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Mike Shayne #5
Bodies Are Where You Find Them
Shayne isn't one to say no to a gorgeous, rich young doll who gets absolutely everything she wants - and what she wants is him. But he changes his tune when he finds her cold and lifeless body on his bed. The dead girl's stepfather is a slippery politician who'd be happy to watch Shayne fry - for a crime he didn't commit. Mike Shayne knows it's a frame-up. But what exactly is the game...and who's calling the plays?
He's a tough private eye with a nose for trouble, an eye for the ladies, and two fists for anyone who stands in his way. He works out of Miami, but he's no fashion plate with a fast car. Shayne's a hard-drinking, tough-minded guy on the wrong end of thirty. He's in a business where nobody gets rich, and every new case seems just a little dirtier than the last.
He's a tough private eye with a nose for trouble, an eye for the ladies, and two fists for anyone who stands in his way. He works out of Miami, but he's no fashion plate with a fast car. Shayne's a hard-drinking, tough-minded guy on the wrong end of thirty. He's in a business where nobody gets rich, and every new case seems just a little dirtier than the last.
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1941
29 people are currently reading
680 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 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 17, 2020
"Have you got a line on the corpse?" Rourke asked. "I can't help wondering where she'll turn up next."
"Bodies are where you find them," said Shayne cheerfully.
The cover above is of the book I read for this review. Due to a recent surge in collectors buying pulp novels mainly for the cover art, prices have skyrocketed. Not only for first printings, but for any pulp covers. It has been a long time since I've read a book this fragile. The book is intact, but I was fully aware that one shift in my posture at an inopportune time and I would crack the binding. The collector in me was almost tempted to wear white gloves, but this is a hard boiled detective novel and it simply wouldn't do.
I've never read a Brett Halliday before, so this was my first introduction to the red headed Irish detective with the long arms and the rough demeanor. This is book five in the series and he has put his skirt chasing days behind him and married a fine young lady who seems to have him on the straight and narrow, well straighter maybe. I was looking forward to reading a detective novel with a happily married detective as most of the pulps focus on an independent, lonely detective that drinks too much, but Halliday promptly ships the wife off to NY and she disappears after only a few pages. Counter to the normal image of a private detective living in near squalor, Mike actually lives in a nice apartment, and has enough money that he can comfortably place a $5,000 bet at a pivotal point in the novel.
Now Michael does drink, in fact he drinks a lot. His drink of choice is Martell Cognac.
I still remember the first time I drank cognac. I was working for Roy P. Jensen out of New Jersey selling remainder books. My territory was Denver West and at the time I lived in Phoenix. Now Roy had always told me not to be shy about buying myself a nice meal at the end of a day. I could have contributed this to the fact that I had quadrupled sales for him out of the Western United States, but I really believed that Roy himself enjoyed a good meal and would often call me up after he would get my receipts and ask me for culinary details about a meal I'd had.
I was in San Francisco and the fog had rolled in bringing a chill with it. I was wearing my London Fog trench coat and it was beaded with moisture. The waiter slid the coat from my shoulders and disappeared into the back with it probably because he didn't want me dripping all over the elegant carpeting. This was a swank joint, full of beautiful people with expensive haircuts. The women wore dresses that probably cost more than my car. I didn't order. The waiter just started bringing me courses of food which now I don't remember exactly what I ate, but at the end of the meal the waiter suggested a warmed cognac to take the cold from my bones. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him what such a concoction would cost me, but some semblance of how things are done manifested itself in my mind.
He brought it out to me in a wide bell shaped snifter that nestled warmly into my hand like the nubile bottom of a.... The amber liquor glowed in the glass and I swirled it watching the rich liquor leave a tinted trail along the edges of the glass. It felt like I poured it straight into my bloodstream. I could feel it moving through my body nestling somewhere in my groin. I nursed that glass loving each new burst of flavor on my tongue. It was a religious experience. When I got the bill I didn't really care what everything had cost. Although I did care a bit more when Roy calls me up and begins the conversation by saying... $40 for a glass of cognac? I started to explain to him that it was more than a glass of cognac. It was a life changing civilizing moment for me, but I just said...Roy let me pay for that one.
Now I still drink cognac, usually in the winter time, after a heavy meal, but Shayne drinks cognac morning, noon and night. He actually believes he does his best thinking while he is sloshed. When he hits a rough patch and the case is coming down around his ears he knows what the problem is. "I've stayed too sober on this case. That's what's wrong. You know my brain cells don't circulate without stimulation.
Well of course the trouble all begins when a girl shows up just as Shayne is preparing to leave on vacation with his wife. She is inebriated/drugged and passes out before she can tell Shayne what she is there to tell him. He hides her in the bedroom, from his wife, and takes his wife to the train station explaining he will catch up with her in NY later. When he returns the girl is dead, strangled to death in his own bed. Now Shayne has put enough other people in the frame to know what it feels like to be in the frame.
Miami Beach is days away from elected the next mayor. Shayne has backed one candidate and he is sure the other candidate is behind the frame as a way to discredit their campaign. He enlists the aid of his friend Timothy Rourke, a newspaper report that has benefited from his association with Shayne, to help him move the body. The body, when they return, is missing.
As Shayne continues to investigate to clear his name he finds himself up to his neck in dirty political dealing, murder, irate husbands, drugged wives,heavy fisted thugs administering bruises, car crashes, and bodies that keep showing up where they are not supposed to be. As he adds up the clues he is often wrong in his summations, but not because he was incorrect, but because he didn't have all the facts. He is more than willing to fix evidence to fit the facts as he sees them reminding me of the Orson Welles detective in Touch of Evil.
In the back of the book there was a short bit about the real life detective that Halliday based Michael Shayne on which I found very interesting. It certainly added further weight to the Shayne character. I'm long past the days when I can stand a steady diet of pulp novels, but spending time racing around Miami Beach evaluating clues, feeling the desperation of being on the run, and taking the punches along with Shayne made for a very nice Sunday afternoon.
"Bodies are where you find them," said Shayne cheerfully.
The cover above is of the book I read for this review. Due to a recent surge in collectors buying pulp novels mainly for the cover art, prices have skyrocketed. Not only for first printings, but for any pulp covers. It has been a long time since I've read a book this fragile. The book is intact, but I was fully aware that one shift in my posture at an inopportune time and I would crack the binding. The collector in me was almost tempted to wear white gloves, but this is a hard boiled detective novel and it simply wouldn't do.
I've never read a Brett Halliday before, so this was my first introduction to the red headed Irish detective with the long arms and the rough demeanor. This is book five in the series and he has put his skirt chasing days behind him and married a fine young lady who seems to have him on the straight and narrow, well straighter maybe. I was looking forward to reading a detective novel with a happily married detective as most of the pulps focus on an independent, lonely detective that drinks too much, but Halliday promptly ships the wife off to NY and she disappears after only a few pages. Counter to the normal image of a private detective living in near squalor, Mike actually lives in a nice apartment, and has enough money that he can comfortably place a $5,000 bet at a pivotal point in the novel.
Now Michael does drink, in fact he drinks a lot. His drink of choice is Martell Cognac.
I still remember the first time I drank cognac. I was working for Roy P. Jensen out of New Jersey selling remainder books. My territory was Denver West and at the time I lived in Phoenix. Now Roy had always told me not to be shy about buying myself a nice meal at the end of a day. I could have contributed this to the fact that I had quadrupled sales for him out of the Western United States, but I really believed that Roy himself enjoyed a good meal and would often call me up after he would get my receipts and ask me for culinary details about a meal I'd had.
I was in San Francisco and the fog had rolled in bringing a chill with it. I was wearing my London Fog trench coat and it was beaded with moisture. The waiter slid the coat from my shoulders and disappeared into the back with it probably because he didn't want me dripping all over the elegant carpeting. This was a swank joint, full of beautiful people with expensive haircuts. The women wore dresses that probably cost more than my car. I didn't order. The waiter just started bringing me courses of food which now I don't remember exactly what I ate, but at the end of the meal the waiter suggested a warmed cognac to take the cold from my bones. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him what such a concoction would cost me, but some semblance of how things are done manifested itself in my mind.
He brought it out to me in a wide bell shaped snifter that nestled warmly into my hand like the nubile bottom of a.... The amber liquor glowed in the glass and I swirled it watching the rich liquor leave a tinted trail along the edges of the glass. It felt like I poured it straight into my bloodstream. I could feel it moving through my body nestling somewhere in my groin. I nursed that glass loving each new burst of flavor on my tongue. It was a religious experience. When I got the bill I didn't really care what everything had cost. Although I did care a bit more when Roy calls me up and begins the conversation by saying... $40 for a glass of cognac? I started to explain to him that it was more than a glass of cognac. It was a life changing civilizing moment for me, but I just said...Roy let me pay for that one.
Now I still drink cognac, usually in the winter time, after a heavy meal, but Shayne drinks cognac morning, noon and night. He actually believes he does his best thinking while he is sloshed. When he hits a rough patch and the case is coming down around his ears he knows what the problem is. "I've stayed too sober on this case. That's what's wrong. You know my brain cells don't circulate without stimulation.
Well of course the trouble all begins when a girl shows up just as Shayne is preparing to leave on vacation with his wife. She is inebriated/drugged and passes out before she can tell Shayne what she is there to tell him. He hides her in the bedroom, from his wife, and takes his wife to the train station explaining he will catch up with her in NY later. When he returns the girl is dead, strangled to death in his own bed. Now Shayne has put enough other people in the frame to know what it feels like to be in the frame.
Miami Beach is days away from elected the next mayor. Shayne has backed one candidate and he is sure the other candidate is behind the frame as a way to discredit their campaign. He enlists the aid of his friend Timothy Rourke, a newspaper report that has benefited from his association with Shayne, to help him move the body. The body, when they return, is missing.
As Shayne continues to investigate to clear his name he finds himself up to his neck in dirty political dealing, murder, irate husbands, drugged wives,heavy fisted thugs administering bruises, car crashes, and bodies that keep showing up where they are not supposed to be. As he adds up the clues he is often wrong in his summations, but not because he was incorrect, but because he didn't have all the facts. He is more than willing to fix evidence to fit the facts as he sees them reminding me of the Orson Welles detective in Touch of Evil.
Brett Halliday wearing the eye patch he wore since a childhood incident with barb wire.
In the back of the book there was a short bit about the real life detective that Halliday based Michael Shayne on which I found very interesting. It certainly added further weight to the Shayne character. I'm long past the days when I can stand a steady diet of pulp novels, but spending time racing around Miami Beach evaluating clues, feeling the desperation of being on the run, and taking the punches along with Shayne made for a very nice Sunday afternoon.
January 20, 2013
Mike Shayne is back, and yet again he finds himself unable to say no to a beautiful rich woman asking for his help. But maybe he will change his tune when she winds up dead in his bed and his is being accused of a crime he did not do. With the girl’s political stepfather eager to see Mike fry, will he find out just who is trying to frame him?
Bodies are Where You Find Them is the fifth (of over seventy) Mike Shayne book by Brett Halliday, but it is the first I’ve read. Shayne is a heavy drinker, heavy fisted but a quick thinker. However the thing that really stood out with this character was the fact that he was a real anti-hero. I find with hard-boiled detectives they normally blur the line between good and evil but they always seemed to always be a hero; well in all the ones I’ve read, I’ll be happy to be proven wrong. But with Mike Shayne he often crossed the line, not particularly into evil but he was a deeply flawed detective that found me groaning at some of his actions.
The novel is a typical hard-boiled plot, with some political thriller aspects thrown in; Shayne has backed one candidate to be mayor and now he finds himself being framed. With the help of a reporter, he uncovers political corruption and dead bodies. You are never really sure exactly what is happening, I think this is because Shayne’s thought process really throws the reader off.
The Robert Downey Jr. movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is apparently based on this novel but I think it must be very loosely based; there are glimpses of a resemblance but nothing really that stands out apart from the idea of being constantly sidetracked by the protagonists thoughts and unexpected bodies.
While this book wouldn’t be high up in my recommendations for pulp novels, it was an enjoyable read. There are some parts of the book that felt like they have been done to death but I do think Mike Shayne will go on to be a great protagonist; one I’ll love to hate. One thing that stayed in the back of my mind was the amount of cognac Shayne drank; seriously I kept imagining just how hard it would be to be a private investigator if you are plastered all the time. I wonder if anyone have written or filmed a satire about a PI that is too drunk to solve or do anything. Bodies are Where You Find Them is worth reading for pulp fans but if you are new to this genre maybe check out these recommendations.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...
Bodies are Where You Find Them is the fifth (of over seventy) Mike Shayne book by Brett Halliday, but it is the first I’ve read. Shayne is a heavy drinker, heavy fisted but a quick thinker. However the thing that really stood out with this character was the fact that he was a real anti-hero. I find with hard-boiled detectives they normally blur the line between good and evil but they always seemed to always be a hero; well in all the ones I’ve read, I’ll be happy to be proven wrong. But with Mike Shayne he often crossed the line, not particularly into evil but he was a deeply flawed detective that found me groaning at some of his actions.
The novel is a typical hard-boiled plot, with some political thriller aspects thrown in; Shayne has backed one candidate to be mayor and now he finds himself being framed. With the help of a reporter, he uncovers political corruption and dead bodies. You are never really sure exactly what is happening, I think this is because Shayne’s thought process really throws the reader off.
The Robert Downey Jr. movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is apparently based on this novel but I think it must be very loosely based; there are glimpses of a resemblance but nothing really that stands out apart from the idea of being constantly sidetracked by the protagonists thoughts and unexpected bodies.
While this book wouldn’t be high up in my recommendations for pulp novels, it was an enjoyable read. There are some parts of the book that felt like they have been done to death but I do think Mike Shayne will go on to be a great protagonist; one I’ll love to hate. One thing that stayed in the back of my mind was the amount of cognac Shayne drank; seriously I kept imagining just how hard it would be to be a private investigator if you are plastered all the time. I wonder if anyone have written or filmed a satire about a PI that is too drunk to solve or do anything. Bodies are Where You Find Them is worth reading for pulp fans but if you are new to this genre maybe check out these recommendations.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...
October 30, 2012
The thing about bodies and Mike Shayne is that you never know when one will pop up or just what it is that he's going to do with it.
I told myself that I wouldn't read Jeffrey's review before writing mine but I couldn't help myself, I'd probably rate it 4 out of 5 just for his pictures but when you add his anecdote about cognac that rating gets nailed on. So when you're done here don't hesitate to click that link and enjoy some classic pulp artwork with some classic pulp dialogue.
Mike Shayne the hard-drinking, hard-fisted, quick-thinking private eye has found himself framed for murder (yet again) only this time the body doesn't want to stay in one place. With a plot that was a loose basis for the great fun Robert Downey Jr. movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang this is pulp noir with a vengeance. It's not just the bodies that are all over the place it is the ideas that go through Shayne's head.
Before I go any further I'd like to share the artwork from my tasteless 1980s reissue paperback:
And a google will illuminate you even further with an entire set of these beauties.
As I pointed out with my first experience of Mike Shayne things are told in broad strokes; dumb bad guys and tough as old boots good guy with a friend who'll bleed for him on a regular basis, plot as convoluted as they come and Mike Shayne squeezing himself out of a jam just in time. A lot of people have written novels in the same broad strokes but I'd wager very few of them have the same charm as Brett Halliday manages to create in his Mike Shayne series, and it is that charm that makes for such an enjoyable read.
Now run along and read that story about cognac I mentioned previously.
I told myself that I wouldn't read Jeffrey's review before writing mine but I couldn't help myself, I'd probably rate it 4 out of 5 just for his pictures but when you add his anecdote about cognac that rating gets nailed on. So when you're done here don't hesitate to click that link and enjoy some classic pulp artwork with some classic pulp dialogue.
Mike Shayne the hard-drinking, hard-fisted, quick-thinking private eye has found himself framed for murder (yet again) only this time the body doesn't want to stay in one place. With a plot that was a loose basis for the great fun Robert Downey Jr. movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang this is pulp noir with a vengeance. It's not just the bodies that are all over the place it is the ideas that go through Shayne's head.
Before I go any further I'd like to share the artwork from my tasteless 1980s reissue paperback:
And a google will illuminate you even further with an entire set of these beauties.
As I pointed out with my first experience of Mike Shayne things are told in broad strokes; dumb bad guys and tough as old boots good guy with a friend who'll bleed for him on a regular basis, plot as convoluted as they come and Mike Shayne squeezing himself out of a jam just in time. A lot of people have written novels in the same broad strokes but I'd wager very few of them have the same charm as Brett Halliday manages to create in his Mike Shayne series, and it is that charm that makes for such an enjoyable read.
Now run along and read that story about cognac I mentioned previously.
December 19, 2009
I heard somewhere that the excellent movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was based on the Brett Halliday novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them.
But there really isn't much similarity. Yeah, I guess some of the basic shape of the murder mystery was borrowed from Halliday, but pretty much everything has been changed. I'd have to see the movie again to really compare, but here's a quick synopsis:
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. It is only that nice complexity that was retained in the movie, and even that was heavily modified.
But there really isn't much similarity. Yeah, I guess some of the basic shape of the murder mystery was borrowed from Halliday, but pretty much everything has been changed. I'd have to see the movie again to really compare, but here's a quick synopsis:
Our hero, private detective Michael Shayne, is about to hop on the train to New York with his beloved new wife when he gets an emergency call at his nearby office. An obviously drugged girl staggers out of the elevator, barely slurs her question confirming his identity, and passes out. He puts her to bed to sleep it off and regretfully tells his wife he'll catch a later train. When he gets back to his office after dropping her off at the station, he discovers the unknown lass has been strangled, and he barely has time to hide her body when the police drops in to investigate a reported disturbance.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.
Shayne cons a reporter buddy into helping him, but they can't do anything before a sudden visit from a different detective along with a fellow who happens to be running for mayor. It seems his daughter is missing and Shayne, who is publicly supporting the fellow's opponent, is under suspicion of kidnapping the daughter.
After getting rid of them, Shayne leaves to decoy any watchers while his reporter buddy goes to get a car and get the body out of the apartment. But when the reporter gets back, the body has disappeared...
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. It is only that nice complexity that was retained in the movie, and even that was heavily modified.
May 15, 2017
Bodies Are Where You Find Them is the fifth Mike Shayne novel and was definitely written by David Dresser before Brett Halliday became a house name for the writers that followed. Being one of the early novels, it even has a very brief appearance by Shayne's wife, Phyllis, brief enough for Shayne to see her off to the train station. Obviously it was decided that keeping her out of the limelight made Shayne a more interesting and more eligible detective.
Even if you've read dozens of pulp mysteries, you'll still enjoy this one. It features big redheaded Mike Shayne at his finest, accused of murder by Peter Painter, hiding sexy young doped up women from his wife, carting corpses around, getting in fistfights with bouncers, avoiding road blockades, breaking into sanitariums, and concocting wild explanations for everything that is going on. Right from the start this book is filled with nonstop action that simply never lets up right up until Shayne gathers all the suspects in the parlor and pulls his big reveal. There's a reason that this series continued literally for decades.
Even if you've read dozens of pulp mysteries, you'll still enjoy this one. It features big redheaded Mike Shayne at his finest, accused of murder by Peter Painter, hiding sexy young doped up women from his wife, carting corpses around, getting in fistfights with bouncers, avoiding road blockades, breaking into sanitariums, and concocting wild explanations for everything that is going on. Right from the start this book is filled with nonstop action that simply never lets up right up until Shayne gathers all the suspects in the parlor and pulls his big reveal. There's a reason that this series continued literally for decades.
October 23, 2012
I enjoyed this. That noir syntax...the multiple twists...our hero on the edge of ruin..hard livers and wild goings on!
Fair to better outing! Probably will try more with Mike Shayne..he's pretty smooth!
Fair to better outing! Probably will try more with Mike Shayne..he's pretty smooth!
July 5, 2025
I've read several of Halliday's Mike Shayne novels, so I dove in this hoping for more action and superb twists. I was not disappointed in this 1940 book, which I learned after reading it was the basis for the 2005 film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang staring Robert Downey, Jr., and Val Kilmer. I will have to watch this film now that I've finished this book.
This was another fantastic read. Mike is about to go on a long overdue trip with his wife to NY when he receives a call from a friend, running for mayor, that a woman is coming to his apartment with a tip about something the election. Sending his wife off to the train station, Mike waits for the woman who arrives three sheets to the wind and passes out. He leaves the apartment for the moment and when he returns he discovers she's been strangled with one of her nylons. He's able to hide her in his apartment when his friend accompanied by a reporter arrive. Making matters worse, the chief of police arrives, tipped that a murder has occurred.
From here it's a race to solve this murder in two days--when the election occurs. There are gangsters, missing witnesses, an angry musician, an bodies popping up in the oddest locations.
I could not get enough of this book and eagerly await reading another exploit of Shayne. Highest possible recommendation.
This was another fantastic read. Mike is about to go on a long overdue trip with his wife to NY when he receives a call from a friend, running for mayor, that a woman is coming to his apartment with a tip about something the election. Sending his wife off to the train station, Mike waits for the woman who arrives three sheets to the wind and passes out. He leaves the apartment for the moment and when he returns he discovers she's been strangled with one of her nylons. He's able to hide her in his apartment when his friend accompanied by a reporter arrive. Making matters worse, the chief of police arrives, tipped that a murder has occurred.
From here it's a race to solve this murder in two days--when the election occurs. There are gangsters, missing witnesses, an angry musician, an bodies popping up in the oddest locations.
I could not get enough of this book and eagerly await reading another exploit of Shayne. Highest possible recommendation.
July 5, 2018
I read this because it was the semi-inspiration for Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, one of my favorite movies. The story itself however is closer to Weekend At Bernie’s. A funny, entertaining mystery with a private eye that’s actually not a repellent misogynist and/or sexist! The dialogue isn’t as great as Halliday’s contemporaries and dialogue is half of why people read PI books based in this era. But you could do worse.
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November 30, 2023Go. Sleep badly. Any questions, hesitate to call. It's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and This Film is Lit.
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June 29, 2024
Not a 4 star of books overall, but certainly a 4 star noir. It's early Mike Shayne and he's still married to poor Phyllis (who will die in a subsequent book since Twentieth Century Fox didn't want to make a series about a married detective--I guess nobody at that studio had seen The Thin Man series). Phyllis is sent off to NYC in quick order so that she won't find that Mike has a doped up young woman--soon to be a corpse--on a bed in his office. The corpse might be that of the stepdaughter of Burt Stallings, who is running for mayor against Jim Marsh, the candidate Shayne is supporting. However, the body disappears, reappears when Shayne is rammed by a car, or is she two different people, possibly a body in the bay or an escapee from an asylum. It's a very convoluted plot and Shayne drinks a good deal as he always does. When it becomes clear that there are at least two different dead young women, the deciding factor on which one is the candidate's stepdaughter revolves around which one is wearing underwear (since nice, well brought up girls do). A real doozy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
A drugged out woman shows up Mike Shayne’s Miami doorstep just as he and the wife are about to go on a holiday in New York. Mike has to do some fast talking to get his wife on the train and remain behind to solve all the criminal stuff. But it in no way compares to fast talking he’s going to have to do once she’s gone. Is Shayne going to go jail this time or merely drink up all the cognac in Miami Beach?
Excellently plotted little yarn that keeps the surprises coming. I wish these books took more advantage of the Miami setting but, when the plot is this outlandish, maybe that would just be a complication. Expect to see gangsters, drinking, gambling dens and a lot of corrupt politics before you get to the end. Unfortunately, there’s a little racism too.
Excellently plotted little yarn that keeps the surprises coming. I wish these books took more advantage of the Miami setting but, when the plot is this outlandish, maybe that would just be a complication. Expect to see gangsters, drinking, gambling dens and a lot of corrupt politics before you get to the end. Unfortunately, there’s a little racism too.
August 6, 2018
Solid but not great
I read this book because it is listed as being the source material for the great film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Apart from one element of the crime(s), they have nothing in common.
This is a story about a hard-boiled noir detective who gets himself wrapped up in a murder mystery. Sound familiar? It’s a fun, light, quick read, but offers nothing new or inventive to the genre. If you’ve read the complete works of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, and - why not? - let’s throw Agatha Christie in there, this might be a fine read. Otherwise, there are definitely other works that are more worth your time.
I read this book because it is listed as being the source material for the great film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Apart from one element of the crime(s), they have nothing in common.
This is a story about a hard-boiled noir detective who gets himself wrapped up in a murder mystery. Sound familiar? It’s a fun, light, quick read, but offers nothing new or inventive to the genre. If you’ve read the complete works of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, and - why not? - let’s throw Agatha Christie in there, this might be a fine read. Otherwise, there are definitely other works that are more worth your time.
January 10, 2022
I didn't have very high expectations for this book, but it was still incredibly disappointing. I've rarely seen a book so padded out with redundant, inane, juvenile dialogue, nor a hero who seems to be this stupid. Luckily for him he lives in a stupid world where he is the smartest person alive. Unless you're a twelve-year-old boy with a crew cut and a drinking problem, don't waste your time with this book.
March 31, 2018
I have to state first of all that I picked up this book because it was the inspiration for one of my favorite movies. I enjoyed the book a lot. I am a big fan of the noir movies and am looking forward to reading more of Brett Halliday`s books.
July 19, 2019
Witty , Hilarious and Smart. It's humor is dark but unpredictable.
The action is non stop. The novel doesn't give you a moment to breathe. It keeps you at the edge of your seat waiting to read what happens next.
The action is non stop. The novel doesn't give you a moment to breathe. It keeps you at the edge of your seat waiting to read what happens next.
September 10, 2019
Who Has the Body?
Mike Shayne is in it again. This time, he has a dead girl in his apartment, then he doesn't, an election to straighten out, and find the real killer before he is charged. Will he do it? Read it, and find out. You'll be glad you did!
Mike Shayne is in it again. This time, he has a dead girl in his apartment, then he doesn't, an election to straighten out, and find the real killer before he is charged. Will he do it? Read it, and find out. You'll be glad you did!
December 24, 2020
Just OK Quick Read
This one was kind of disjointed and lacked the same flow and intensity of the previous four books. If you want to read a book in this series, to try out first, do not start with this one.
This one was kind of disjointed and lacked the same flow and intensity of the previous four books. If you want to read a book in this series, to try out first, do not start with this one.
August 9, 2025
Like the story, presentation, and characters, but it was definitely written in a different time and it shows. Haven't read any other of the Mike Shayne books, but I am going to, if only to absorb more before I pass judgement.
May 31, 2018
This is the first Mike Shane book I've read, and I enjoyed it - it's a fast moving well paced written plot with lots of twists and turns, making for a fast, good read!
Want to read
November 16, 2018Synopsis: Shayne isn't one to say no to a gorgeous doll but he changes his tune when he finds her cold and lifeless body on his bed. It's a frame-up.
Want to read
October 1, 2023this became kiss kiss bang bang (2005) which is one of my favorite detective movies (if not THE fav)
March 14, 2015
"Τα πτώματα είναι εκεί που τα βρίσκεις", εκδόσεις Άγκυρα.
Απόλυτα ψυχαγωγικό αστυνομικό νουάρ της δεκαετίας του '40, που ναι μεν δείχνει τα χρόνια του αλλά σίγουρα οι φαν του είδους θα περάσουν καλά. Δεν είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο του Χάλιντεϊ που διαβάζω, με ήρωα πάντα τον κοκκινομάλλη ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ Μάικ Σέιν, μιας και πέρυσι τον Δεκέμβριο διάβασα το "Εισιτήριο για το θάνατο", ελάχιστα κατώτερο από αυτό που μόλις τελείωσα.
Ο Μάικ Σέιν θα μπλεχτεί σε μια πραγματικά περίπλοκη και τρελή ιστορία, λίγες μέρες πριν τις δημοτικές εκλογές, το αποτέλεσμα των οποίων θα επηρεάσει άμεσα το εργασιακό του μέλλον στην πόλη. Όταν μια κοπέλα, εμφανώς μεθυσμένη ή ναρκωμένη, θέλει να μιλήσει στον Σέιν στο γραφείο του για έναν υποψήφιο δήμαρχο και έπειτα αυτή βρίσκεται στραγγαλισμένη στο κρεβάτι του, τα πράγματα περιπλέκονται, ειδικά αν κάποιος έχει σαν στόχο να βάλει τον Σέιν στην φυλακή. Και όταν εμπλέκονται μέσα πολιτικά και επιχειρηματικά συμφέροντα, τότε αρχίζουν οι δυσκολίες. Χώρια το πτώμα μιας κοπέλας που περιφέρεται από δω και από κει, το οποίο τριγυρίζει θα έλεγε κανείς τον Σέιν...
Αυτά σε γενικές γραμμές και ό,τι καταλάβατε. Η πλοκή είναι αρκετά τρελή για να την πάρει κανείς στα πολύ σοβαρά, αλλά μου άρεσε. Και γιατί όχι; Υπήρχε αρκετή δράση, ξύλο και κυνηγητά, μυστήριο και ανατροπές και μια σχετική αγωνία για την κατάληξη. Η γραφή οπωσδήποτε παλπ, ευκολοδιάβαστη, σίγουρα μου άρεσε, οι χαρακτήρες ήταν εντάξει, έκαναν την δουλειά τους, και η ατμόσφαιρα σαφώς νουάρ.
Γενικά το πρόσημο είναι θετικό και ο Μάικ Σέιν αρχίζει να μου αρέσει σαν χαρακτήρας. Βλέπω ότι στα credits της ταινίας του Shane Black, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", με πρωταγωνιστές τους Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer και Michelle Monaghan, αναφέρεται και το βιβλίο αυτό σαν πηγή της ιστορίας, έστω αποσπασματικά. Έχω δει την ταινία, δεν θυμάμαι πολλές ομοιότητες πέραν της τρελής πλοκής, όμως δείχνει ότι αυτός ο καλός σεναριογράφος/σκηνοθέτης είναι οπαδός του συγκεκριμένου συγγραφέα. Και αυτό λέει πολλά...
Απόλυτα ψυχαγωγικό αστυνομικό νουάρ της δεκαετίας του '40, που ναι μεν δείχνει τα χρόνια του αλλά σίγουρα οι φαν του είδους θα περάσουν καλά. Δεν είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο του Χάλιντεϊ που διαβάζω, με ήρωα πάντα τον κοκκινομάλλη ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ Μάικ Σέιν, μιας και πέρυσι τον Δεκέμβριο διάβασα το "Εισιτήριο για το θάνατο", ελάχιστα κατώτερο από αυτό που μόλις τελείωσα.
Ο Μάικ Σέιν θα μπλεχτεί σε μια πραγματικά περίπλοκη και τρελή ιστορία, λίγες μέρες πριν τις δημοτικές εκλογές, το αποτέλεσμα των οποίων θα επηρεάσει άμεσα το εργασιακό του μέλλον στην πόλη. Όταν μια κοπέλα, εμφανώς μεθυσμένη ή ναρκωμένη, θέλει να μιλήσει στον Σέιν στο γραφείο του για έναν υποψήφιο δήμαρχο και έπειτα αυτή βρίσκεται στραγγαλισμένη στο κρεβάτι του, τα πράγματα περιπλέκονται, ειδικά αν κάποιος έχει σαν στόχο να βάλει τον Σέιν στην φυλακή. Και όταν εμπλέκονται μέσα πολιτικά και επιχειρηματικά συμφέροντα, τότε αρχίζουν οι δυσκολίες. Χώρια το πτώμα μιας κοπέλας που περιφέρεται από δω και από κει, το οποίο τριγυρίζει θα έλεγε κανείς τον Σέιν...
Αυτά σε γενικές γραμμές και ό,τι καταλάβατε. Η πλοκή είναι αρκετά τρελή για να την πάρει κανείς στα πολύ σοβαρά, αλλά μου άρεσε. Και γιατί όχι; Υπήρχε αρκετή δράση, ξύλο και κυνηγητά, μυστήριο και ανατροπές και μια σχετική αγωνία για την κατάληξη. Η γραφή οπωσδήποτε παλπ, ευκολοδιάβαστη, σίγουρα μου άρεσε, οι χαρακτήρες ήταν εντάξει, έκαναν την δουλειά τους, και η ατμόσφαιρα σαφώς νουάρ.
Γενικά το πρόσημο είναι θετικό και ο Μάικ Σέιν αρχίζει να μου αρέσει σαν χαρακτήρας. Βλέπω ότι στα credits της ταινίας του Shane Black, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", με πρωταγωνιστές τους Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer και Michelle Monaghan, αναφέρεται και το βιβλίο αυτό σαν πηγή της ιστορίας, έστω αποσπασματικά. Έχω δει την ταινία, δεν θυμάμαι πολλές ομοιότητες πέραν της τρελής πλοκής, όμως δείχνει ότι αυτός ο καλός σεναριογράφος/σκηνοθέτης είναι οπαδός του συγκεκριμένου συγγραφέα. Και αυτό λέει πολλά...
September 3, 2017
I feel like the grand old tradition of hard-boiled, pulp fiction detective novels is overdue for a resurgence. Perhaps I read the wrong genres, but I feel like there isn’t an obvious modern day equivalent to someone like Brett Halliday or Ray Bradbury and I think that’s kind of a shame.
Bodies Are Where You Find Them is a fine example of that grand old tradition. I’m not sure it technically counts as a “good” book generally, but if you’re looking for a hard-boiled mystery it’s a great book for that. You have your detective Mike Shayne, a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, tough guy who works endless hours, gets beaten up a lot, beats people up a lot and has been set straight by his perfect, understanding wife.
Incidentally, his wife is not present for most of this novel, giving him permission to be on less than his best behaviour for the adventure. During which time, in spite of a cunning plan by The Baddies, he manages to eventually Save The Day, mostly by being a tough guy who can stay smart whilst drinking too much bourbon. Honestly, it’s a delight.
So, if you can find a copy without paying the terrifying costs of books that are out of print, I do recommend it. If you can’t, worry not, I suspect that it’s only a matter of time before someone buys up the rights to the Mike Shayne novels and re-publishes the lot.
Bodies Are Where You Find Them is a fine example of that grand old tradition. I’m not sure it technically counts as a “good” book generally, but if you’re looking for a hard-boiled mystery it’s a great book for that. You have your detective Mike Shayne, a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, tough guy who works endless hours, gets beaten up a lot, beats people up a lot and has been set straight by his perfect, understanding wife.
Incidentally, his wife is not present for most of this novel, giving him permission to be on less than his best behaviour for the adventure. During which time, in spite of a cunning plan by The Baddies, he manages to eventually Save The Day, mostly by being a tough guy who can stay smart whilst drinking too much bourbon. Honestly, it’s a delight.
So, if you can find a copy without paying the terrifying costs of books that are out of print, I do recommend it. If you can’t, worry not, I suspect that it’s only a matter of time before someone buys up the rights to the Mike Shayne novels and re-publishes the lot.
January 8, 2013
I, like a lot of people, decided to read this book because Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was roughly (very roughly) inspired by it. I was not disappointed. Well written, a quick read, lots of trash talking, hard drinking, but with a tiny touch of class from the lead character, Mike Shayne. I'm definitely a fan, now I just have to find the other Mike Shayne books by Halliday so I can read them.
November 2, 2011
يقال بأن فيلم
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
مقتبس من هذه الرواية .. بالنسبة للفيلم حبيته كثير .. و بسببه احتمال اقرأ الرواية .. لكنهم يقولون ان الاحداث مختلفة بين الاثنين .. لا يهم اهم شيء طبيعة الشخصيات لا تتغير .. حبيت سخريتهم و لذاعتهم بالحكي
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
مقتبس من هذه الرواية .. بالنسبة للفيلم حبيته كثير .. و بسببه احتمال اقرأ الرواية .. لكنهم يقولون ان الاحداث مختلفة بين الاثنين .. لا يهم اهم شيء طبيعة الشخصيات لا تتغير .. حبيت سخريتهم و لذاعتهم بالحكي
September 13, 2014
The Michael Shayne books are an easy read. There aren't too many books written as a series any more. I love old pulp novels although this one is nothing special.
December 28, 2014
Joko tämä oli suomennettu muistuttamaan poikakirjaa tuhisevine vihaisine naisineen tai sitten se jo alunperin oli sellainen.
September 2, 2015
First Mike Shayne series book I read, and I'm hooked. Great example of fun pulp from the golden era.
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