our first taste of Shayne at work, this isn't his first case.
In this story, Michael Shayne winds up with more clients than you would think he could keep track of. First up, Phyllis Brighton who wants Shayne to tell her she's not crazy and going to kill her mother like "everyone" says. She hires Shayne to protect her from herself. Then along comes Dr. Pedique, one of the folks telling Phyllis that she's crazy. He hires the detective to protect Mrs. Brighton from her crazy daughter. Next, Roy Gordon who wants Shayne to find an art critic and prevent said critic from delivering a painting to the Brighton household. And then there's Monty Montrose who also has an interest in the painting and wants our hero to guarantee the painting winds up in the hands of Brighton. Finally, we have Police Inspector Peter Painter who will eventually hand over $2,500 in reward money when Shayne hands him the solution to this convoluted case on a silver platter.
Somehow, Shayne manages to juggle all these various client balls without any of them bumping into each other. And has time to figure out who really did kill Mrs. Brighton and the beautiful nurse and why they're trying to pin the rap on Phyllis. It's a fun ride for any mystery lover and I would expect those who favor the hardboiled school to especially enjoy this one. Halliday can write and he delivers the tough-guy detective very effectively. I enjoyed this one much more than the A. A. Fair book that I just recently finished. Three and 3/4 stars...almost a four.
Dividend on Death is Halliday's first Michael Shayne novel. It doesn't really read like a first effort though. Shayne is well-developed as a character and it is obvious from his interactions with other characters that he has a firmly established background. He hasn't "just appeared" here in print. So, while this may be our first taste of Shayne at work, this isn't his first case.
In this story, Michael Shayne winds up with more clients than you would think he could keep track of. First up, Phyllis Brighton who wants Shayne to tell her she's not crazy and going to kill her mother like "everyone" says. She hires Shayne to protect her from herself. Then along comes Dr. Pedique, one of the folks telling Phyllis that she's crazy. He hires the detective to protect Mrs. Brighton from her crazy daughter. Next, Roy Gordon who wants Shayne to find an art critic and prevent said critic from delivering a painting to the Brighton household. And then there's Monty Montrose who also has an interest in the painting and wants our hero to guarantee the painting winds up in the hands of Brighton. Finally, we have Police Inspector Peter Painter who will eventually hand over $2,500 in reward money when Shayne hands him the solution to this convoluted case on a silver platter.
Somehow, Shayne manages to juggle all these various client balls without any of them bumping into each other. And has time to figure out who really did kill Mrs. Brighton and the beautiful nurse and why they're trying to pin the rap on Phyllis. It's a fun ride for any mystery lover and I would expect those who favor the hardboiled school to especially enjoy this one. Halliday can write and he delivers the tough-guy detective very effectively. I enjoyed this one much more than the A. A. Fair book that I just recently finished. Three and 3/4 stars...almost a four.
November 24, 2022
Mike Shayne is no Mike Hammer. I didn't hate it but it wasn't that great at all. I'm hoping that the next ones be more enjoyable. I want to give it another try. I guess I wanted him more like Hammer and maybe that is unfair. He was cleaver enough and the story was ok. I didn't like how he had no gun and just seemed lack luster to me. Some of the story elements seemed shoe horned in. I will have to see if my thoughts change when I read a couple more. I love these detective stories so I don't want to give up on it yet.
January 31, 2017
I was pretty sure I'd read this before, but after reading it, I'm not so sure. I have multiple copies of this book from over decades and can't find a marking that i had read it. The best thing about Goodreads is keeping a reader straight about their book activities.
This is the first of the Shayne series and, after having read a good 40 or more of them, this was the writer's launch without a lot of the settings and characters that would later populate the series. This is also a rocky story. Far less sleek than later Shayne books written by Dresser. After Dresser the series really goes down hill. This is far better than any of those.
Shayne, as a character, is far less developed as in future books. A few of his characteristics were still to come. That makes him a bit harder to understand. The rest of the characters are well written. With Painter and Gentry nearly identical to their characters in future books. This book makes it real obvious why Dresser later added a newspaper reporter pal for Shayne.
The settings are also far more sparse. In other Shayne books, knowing Florida as well as i do, i could actually follow where Shayne was going on either side of the bridge.
Bottom line: I recommend this book! 8 out of 10 points.
This is the first of the Shayne series and, after having read a good 40 or more of them, this was the writer's launch without a lot of the settings and characters that would later populate the series. This is also a rocky story. Far less sleek than later Shayne books written by Dresser. After Dresser the series really goes down hill. This is far better than any of those.
Shayne, as a character, is far less developed as in future books. A few of his characteristics were still to come. That makes him a bit harder to understand. The rest of the characters are well written. With Painter and Gentry nearly identical to their characters in future books. This book makes it real obvious why Dresser later added a newspaper reporter pal for Shayne.
The settings are also far more sparse. In other Shayne books, knowing Florida as well as i do, i could actually follow where Shayne was going on either side of the bridge.
Bottom line: I recommend this book! 8 out of 10 points.
September 24, 2015
Meh. Just made me miss Latimer
December 15, 2021
Dividend on Death, Brett Halliday, 1939
My favorite quote: “After carefully spreading the damp gown on the toasting tray, he closed the oven door and left it to dry, reflecting on the convenience of being able to destroy evidence while you prepared breakfast.”
Notable characters: Mike Shayne, the PI; Phyllis Brighton, the damsel in distress … kinda; Dr. Pedique, Phyllis’ ill-fated physician (say that 5 times fast)
Most memorable scene: The gunfight
Greatest strengths: Its straightforward, no-nonsense prose is as straightforward and no-nonsense as its main character, private dick, Mike Shayne
Standout achievements: I was frequently impressed by Mike Shayne’s brains. Apparently, I’d make a lousy 1930s PI because I was like, HUH? a lot of the time
Fun Facts: The first book I read in this series was A Taste for Violence, which is either #15, 16, or 17, depending on your source. I had no idea it even was a series, but I’m glad it is because I love this sh*t
Other media: There are a few — most notably, The 1940 film Michael Shayne, Private Detective, which is the first in a series of twelve movies
What it taught me: That a little adverb goes a long way. Seriously. This book is absolutely riddled with them. You kind of have to train your eye to stop seeing them, otherwise it gets distracting
How it inspired me: This book helped make me aware of the women I’m writing. Specifically, to keep them smart and strong. I know this was written in the 1930s, but I seriously doubt women were EVER the senseless bunch of wet dish rags portrayed in the fiction of this era
Additional thoughts: Though far-fetched, politically incorrect, somewhat generic, and sodden with adverbs, I liked this book. While I don’t think the character of Mike Shayne holds a candle to Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, he’s entertaining enough when taken for what he is: a product of his time
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
My favorite quote: “After carefully spreading the damp gown on the toasting tray, he closed the oven door and left it to dry, reflecting on the convenience of being able to destroy evidence while you prepared breakfast.”
Notable characters: Mike Shayne, the PI; Phyllis Brighton, the damsel in distress … kinda; Dr. Pedique, Phyllis’ ill-fated physician (say that 5 times fast)
Most memorable scene: The gunfight
Greatest strengths: Its straightforward, no-nonsense prose is as straightforward and no-nonsense as its main character, private dick, Mike Shayne
Standout achievements: I was frequently impressed by Mike Shayne’s brains. Apparently, I’d make a lousy 1930s PI because I was like, HUH? a lot of the time
Fun Facts: The first book I read in this series was A Taste for Violence, which is either #15, 16, or 17, depending on your source. I had no idea it even was a series, but I’m glad it is because I love this sh*t
Other media: There are a few — most notably, The 1940 film Michael Shayne, Private Detective, which is the first in a series of twelve movies
What it taught me: That a little adverb goes a long way. Seriously. This book is absolutely riddled with them. You kind of have to train your eye to stop seeing them, otherwise it gets distracting
How it inspired me: This book helped make me aware of the women I’m writing. Specifically, to keep them smart and strong. I know this was written in the 1930s, but I seriously doubt women were EVER the senseless bunch of wet dish rags portrayed in the fiction of this era
Additional thoughts: Though far-fetched, politically incorrect, somewhat generic, and sodden with adverbs, I liked this book. While I don’t think the character of Mike Shayne holds a candle to Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, he’s entertaining enough when taken for what he is: a product of his time
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
June 14, 2025
Published in 1939, “Dividend On Death” introduces private investigator Mike Shayne, who later appeared in some 70-plus novels written under the pen name Brett Halliday (birth name: Davis Dresser). That intrigued me. Halliday/Dresser must have been a virtual writing machine. Imagine supporting your family by churning out such material, book after book, year after year. And apparently readers liked the character, because people kept buying them.
Based in Miami, this tale name-checks familiar places such as Jackson Memorial Hospital, Flagler Street, Biscayne Boulevard and the Roney Plaza Hotel. It also contains steamy passages such as: “A woman was descending the stairway, and she reached the bottom just as Shayne passed. She wore the white uniform of a nurse and carried a napkin-covered tray. She was a full-bodied blond of about thirty, with predatory eyes. Shayne glanced at her as he passed and caught a fleeting, almost animal look on her face. Her lips were pouted as though in assent, thought he had not spoken to her.” Later on, this woman appears unannounced at Shayne’s apartment and insists that he make love to her. I leave it to the reader to imagine how that turned out.
At no time does this hard-boiled private investigator brandish a gun or beat up anyone. In fact, he himself is beaten up, his pain and suffering described in detail. But he solves the case, an elaborate swindle involving a Raphael painting. This is where the tale strains credibility. In a many-paged discourse at the very end of the book, Shayne explains to a room full of people who the real swindlers are and the diabolical plot they put into action. But how did he figure that out? There is little or no previous plot exposition to support it. But with this one exception, the book is well-written and I tore through it like a house on fire. I’ll read more of this author’s work.
Based in Miami, this tale name-checks familiar places such as Jackson Memorial Hospital, Flagler Street, Biscayne Boulevard and the Roney Plaza Hotel. It also contains steamy passages such as: “A woman was descending the stairway, and she reached the bottom just as Shayne passed. She wore the white uniform of a nurse and carried a napkin-covered tray. She was a full-bodied blond of about thirty, with predatory eyes. Shayne glanced at her as he passed and caught a fleeting, almost animal look on her face. Her lips were pouted as though in assent, thought he had not spoken to her.” Later on, this woman appears unannounced at Shayne’s apartment and insists that he make love to her. I leave it to the reader to imagine how that turned out.
At no time does this hard-boiled private investigator brandish a gun or beat up anyone. In fact, he himself is beaten up, his pain and suffering described in detail. But he solves the case, an elaborate swindle involving a Raphael painting. This is where the tale strains credibility. In a many-paged discourse at the very end of the book, Shayne explains to a room full of people who the real swindlers are and the diabolical plot they put into action. But how did he figure that out? There is little or no previous plot exposition to support it. But with this one exception, the book is well-written and I tore through it like a house on fire. I’ll read more of this author’s work.
November 22, 2020
Dividend On Death is the first Mike Shayne mystery written in 1939. Michael Shayne was quite the phenomena in his heyday, from the beginning in 1939 through Many different media forays. He was first a series of hardcover with a total of 50 novels written by his creator Davis Dresser, using the house name Brett Halliday, then an additional 27 novels written by an assortment of ghost writers using the house name. Michael Shayne was also in seven feature films and a radio series along with a TV series. Also his name adorned a successful mystery magazine that ran until 1985. Quite the accomplishment I'd say.
This novel begins with a young lady, Phyllis Brighton, that hires Mike to as she put it, guard her from killing her mother. Shortly after as Mike goes to the estate to begin his duty, Phyllis shows up with a blood stained nightgown and a large butcher knife and takes Mike to the body of the mother. One would think open and shut case, but hardly. From this seemingly simple beginning a story that swirls through family betrayal, medical malpractice and a missing Raphael painting unfolds. Nothing is quite what it seems. I found this to be a highly readable and entertaining murder mystery that left me guessing throughout. Highly recommended.
This novel begins with a young lady, Phyllis Brighton, that hires Mike to as she put it, guard her from killing her mother. Shortly after as Mike goes to the estate to begin his duty, Phyllis shows up with a blood stained nightgown and a large butcher knife and takes Mike to the body of the mother. One would think open and shut case, but hardly. From this seemingly simple beginning a story that swirls through family betrayal, medical malpractice and a missing Raphael painting unfolds. Nothing is quite what it seems. I found this to be a highly readable and entertaining murder mystery that left me guessing throughout. Highly recommended.
September 1, 2025
When I was younger I used to enjoy reading the Mike Shayne Mystery Magazines. I was aware that there were different authors writing under the one name. In fact, one of them was an old teacher of mine who penned a Shayne movie too.
I decided to start at the beginning and read the first novel that started it all.
I did enjoy it but there was much not to like in Shayne as a hard-boiled hero. He tampers with evidence, has no respect for the law or police. He asks every woman he meets for their number and forces drinks down their throats as fast as he can. He steals, cheats, lies and doesn’t much care if anyone dies while he’s trying to solve a case. He’s really not likable in the way that Chandler made Marlowe likable.
Despite all of this, I enjoyed the book. It had some good mystery, a decent cast of characters, and a bunch of action. I can see why the series endured.
I’m sure I’ll pick up the next book in the series and see how Mike’s character develops.
He’s no Phillip Marlowe but he’s definitely a classic Private Eye worthy of a weekend read.
I decided to start at the beginning and read the first novel that started it all.
I did enjoy it but there was much not to like in Shayne as a hard-boiled hero. He tampers with evidence, has no respect for the law or police. He asks every woman he meets for their number and forces drinks down their throats as fast as he can. He steals, cheats, lies and doesn’t much care if anyone dies while he’s trying to solve a case. He’s really not likable in the way that Chandler made Marlowe likable.
Despite all of this, I enjoyed the book. It had some good mystery, a decent cast of characters, and a bunch of action. I can see why the series endured.
I’m sure I’ll pick up the next book in the series and see how Mike’s character develops.
He’s no Phillip Marlowe but he’s definitely a classic Private Eye worthy of a weekend read.
September 19, 2018
This is the first Mike Shayne book in a series of 77 or so most of which were written by Brett Halliday before being taken over by ghost writers (after #50).
This story involves a woman who fears she is going to kill her mother, a mysterious doctor and two factions fighting over the discovery of a Raphael painting.
Shayne here is tuff, he's shot, gets the crap knocked out of him, beds a beautiful blonde, honorably turns down a young beauty who is begging for manly interaction and plays both sides against each other for fun and profit.
This first novel is before his marriage to Phyllis, his newspaper pal Tim Rourke is nowhere to be found and he actually has a good interaction with Peter Painter the Miami Beach Chief of Police, who later becomes a thorn in his posterior in later stories.
The mystery itself is a little complex and I needed the end sum up as much as everyone else.
Fun read if your like your detectives tuff with bulldog tenacity.
This story involves a woman who fears she is going to kill her mother, a mysterious doctor and two factions fighting over the discovery of a Raphael painting.
Shayne here is tuff, he's shot, gets the crap knocked out of him, beds a beautiful blonde, honorably turns down a young beauty who is begging for manly interaction and plays both sides against each other for fun and profit.
This first novel is before his marriage to Phyllis, his newspaper pal Tim Rourke is nowhere to be found and he actually has a good interaction with Peter Painter the Miami Beach Chief of Police, who later becomes a thorn in his posterior in later stories.
The mystery itself is a little complex and I needed the end sum up as much as everyone else.
Fun read if your like your detectives tuff with bulldog tenacity.
May 21, 2020
Definitely a noir book where the detective gets beaten up more than once, this story introduces Mike Shayne to readers. He is very much the prototypical Gold Age detective who lives hard but gets the case solved in the end. Such is the case when a young girl comes to him convinced that she is going to kill her mother. Her mother ends up dead and it's up to Mike Shayne to prove that the girl is innocent. The story was sort of convoluted but I did enjoy it. Classic Mysteries steered me right on this one.
February 27, 2018
Mike Shayne gets involved with a rich family in Florida. A young woman wants Shayne to keep her from killing her mother when she goes into spells that she can’t remember what she does. Shayne gets involved with gangsters art dealers and a sexy nurse. A solid hard boiled detective story with a nice finish.
December 15, 2020
Very Good Hard-boiled Pulp
An old styled hardboiled mystery from 1940 Miami. This was quite good and kept me engaged. The psychological aspects and double crosses were an added bonus.
An old styled hardboiled mystery from 1940 Miami. This was quite good and kept me engaged. The psychological aspects and double crosses were an added bonus.
May 1, 2021
Too Early in Series for Me
This was definitely in the “potboiler” stage—too many extra words, no contractions. Obviously when writers were paid by the word. Also not the Shane I grew to love!
This was definitely in the “potboiler” stage—too many extra words, no contractions. Obviously when writers were paid by the word. Also not the Shane I grew to love!
January 31, 2022
A great old school noir mystery. Well formulated and certainly kept my interest from start to finish. Keep in mind, it was written in the 30s. So, there is some language that is no longer acceptable today.
February 16, 2018
Terrific classic noir mystery. Clever plot that never has a lull.
February 2, 2021
You either love the genre or you don't. It's dated. It's misogynistic. It's pulp. It's definitely a guilty pleasure.
March 8, 2021
Enjoyed it thoroughly. There were a couple of racial remarks that I could have done without.
April 16, 2021
As hard boiled a detective story as you could hope for, Dividend on Death introduces the wise cracking, not too honest shamus Mike Shayne. Yes, this is dated, but still a delight.
March 17, 2017
Diabolical and over the top completely.
June 20, 2015
This is the first of the Miami-set Mike Shayne noir novels, written by Davis Dresser under the pseudonym Brett Halliday. The style of the novel will be familiar to anyone who has read pulp crime or seen film noir. There is a hard-boiled private investigator, murders, a beautiful woman in distress, thugs, and dangerous twists and turns for the hero.
A young woman named Phyllis Brighton shows up in PI Mike Shayne's apartment/office in psychological distress. Both her doctor and her new step-father believe that she has a mental complex that could lead her to unconsciously harm - even kill - her mother. No sooner does she leave with Shayne's guarantee that he will work for her to prevent her from killing her mother than the step-father also shows up at the door to hire Shayne to protect his wife from Phyllis. Two payments for one job, what could be better? But before Shayne can even start the job(s), he finds Phyllis covered in blood and her mother lying dead with a knife in the back.
Dividend on Death is primarily interesting as a curiosity from its age and as the first Mike Shayne novel. The psychological, medical aspects of the story are influenced from the theories of the late 1930s, and are nice to see played out here. In a way the novel falls into the 'mad scientist' genre perhaps as equally as the crime fiction one. So readers interested in that historical perspective, or the role of psychology in fiction, could find something of great interest here. I wasn't previously familiar with the character of Shayne. Given that the character is one of the giants of the field (featured in novels to the late '70s and appearing in radio, TV, and film) some readers might consider the start of the series worth checking out.
As a pulp crime novel, however, Dividend on Death isn't anything exceptional; the character of Shayne doesn't have any personality traits that make him particularly compelling compared to other well known characters of that age or of more recent decades. (Perhaps the character is fleshed out and develops more unique personality in later books?). The story and the writing in this are neither superb nor poor for the genre. Dividend on Death in most respects is just average: a decently entertaining read.
Compared to some pulp of the era and beyond this novel doesn't focus on a femme fatale relation or steamy scenes, instead featuring the criminal action and Shayne's attempts to find the truth and 'capture' those responsible. Fans of the genre who favor action and punching over the sexploitationesque elements in crime fiction may then appreciate this.
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A young woman named Phyllis Brighton shows up in PI Mike Shayne's apartment/office in psychological distress. Both her doctor and her new step-father believe that she has a mental complex that could lead her to unconsciously harm - even kill - her mother. No sooner does she leave with Shayne's guarantee that he will work for her to prevent her from killing her mother than the step-father also shows up at the door to hire Shayne to protect his wife from Phyllis. Two payments for one job, what could be better? But before Shayne can even start the job(s), he finds Phyllis covered in blood and her mother lying dead with a knife in the back.
Dividend on Death is primarily interesting as a curiosity from its age and as the first Mike Shayne novel. The psychological, medical aspects of the story are influenced from the theories of the late 1930s, and are nice to see played out here. In a way the novel falls into the 'mad scientist' genre perhaps as equally as the crime fiction one. So readers interested in that historical perspective, or the role of psychology in fiction, could find something of great interest here. I wasn't previously familiar with the character of Shayne. Given that the character is one of the giants of the field (featured in novels to the late '70s and appearing in radio, TV, and film) some readers might consider the start of the series worth checking out.
As a pulp crime novel, however, Dividend on Death isn't anything exceptional; the character of Shayne doesn't have any personality traits that make him particularly compelling compared to other well known characters of that age or of more recent decades. (Perhaps the character is fleshed out and develops more unique personality in later books?). The story and the writing in this are neither superb nor poor for the genre. Dividend on Death in most respects is just average: a decently entertaining read.
Compared to some pulp of the era and beyond this novel doesn't focus on a femme fatale relation or steamy scenes, instead featuring the criminal action and Shayne's attempts to find the truth and 'capture' those responsible. Fans of the genre who favor action and punching over the sexploitationesque elements in crime fiction may then appreciate this.
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2009
From my review of Bodies Are Where You Find Them:
A very confused young woman seeks out his help, worried that she is going insane and that she might kill her mother who is shortly to arrive from New York. Sure 'nuff, mom has her throat slit later that night and the local DA wants to pin it on the young girl, who everyone agrees must be the culprit. But she's pretty and vulnerable, so our hero performs heroics (including taking several beatings, a broken shoulder and four bullets) and solves the convoluted mystery. And it is a pretty mystery, which is the primary reason you might want to read this. The body count was pretty impressive by the end, too. A good effort for pulp fiction.
Ordinarily I'm not a big enough fan of this stuff to track it down, but I wanted to see the origin of the excellent movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which was presumably based on Halliday's novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them. See my review of that one for my dismissal of most of that idea.
Still, as long as I've got four of the earliest Mike Shayne novels in hand, I'll plow through 'em. Each only takes maybe two hours to romp through.
Mike Shayne appears to be the resident hardboiled private detective out of Miami, the same way Sam Spade works out of San Francisco and Philip Marlowe covers LA. I had to go to Wikipedia to learn that, sure enough, the first one out of the mold was Race Williams, who's beat was New York.This was the first novel featuring Mike Shayne, who apparently went on to achieve a measure of pulp immortality, eventually inheriting multiple authors to keep the franchise alive.
Brett Halliday doesn't seem to be at the same level as Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler, though. Much of each story is pretty predictable, what with the extremely heaving drinking, constant smoking, frequent beatings, and casual racism, homophobia, and treatment of women as childlike angels, cold harridans, or sluts.
His plots do have a nice complexity, but it can be disconcerting to slog through such cultural dross to enjoy it.
A very confused young woman seeks out his help, worried that she is going insane and that she might kill her mother who is shortly to arrive from New York. Sure 'nuff, mom has her throat slit later that night and the local DA wants to pin it on the young girl, who everyone agrees must be the culprit. But she's pretty and vulnerable, so our hero performs heroics (including taking several beatings, a broken shoulder and four bullets) and solves the convoluted mystery. And it is a pretty mystery, which is the primary reason you might want to read this. The body count was pretty impressive by the end, too. A good effort for pulp fiction.
Ordinarily I'm not a big enough fan of this stuff to track it down, but I wanted to see the origin of the excellent movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which was presumably based on Halliday's novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them. See my review of that one for my dismissal of most of that idea.
Still, as long as I've got four of the earliest Mike Shayne novels in hand, I'll plow through 'em. Each only takes maybe two hours to romp through.
March 14, 2015
"Ένας άγγελος στην κόλαση", εκδόσεις Άγκυρα.
Τρίτο βιβλίο του Μπρετ Χάλιντεϊ που διαβάζω, χρονολογικά όμως είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς, στο οποίο γνωρίζουμε τον κοκκινομάλλη ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ του Μαϊάμι Μπιτς, Μάικ Σέιν.
Η υπόθεση είναι, ως συνήθως, αρκετά περίπλοκη και ολίγον τι τρελή, μια νέα κοπέλα πλησιάζει τον Σέιν και του λέει ότι φοβάται πως θα σκοτώσει την μητέρα της όταν αυτή γυρίσει από την Νέα Υόρκη. Η πρώτη σκέψη του Σέιν είναι ότι έχει να κάνει με τρελή. Δέχεται όμως ένα κολιέ για αμοιβή, έτσι ώστε να είναι εκεί που πρέπει όταν η μητέρα της κοπέλας έρθει σπίτι. Λίγο αργότερα, ένας ψυχίατρος, αυτός που υποτίθεται ότι κουράρει την νεαρή κοπέλα, προσλαμβάνει τον Σέιν για τον ίδιο λόγο! Και την επόμενη μέρα ο Σέιν βρίσκει το πτώμα της μητέρας στο δωμάτιο της και την κόρη της εμφανώς μπερδεμένη μες στα αίματα! Τότε τα πράγματα μπλέκονται εντελώς, όταν ο Σέιν αποφασίζει να τα κουκουλώσει κάπως όλ'αυτά...
Η ιστορία αρχίζει αρκετά περίεργα και συνεχίζει στο ίδιο μοτίβο μέχρι το αποκαλυπτικό τέλος, με την δράση και την αγωνία για την συνέχεια να μην σταματά σε κανένα σημείο. ΟΚ, η πλοκή είναι σε σημεία τραβηγμένη και ακολουθεί την συνταγή των νουάρ μυθιστορημάτων των δεκαετιών του '30 και του '40, εμένα όμως σαν ιστορία μου άρεσε και μου κράτησε καλή παρέα για ένα τρίωρο σχεδόν. Η γραφή δεν λέει πολλά όμως είναι ευκολοδιάβαστη και με κάποιες ωραίες ατάκες. Τέλος, ο Σέιν έφαγε πολύ ξύλο στην ιστορία αυτή, συν κάτι σφαίρες, όμως γνώρισε την γυναίκα που παντρεύτηκε στην συνέχεια...
Τρίτο βιβλίο του Μπρετ Χάλιντεϊ που διαβάζω, χρονολογικά όμως είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς, στο οποίο γνωρίζουμε τον κοκκινομάλλη ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ του Μαϊάμι Μπιτς, Μάικ Σέιν.
Η υπόθεση είναι, ως συνήθως, αρκετά περίπλοκη και ολίγον τι τρελή, μια νέα κοπέλα πλησιάζει τον Σέιν και του λέει ότι φοβάται πως θα σκοτώσει την μητέρα της όταν αυτή γυρίσει από την Νέα Υόρκη. Η πρώτη σκέψη του Σέιν είναι ότι έχει να κάνει με τρελή. Δέχεται όμως ένα κολιέ για αμοιβή, έτσι ώστε να είναι εκεί που πρέπει όταν η μητέρα της κοπέλας έρθει σπίτι. Λίγο αργότερα, ένας ψυχίατρος, αυτός που υποτίθεται ότι κουράρει την νεαρή κοπέλα, προσλαμβάνει τον Σέιν για τον ίδιο λόγο! Και την επόμενη μέρα ο Σέιν βρίσκει το πτώμα της μητέρας στο δωμάτιο της και την κόρη της εμφανώς μπερδεμένη μες στα αίματα! Τότε τα πράγματα μπλέκονται εντελώς, όταν ο Σέιν αποφασίζει να τα κουκουλώσει κάπως όλ'αυτά...
Η ιστορία αρχίζει αρκετά περίεργα και συνεχίζει στο ίδιο μοτίβο μέχρι το αποκαλυπτικό τέλος, με την δράση και την αγωνία για την συνέχεια να μην σταματά σε κανένα σημείο. ΟΚ, η πλοκή είναι σε σημεία τραβηγμένη και ακολουθεί την συνταγή των νουάρ μυθιστορημάτων των δεκαετιών του '30 και του '40, εμένα όμως σαν ιστορία μου άρεσε και μου κράτησε καλή παρέα για ένα τρίωρο σχεδόν. Η γραφή δεν λέει πολλά όμως είναι ευκολοδιάβαστη και με κάποιες ωραίες ατάκες. Τέλος, ο Σέιν έφαγε πολύ ξύλο στην ιστορία αυτή, συν κάτι σφαίρες, όμως γνώρισε την γυναίκα που παντρεύτηκε στην συνέχεια...
August 6, 2009
Dividend on Death is the first Mike Shayne detective novel (I believe there were some short stories before this book). Its central mystery involves an elderly man on the brink of death, his wife (who’s murdered), and her daughter by a previous marriage who may or may not have murdered her. Some thoughts:
* There’s plenty of punching throughout the novel. Shayne gets beaten to unconsciousness a couple times; it just makes him more ornery. Oh, and he gets shot, with four bullets, and survives.
* Shayne thinks a lot of himself — and why not? The hot dames all want some red-head detective action. One passage of particular import in this regard:
Mike: Who killed Mrs. Brighton?
Charlotte: Who cares? Kiss me again, Mike.
Mike: I care. I’ll kiss you plenty…after you tell me.
* One part of the mystery, the debutante who may have killed her mother, turns on a crazy psychiatrist who cared more about science than people. Fits with the usual themes in your classic hard-boiled detective novels: figures of authority are untrustworthy. Also, Mike gives the new police detective, a hard-ass named Painter, a real runaround.
I think I liked A Taste for Violence better, but mostly because the mystery was a little less convoluted. The solution to this one was a little more muddled.
* There’s plenty of punching throughout the novel. Shayne gets beaten to unconsciousness a couple times; it just makes him more ornery. Oh, and he gets shot, with four bullets, and survives.
* Shayne thinks a lot of himself — and why not? The hot dames all want some red-head detective action. One passage of particular import in this regard:
Mike: Who killed Mrs. Brighton?
Charlotte: Who cares? Kiss me again, Mike.
Mike: I care. I’ll kiss you plenty…after you tell me.
* One part of the mystery, the debutante who may have killed her mother, turns on a crazy psychiatrist who cared more about science than people. Fits with the usual themes in your classic hard-boiled detective novels: figures of authority are untrustworthy. Also, Mike gives the new police detective, a hard-ass named Painter, a real runaround.
I think I liked A Taste for Violence better, but mostly because the mystery was a little less convoluted. The solution to this one was a little more muddled.
May 24, 2015
While old enough to collect Social Security, this first Mike Shayne
detective mystery is no way ready for a retirement community.
With more action than many recent mysteries, Mike Shayne belongs to the hard boiled school - incredibly tough – he takes enough punches and kicks to his head and body in this one to send anyone else to the hospital for a week or so more.
Hired to protect the wife of a once millionaire, Shayne arrives at the estate only to find her already dead and her dazed daughter in bed in a blood soaked nightgown, a bloody butcher knife on the floor beside her.
Did she kill her mother in some crazy moment? She is not sure – but Shayne is, and he steals the knife and nightgown before anyone else can find it after she changes into a clean one, then meets the man who hired him, a supposed psychologist downstairs, locking her in her room from the outside.
But that is only the beginning of a carefully plotted, action packed mystery that will keep you reading till the cows come home.
And if you don’t like it? Send it to me and I’ll eat it for lunch!
detective mystery is no way ready for a retirement community.
With more action than many recent mysteries, Mike Shayne belongs to the hard boiled school - incredibly tough – he takes enough punches and kicks to his head and body in this one to send anyone else to the hospital for a week or so more.
Hired to protect the wife of a once millionaire, Shayne arrives at the estate only to find her already dead and her dazed daughter in bed in a blood soaked nightgown, a bloody butcher knife on the floor beside her.
Did she kill her mother in some crazy moment? She is not sure – but Shayne is, and he steals the knife and nightgown before anyone else can find it after she changes into a clean one, then meets the man who hired him, a supposed psychologist downstairs, locking her in her room from the outside.
But that is only the beginning of a carefully plotted, action packed mystery that will keep you reading till the cows come home.
And if you don’t like it? Send it to me and I’ll eat it for lunch!
March 26, 2023
The four stars are for the first in the Mike Shayne series, as hard boiled a detective as they come. He drinks more cognac in a day than I could drink in ten years, fights like a demon, and is apparently irresistible to women. In this one a young rich woman is afraid of going crazy and killing her mother. She hires Mike to keep her from doing so as does her doctor. As you might expect, the mother is dead within the first twenty pages and Phyllis is accused of the murder. Mike tries to find out the really guilty party, crosses swords with the chief of detectives Peter Painter, and encounters nearly a half dozen dead bodies. Mike makes love to a couple of women, breaks his collarbone, and solves the mystery, all in a couple of days!
August 31, 2015
Michael Shane mysteries may not be the cream of the crop but I'm a fan. Tough guy, independent, a very private eye with some clever tricks up his sleeve who manages more than one plot or an intertwined plot where he gets kicked around, shot and almost killed but manages to make plenty of dough by representing more than one client but not to the clients knowledge. Shane cleverly plays both sides against the middle while giving the police a constant headache even though by the finish he hands the cops a nice explanation in solving the crime(s) allowing the cops all the glory while he makes mucho bucks. A fun read.
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