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Mike Hammer #22
A Long Time Dead
With an introduction by Max Allan Collins: The first collection of stories starring legendary Mike Hammer, the toughest private investigator in history
It starts with a few near-accidents: A car almost swipes Mike Hammer when he's crossing the street. A junkie robs the notoriously hardboiled detective at knifepoint. A fight on a subway platform comes close to pushing him in front of a train. While any one of these could be a coincidence, together they make a conspiracy--one that Hammer will have to end in order to survive. And when it comes to finishing something--or someone--nobody does it better than Hammer.
One of the twentieth century's bestselling American mystery authors, Mickey Spillane changed noir fiction forever when he loosed Mike Hammer on the world. Now these eight short stories, collected and finished by Max Allan Collins, show that Spillane is still capable of redefining the genre.
The stories in A Long Time Dead have received numerous accolades, including an Edgar Award nomination, two International Association of Media and Tie-in Writers "Scribe" Awards, and a Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award.
It starts with a few near-accidents: A car almost swipes Mike Hammer when he's crossing the street. A junkie robs the notoriously hardboiled detective at knifepoint. A fight on a subway platform comes close to pushing him in front of a train. While any one of these could be a coincidence, together they make a conspiracy--one that Hammer will have to end in order to survive. And when it comes to finishing something--or someone--nobody does it better than Hammer.
One of the twentieth century's bestselling American mystery authors, Mickey Spillane changed noir fiction forever when he loosed Mike Hammer on the world. Now these eight short stories, collected and finished by Max Allan Collins, show that Spillane is still capable of redefining the genre.
The stories in A Long Time Dead have received numerous accolades, including an Edgar Award nomination, two International Association of Media and Tie-in Writers "Scribe" Awards, and a Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award.
246 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2016
110 people are currently reading
657 people want to read
About the author
Mickey Spillane
316 books447 followersMickey Spillane was one of the world's most popular mystery writers. His specialty was tight-fisted, sadistic revenge stories, often featuring his alcoholic gumshoe Mike Hammer and a cast of evildoers who launder money or spout the Communist Party line.
His writing style was characterized by short words, lightning transitions, gruff sex and violent endings. It was once tallied that he offed 58 people in six novels.
Starting with "I, the Jury," in 1947, Mr. Spillane sold hundreds of millions of books during his lifetime and garnered consistently scathing reviews. Even his father, a Brooklyn bartender, called them "crud."
Mr. Spillane was a struggling comic book publisher when he wrote "I, the Jury." He initially envisioned it as a comic book called "Mike Danger," and when that did not go over, he took a week to reconfigure it as a novel.
Even the editor in chief of E.P. Dutton and Co., Mr. Spillane's publisher, was skeptical of the book's literary merit but conceded it would probably be a smash with postwar readers looking for ready action. He was right. The book, in which Hammer pursues a murderous narcotics ring led by a curvaceous female psychiatrist, went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
Mr. Spillane spun out six novels in the next five years, among them "My Gun Is Quick," "The Big Kill," "One Lonely Night" and "Kiss Me, Deadly." Most concerned Hammer, his faithful sidekick, Velda, and the police homicide captain Pat Chambers, who acknowledges that Hammer's style of vigilante justice is often better suited than the law to dispatching criminals.
Mr. Spillane's success rankled other critics, who sometimes became very personal in their reviews. Malcolm Cowley called Mr. Spillane "a homicidal paranoiac," going on to note what he called his misogyny and vigilante tendencies.
His books were translated into many languages, and he proved so popular as a writer that he was able to transfer his thick-necked, barrel-chested personality across many media. With the charisma of a redwood, he played Hammer in "The Girl Hunters," a 1963 film adaptation of his novel.
Spillane also scripted several television shows and films and played a detective in the 1954 suspense film "Ring of Fear," set at a Clyde Beatty circus. He rewrote much of the film, too, refusing payment. In gratitude, the producer, John Wayne, surprised him one morning with a white Jaguar sportster wrapped in a red ribbon. The card read, "Thanks, Duke."
Done initially on a dare from his publisher, Mr. Spillane wrote a children's book, "The Day the Sea Rolled Back" (1979), about two boys who find a shipwreck loaded with treasure. This won a Junior Literary Guild award.
He also wrote another children's novel, "The Ship That Never Was," and then wrote his first Mike Hammer mystery in 20 years with "The Killing Man" (1989). "Black Alley" followed in 1996. In the last, a rapidly aging Hammer comes out of a gunshot-induced coma, then tracks down a friend's murderer and billions in mob loot. For the first time, he also confesses his love for Velda but, because of doctor's orders, cannot consummate the relationship.
Late in life, he received a career achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America and was named a grand master by the Mystery Writers of America.
In his private life, he neither smoked nor drank and was a house-to-house missionary for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He expressed at times great disdain for what he saw as corrosive forces in American life, from antiwar protesters to the United Nations.
His marriages to Mary Ann Pearce and Sherri Malinou ended in divorce. His second wife, a model, posed nude for the dust jacket of his 1972 novel "The Erection Set."
Survivors include his third wife, Jane Rodgers Johnson, a former beauty queen 30 years his junior; and four children from the first marriage.
He also carried on a long epistolary flirtation with Ayn Rand, an admirer of his writing.
His writing style was characterized by short words, lightning transitions, gruff sex and violent endings. It was once tallied that he offed 58 people in six novels.
Starting with "I, the Jury," in 1947, Mr. Spillane sold hundreds of millions of books during his lifetime and garnered consistently scathing reviews. Even his father, a Brooklyn bartender, called them "crud."
Mr. Spillane was a struggling comic book publisher when he wrote "I, the Jury." He initially envisioned it as a comic book called "Mike Danger," and when that did not go over, he took a week to reconfigure it as a novel.
Even the editor in chief of E.P. Dutton and Co., Mr. Spillane's publisher, was skeptical of the book's literary merit but conceded it would probably be a smash with postwar readers looking for ready action. He was right. The book, in which Hammer pursues a murderous narcotics ring led by a curvaceous female psychiatrist, went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
Mr. Spillane spun out six novels in the next five years, among them "My Gun Is Quick," "The Big Kill," "One Lonely Night" and "Kiss Me, Deadly." Most concerned Hammer, his faithful sidekick, Velda, and the police homicide captain Pat Chambers, who acknowledges that Hammer's style of vigilante justice is often better suited than the law to dispatching criminals.
Mr. Spillane's success rankled other critics, who sometimes became very personal in their reviews. Malcolm Cowley called Mr. Spillane "a homicidal paranoiac," going on to note what he called his misogyny and vigilante tendencies.
His books were translated into many languages, and he proved so popular as a writer that he was able to transfer his thick-necked, barrel-chested personality across many media. With the charisma of a redwood, he played Hammer in "The Girl Hunters," a 1963 film adaptation of his novel.
Spillane also scripted several television shows and films and played a detective in the 1954 suspense film "Ring of Fear," set at a Clyde Beatty circus. He rewrote much of the film, too, refusing payment. In gratitude, the producer, John Wayne, surprised him one morning with a white Jaguar sportster wrapped in a red ribbon. The card read, "Thanks, Duke."
Done initially on a dare from his publisher, Mr. Spillane wrote a children's book, "The Day the Sea Rolled Back" (1979), about two boys who find a shipwreck loaded with treasure. This won a Junior Literary Guild award.
He also wrote another children's novel, "The Ship That Never Was," and then wrote his first Mike Hammer mystery in 20 years with "The Killing Man" (1989). "Black Alley" followed in 1996. In the last, a rapidly aging Hammer comes out of a gunshot-induced coma, then tracks down a friend's murderer and billions in mob loot. For the first time, he also confesses his love for Velda but, because of doctor's orders, cannot consummate the relationship.
Late in life, he received a career achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America and was named a grand master by the Mystery Writers of America.
In his private life, he neither smoked nor drank and was a house-to-house missionary for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He expressed at times great disdain for what he saw as corrosive forces in American life, from antiwar protesters to the United Nations.
His marriages to Mary Ann Pearce and Sherri Malinou ended in divorce. His second wife, a model, posed nude for the dust jacket of his 1972 novel "The Erection Set."
Survivors include his third wife, Jane Rodgers Johnson, a former beauty queen 30 years his junior; and four children from the first marriage.
He also carried on a long epistolary flirtation with Ayn Rand, an admirer of his writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 2, 2019
Many of you who read my reviews know that I like a lot of what Max Allan Collins has written in the “hard-boiled detective” genre. Collins has had a long and successful career as an author and he wrote the screen play for Road to Perdition (his original novel) benefitting from Tom Hanks leading the cast.
Collins has had a fascination with Mike Hammer and a friendship the author, Mickey Spillane. Just before Spillane died, he asked Collins to look through his remaining material and see what could be reworked and published. This collection of short stories is one of those projects.
The stories are set in various decades starting with the 1960s and ending up in the 1990s. They all involve that iconic tough-guy, Mike Hammer. Mike is a very straightforward guy who “takes care of” bad guys one way or the other. This often puts him up against the police as he doesn’t adhere to their rules.
There are some very interesting stories in this collection. The best may be: The Big Switch; A Long Time Dead; and So Long Chief.
Hammer is “a hammer:” predictable and determined. To me, he isn’t very interesting, thus putting everything on the plot. The plot almost always has a beautiful “dame” who Hammer connects with while always alluding to his incredible secretary/partner, Velda. Pat Chambers, his one friend in the NYPD, usually makes an appearance. The ones that are completely formulaic drag the rest down. Too bad. But, if you are searching for Philip Marlowe, he ain’t here.
Collins has had a fascination with Mike Hammer and a friendship the author, Mickey Spillane. Just before Spillane died, he asked Collins to look through his remaining material and see what could be reworked and published. This collection of short stories is one of those projects.
The stories are set in various decades starting with the 1960s and ending up in the 1990s. They all involve that iconic tough-guy, Mike Hammer. Mike is a very straightforward guy who “takes care of” bad guys one way or the other. This often puts him up against the police as he doesn’t adhere to their rules.
There are some very interesting stories in this collection. The best may be: The Big Switch; A Long Time Dead; and So Long Chief.
Hammer is “a hammer:” predictable and determined. To me, he isn’t very interesting, thus putting everything on the plot. The plot almost always has a beautiful “dame” who Hammer connects with while always alluding to his incredible secretary/partner, Velda. Pat Chambers, his one friend in the NYPD, usually makes an appearance. The ones that are completely formulaic drag the rest down. Too bad. But, if you are searching for Philip Marlowe, he ain’t here.
September 8, 2016
“The evening sky was gray and growling but I had left the trenchcoat behind and my suit coat was unbuttoned. This was the kind of sketchy gin mill where I wanted easy access to the .45 under my arm. The waterfront bouquet greeted me, salt air, grease, oil, sweat and dead fish drifting like a ghost with body odor.
“If you needed to know anything about the harbor facilities stretching from the Battery to Grant’s Tomb, or wanted a line on anybody in the National Maritime Union or the Teamsters, this was your port of call. If you wanted to get laid or make somebody dead, that could be arranged, too. You know the place. They have them in London and Mexico City and Rome and Hong Kong, with smaller variations in smaller locales. But none were meaner or dirtier than the bar run by Benny Joe Grissi.”
Spillane was the prototype for noir fiction, and even though he’d been hiding in plain sight, I never read Spillane because he wrote so many books that I assumed he was cranking out something formulaic, a pot boiler special. I am delighted to find I was mistaken; this set of short stories, an atypical medium for Spillane, was provided to me free courtesy of Net Galley and Open Road Integrated Media in exchange for an honest review. I’ve had a few DRCs that didn’t measure up to my expectations lately, and this particular galley was my bright spot, the reading I considered my dessert after I had dutifully choked down the stuff I was only reading because I’d said I would.
Collins was a close friend of Spillane’s, and at the author’s request, he rounded out some rough drafts that had been left behind when Spillane died. Collins suspects that they had been left dormant because the author’s church would not have approved of the brief—and by today’s standard, very tame—sexual content included. Whatever. We can read them now, and Collins has used Spillane’s style seamlessly. Only one of these stories is more his than Spillane’s, and he tells us which one it is. He did a great job with it.
The author is legendary for the call-and-response style dialogue associated with the genre as a whole now. His use of it and other figurative language is so sweet that I found myself—a retired language arts teacher whose highlighter is the modern day equivalent of the red pen—noting passages where it’s artfully used, and sometimes I got so caught up in watching the language that I had to go back and reread a few pages, because I had lost track of the plot. But it was worth it. Here are a couple of examples:
“’Sure you aren’t seeing ghosts?’
“’Once I’ve killed this guy—really killed him—then maybe I’ll see a ghost.’”
And on the same page, more of the same; Lincoln followed by Lincoln, salesman followed by salesman. Together with the alliteration and the brisk, no nonsense yet curiously intimate prose, I found myself mesmerized. Spillane doesn’t care about preserving evidence, and he usually won’t call cops, at least not until his own business has been concluded. Given today’s social climate and mistrust of urban cops, I suspect this newly issued work by the famous writer will find a wide audience.
Although it’s been decades, I can nearly swear that the Carol Burnett show did some spoofs of this type of narrative during the 1970s, when I was just a kid. If one uses too much of the repetition it becomes ridiculous, and of course Burnett and her colleagues could spot fodder for satire a mile away. But although I kept my antennae up, I never found a weak place in the text that took the lyrical repetition to the point of silliness. It’s carefully meted out so that it reels the reader in rather than appearing ridiculous and distracting. And if you look at my last sentence, I can promise you the alliteration there was unintentional. Good writing stays with us, as any teacher will tell you; this is one reason we have students read something before they write. And thus it is that a tiny nugget of Spillane’s technique has made its way into my review.
Most people don’t want to analyze detective stories; they just want to read them. If so, then you should be good to go here. I was additionally pleased by the lack of racial and ethnic slurs which some writers of the genre would include in the name of authenticity. Likewise, the gorgeous receptionist is actually Spillane’s partner in both senses of the word, and she listens to what people reveal when they believe no one important is listening.
This is the very best of the noir genre. If you enjoy great detective fiction and can stand some graphic violence, this book is for you.
“If you needed to know anything about the harbor facilities stretching from the Battery to Grant’s Tomb, or wanted a line on anybody in the National Maritime Union or the Teamsters, this was your port of call. If you wanted to get laid or make somebody dead, that could be arranged, too. You know the place. They have them in London and Mexico City and Rome and Hong Kong, with smaller variations in smaller locales. But none were meaner or dirtier than the bar run by Benny Joe Grissi.”
Spillane was the prototype for noir fiction, and even though he’d been hiding in plain sight, I never read Spillane because he wrote so many books that I assumed he was cranking out something formulaic, a pot boiler special. I am delighted to find I was mistaken; this set of short stories, an atypical medium for Spillane, was provided to me free courtesy of Net Galley and Open Road Integrated Media in exchange for an honest review. I’ve had a few DRCs that didn’t measure up to my expectations lately, and this particular galley was my bright spot, the reading I considered my dessert after I had dutifully choked down the stuff I was only reading because I’d said I would.
Collins was a close friend of Spillane’s, and at the author’s request, he rounded out some rough drafts that had been left behind when Spillane died. Collins suspects that they had been left dormant because the author’s church would not have approved of the brief—and by today’s standard, very tame—sexual content included. Whatever. We can read them now, and Collins has used Spillane’s style seamlessly. Only one of these stories is more his than Spillane’s, and he tells us which one it is. He did a great job with it.
The author is legendary for the call-and-response style dialogue associated with the genre as a whole now. His use of it and other figurative language is so sweet that I found myself—a retired language arts teacher whose highlighter is the modern day equivalent of the red pen—noting passages where it’s artfully used, and sometimes I got so caught up in watching the language that I had to go back and reread a few pages, because I had lost track of the plot. But it was worth it. Here are a couple of examples:
“’Sure you aren’t seeing ghosts?’
“’Once I’ve killed this guy—really killed him—then maybe I’ll see a ghost.’”
And on the same page, more of the same; Lincoln followed by Lincoln, salesman followed by salesman. Together with the alliteration and the brisk, no nonsense yet curiously intimate prose, I found myself mesmerized. Spillane doesn’t care about preserving evidence, and he usually won’t call cops, at least not until his own business has been concluded. Given today’s social climate and mistrust of urban cops, I suspect this newly issued work by the famous writer will find a wide audience.
Although it’s been decades, I can nearly swear that the Carol Burnett show did some spoofs of this type of narrative during the 1970s, when I was just a kid. If one uses too much of the repetition it becomes ridiculous, and of course Burnett and her colleagues could spot fodder for satire a mile away. But although I kept my antennae up, I never found a weak place in the text that took the lyrical repetition to the point of silliness. It’s carefully meted out so that it reels the reader in rather than appearing ridiculous and distracting. And if you look at my last sentence, I can promise you the alliteration there was unintentional. Good writing stays with us, as any teacher will tell you; this is one reason we have students read something before they write. And thus it is that a tiny nugget of Spillane’s technique has made its way into my review.
Most people don’t want to analyze detective stories; they just want to read them. If so, then you should be good to go here. I was additionally pleased by the lack of racial and ethnic slurs which some writers of the genre would include in the name of authenticity. Likewise, the gorgeous receptionist is actually Spillane’s partner in both senses of the word, and she listens to what people reveal when they believe no one important is listening.
This is the very best of the noir genre. If you enjoy great detective fiction and can stand some graphic violence, this book is for you.
February 19, 2017
A great collection of Mike Hammer short stories.
All of the stories are good, but some of them are just too similar to one another, hence, I dinged it a star.
Still, any Mike Hammer is a great read.
All of the stories are good, but some of them are just too similar to one another, hence, I dinged it a star.
Still, any Mike Hammer is a great read.
September 6, 2016
GNAB I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley and Max Allen Collins in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for sharing your work with me!
And this was a nice trip back into the world of Mike Hammer, a place I shared with my Dad many years ago. I loved the idea of short stories - Mickey Spillane didn't share them with us back in the day - and the crispness that is his style was waiting there, in these tales. I loved every one of them. I had forgotten how often the kill shot was Hammer's solution to the problem, but it was a good place to visit. Daddy too would have enjoyed these short tales of woe.
Pub date Sept 6, 2016
And this was a nice trip back into the world of Mike Hammer, a place I shared with my Dad many years ago. I loved the idea of short stories - Mickey Spillane didn't share them with us back in the day - and the crispness that is his style was waiting there, in these tales. I loved every one of them. I had forgotten how often the kill shot was Hammer's solution to the problem, but it was a good place to visit. Daddy too would have enjoyed these short tales of woe.
Pub date Sept 6, 2016
September 26, 2016
It's unfortunate Spillane didn't write more short stories featuring Mike Hammer, as Hammer is a good fit for the short story format. Thankfully we have Max A. Collins to finish and bring us this collection (which may be the first and last Hammer short story collection) Collins excels at the short story, as his Nathan Heller compilations prove. As a big fan of the s/s, I enjoyed this collection and the time-line arc it took. Maybe Max will come up with more in the future.
September 24, 2018
A good selection of Spillane's shorter work for Mike Hammer. Max Collins helped with a few of these stories to edit and complete but they stretch from the 60's up to now.
June 30, 2016
I received an ARC of this novel through the Amazon Vine Voices program, NetGalley and Mysterious Press/Open Road Integrated Media.
There are eight short stories in this collection. Each story comes from an idea first noted by Mickey Spillane for what might or might not eventually become a Mike Hammer novel. Spillane's friend and collaborator has taken the portions written by Spillane and added material to turn an idea into a short story. I found this fascinating and tried my best to figure where one writer had left off and another had begun, but with absolutely no success. Max Allan Collins explains that he has tried to present the stories in chronological order using references such as the lingerie company Fredericks of Hollywood but changed that when Victoria's Secret came on the scene (I say that, not Collins), a restaurant where Mike and Velda liked to eat, and even Hammer's love of Pabst beer changing to Miller when Spillane did television commercials for the beer. All of these things date the stories to the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
As I said before, there are eight stories in this collection and I really liked six of them. One story had a very weak and disappointing ending and the final story simply didn't feel as if it belonged in the collection. Even saying those things, I think this collection will be a great reading experience for Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer fans. Enjoy this collection because Collins says there may not be another. Make sure you read the Introduction because it contains a huge amount of information about Mickey Spillane.
There are eight short stories in this collection. Each story comes from an idea first noted by Mickey Spillane for what might or might not eventually become a Mike Hammer novel. Spillane's friend and collaborator has taken the portions written by Spillane and added material to turn an idea into a short story. I found this fascinating and tried my best to figure where one writer had left off and another had begun, but with absolutely no success. Max Allan Collins explains that he has tried to present the stories in chronological order using references such as the lingerie company Fredericks of Hollywood but changed that when Victoria's Secret came on the scene (I say that, not Collins), a restaurant where Mike and Velda liked to eat, and even Hammer's love of Pabst beer changing to Miller when Spillane did television commercials for the beer. All of these things date the stories to the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
As I said before, there are eight stories in this collection and I really liked six of them. One story had a very weak and disappointing ending and the final story simply didn't feel as if it belonged in the collection. Even saying those things, I think this collection will be a great reading experience for Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer fans. Enjoy this collection because Collins says there may not be another. Make sure you read the Introduction because it contains a huge amount of information about Mickey Spillane.
May 31, 2022
This is a collection of Mike Hammer stories written jointly by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins. It isn't possible to tell what percent was written by Spillane and what percent by Collins. Fortunately, the stories in A Long Time Dead do not show any signs of being badly put together. The only problem with them is a tendency to be predictable with respect to Hammer's reaction, which frequently includes wisecracks such as this one from the last story, "Skin":
The usual characters are there, especially the luscious Velda and Police Captain Pat Chambers of NYPD Homicide. If you like Spillane, as I do, these stories will interest you. If you don't like Spillane, it's just more of the same.
I couldn't imagine any man wanting to sleep with her, unless he was heterosexual and had a pulse.According to the introduction by Collins, none of these stories were published while Spillane was alive: They were picked up and edited by Collins afterward.
The usual characters are there, especially the luscious Velda and Police Captain Pat Chambers of NYPD Homicide. If you like Spillane, as I do, these stories will interest you. If you don't like Spillane, it's just more of the same.
June 28, 2016
If you like tough guy fiction, you can’t do any better than Mickey Spillane’s, Mike Hammer. Max Allen Collins has dusted off and ,in some cases, finished these short stories that Spillane created before his death in 2006. If you have been a fan of Mike Hammer for many years, these stories will bring back pleasant memories of the heydays of hard hitting, fast shooting crime fiction. If you haven’t read Spillane before, you are in for a real treat. Hammer and his knockout girl friend/P.I. partner Velma, are a rare breed these days. With Hammer’s quick shooting .45 and Velma’s breath taking 38’s, there is nothing politically correct here. Just stand up action and straight shooting reaction, where the good guys win and the criminals pay. The short stories are not quite the same caliber as such Spillane novels as I, The Jury or Kiss Me Deadly, but they are true Hammer none the less. Book provided for review by Amazon Vine.
April 19, 2018
Now in one book, a collection of eight short stories collections in mystery crime fiction.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a family member who I think will enjoy it too.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a family member who I think will enjoy it too.
June 15, 2025
I have a complicated relationship with Mike Hammer novels. Of the two I've read, I, The Jury and Kiss Me, Deadly, which are supposed to be his best... I didn't come away wowed. I, The Jury was okay at best, and Kiss Me, Deadly was a plot with about as much forward momentum as, well, anything slow.
But this short story collection just leaves me baffled. Makes me ask: why the hell didn't Spillane write short stories? Mike Hammer's a character built for the medium. And these short stories... well, mostly prove me right. Rating them, one by one.
1)The Big Switch — interesting, but severely underdeveloped. A large chunk of other stories' pages here could've been devoted to telling a story like this, centred around a misunderstanding involving a politician, an errand boy who thought he was being funny when he mailed said politician incriminating pictures, and Mike Hammer, should lend itself to a decent plot beyond just Mike asking Pat to confirm a rumor. 3 stars.
2)Fallout — more fleshed out, albeit plot driven. But then again, Hammer stories aren't about depth. They're about Hammer being cool, and that's why I certainly wanted to read him. This accomplished that task. Nothing more, nothing less. Is it the best of the bunch? No. 3.75 stars.
3)A Long Time Dead — pretty much the situation where the "title track" is just a banger. A lean and mean story of Mike Hammer finding out about Kranch, this serial killer, he put behind bars, and delivering his usual style of brutal justice (Toaster in the bathtub; raw shit, man)? Straight up actioner, no pretentions of mystery. Accomplishes what Grave Matter set out to do. 4.5 stars.
4)Grave Matter — kinda goofy of a plot. Mike Hammer and Crazy Scientist plots don't blend well, even if the scientist a smoking hot dame. Well written, definitely. Holds your attention plenty. But once the reveal comes? Ah, boring. 3.5 stars.
5)So Long, Chief — this story, man... know how I said that Long Time Dead is what we all come to read Hammer for? So Long, Chief is what makes you want to stay. It's heartfelt like no other Hammer story, with a degree of real self awareness — not that lampshading shit, this is the real deal. Hammer meeting the police chief who saved him as a kid on his deathbed, expressing his regret over not having been the man this old cop would've approved of? 5 stars, man, especially for that ending, when all the other stories love to play up the reveal or lack thereof, this one doesn't. It lets you sit with the feeling.
6)A Dangerous Cat — more of a vignette than a story, and the antagonist's plan is a rehash of the one from Fallout. Rather uninspired. 3 stars.
7) It's In The Book — really good, and would've made for a good companion piece to So Long, Chief, as this one's centred around Nic Giraldi's infamous "book". Shame that this zeroes in on the reveal, when it should be focusing on the people in Giraldi's life, like his illegitimate son, his estranged mistress, his nephew, Mike Hammer. Would it have killed Spillane or Collins to let us sit with the feeling that the macguffin isn't important? Because So Long, Chief does all of what this story doesn't. And for that, 4 stars.
8)Skin — easily the worst story in this collection, and the most bloated. Don't even bother reading the story where Mike Hammer is old and is now hunting this Buffalo Bill type in the 90s, with young girls still thirsting for him, while Velda is still engaged to him. It's not what we came to read Mike Hammer for. 2 stars.
Overall? 3.5 stars average rating. Read, but pick and choose.
But this short story collection just leaves me baffled. Makes me ask: why the hell didn't Spillane write short stories? Mike Hammer's a character built for the medium. And these short stories... well, mostly prove me right. Rating them, one by one.
1)The Big Switch — interesting, but severely underdeveloped. A large chunk of other stories' pages here could've been devoted to telling a story like this, centred around a misunderstanding involving a politician, an errand boy who thought he was being funny when he mailed said politician incriminating pictures, and Mike Hammer, should lend itself to a decent plot beyond just Mike asking Pat to confirm a rumor. 3 stars.
2)Fallout — more fleshed out, albeit plot driven. But then again, Hammer stories aren't about depth. They're about Hammer being cool, and that's why I certainly wanted to read him. This accomplished that task. Nothing more, nothing less. Is it the best of the bunch? No. 3.75 stars.
3)A Long Time Dead — pretty much the situation where the "title track" is just a banger. A lean and mean story of Mike Hammer finding out about Kranch, this serial killer, he put behind bars, and delivering his usual style of brutal justice (Toaster in the bathtub; raw shit, man)? Straight up actioner, no pretentions of mystery. Accomplishes what Grave Matter set out to do. 4.5 stars.
4)Grave Matter — kinda goofy of a plot. Mike Hammer and Crazy Scientist plots don't blend well, even if the scientist a smoking hot dame. Well written, definitely. Holds your attention plenty. But once the reveal comes? Ah, boring. 3.5 stars.
5)So Long, Chief — this story, man... know how I said that Long Time Dead is what we all come to read Hammer for? So Long, Chief is what makes you want to stay. It's heartfelt like no other Hammer story, with a degree of real self awareness — not that lampshading shit, this is the real deal. Hammer meeting the police chief who saved him as a kid on his deathbed, expressing his regret over not having been the man this old cop would've approved of? 5 stars, man, especially for that ending, when all the other stories love to play up the reveal or lack thereof, this one doesn't. It lets you sit with the feeling.
6)A Dangerous Cat — more of a vignette than a story, and the antagonist's plan is a rehash of the one from Fallout. Rather uninspired. 3 stars.
7) It's In The Book — really good, and would've made for a good companion piece to So Long, Chief, as this one's centred around Nic Giraldi's infamous "book". Shame that this zeroes in on the reveal, when it should be focusing on the people in Giraldi's life, like his illegitimate son, his estranged mistress, his nephew, Mike Hammer. Would it have killed Spillane or Collins to let us sit with the feeling that the macguffin isn't important? Because So Long, Chief does all of what this story doesn't. And for that, 4 stars.
8)Skin — easily the worst story in this collection, and the most bloated. Don't even bother reading the story where Mike Hammer is old and is now hunting this Buffalo Bill type in the 90s, with young girls still thirsting for him, while Velda is still engaged to him. It's not what we came to read Mike Hammer for. 2 stars.
Overall? 3.5 stars average rating. Read, but pick and choose.
May 23, 2020
A 2016 collection of 8 Mike Hammer short stories. These stories are based on varying amounts of original material by author Mickey Spillane and have been completed by co-author Max Allan Collins. 5 of these stories first appeared in The Strand magazine between 2008 and 2016 and another appeared in the compilation Crimes by Midnight (2010) edited by Charlaine Harris. The final 2 were published on their own and have been reviewed separately. The stories are set in the period in which Spillane first started to write them - from the 1940s -Grave Matter (2010) - through the late 1990s - Skin (2012). A fascinating look at over 50 years of Mike Hammer.
1. The Big Switch (2008) The Strand - Mike looks into the case of a junkie on death row. The sad sack had a twenty year old photo of a college kid who resembled the current governor pretending to strangle a co-ed.
2. Fallout (2015) The Strand - Mike realizes that a series of accidents are meant to kill him.
3. A Long Time Dead (2010) The Strand - Nominated 2011 Dagger Award for Best Short Story; Nominated 2011 Thriller Award for Best Short Story; Nominated 2011 Shamus Award for Best Short Story. Mike encounters a murderer that he had apprehended and seen executed.
4. Grave Matter (2010) Crimes by Midnight, ed. Charlaine Harris - Handicapped vets are having extreme fatal accidents.
5. So Long, Chief (2013) The Strand - 2014 Shamus Award for Best Short Story; Nominated 2014 Edgar Award for Best Short Story - A dying police chief gives Mike a legacy and the gun he saved Mike's life with as a rookie detective.
6. A Dangerous Cat (2016) The Strand - Mike's stray cat provides a life saving clue.
7. It's in the Book (2014) Mysterious Bookshop Bibliomysteries - Reviewed elsewhere
8. Skin (2012) Dutton Guilt Edged Mystery - Reviewed elsewhere
1. The Big Switch (2008) The Strand - Mike looks into the case of a junkie on death row. The sad sack had a twenty year old photo of a college kid who resembled the current governor pretending to strangle a co-ed.
2. Fallout (2015) The Strand - Mike realizes that a series of accidents are meant to kill him.
3. A Long Time Dead (2010) The Strand - Nominated 2011 Dagger Award for Best Short Story; Nominated 2011 Thriller Award for Best Short Story; Nominated 2011 Shamus Award for Best Short Story. Mike encounters a murderer that he had apprehended and seen executed.
4. Grave Matter (2010) Crimes by Midnight, ed. Charlaine Harris - Handicapped vets are having extreme fatal accidents.
5. So Long, Chief (2013) The Strand - 2014 Shamus Award for Best Short Story; Nominated 2014 Edgar Award for Best Short Story - A dying police chief gives Mike a legacy and the gun he saved Mike's life with as a rookie detective.
6. A Dangerous Cat (2016) The Strand - Mike's stray cat provides a life saving clue.
7. It's in the Book (2014) Mysterious Bookshop Bibliomysteries - Reviewed elsewhere
8. Skin (2012) Dutton Guilt Edged Mystery - Reviewed elsewhere
July 21, 2017
Spillane and Collins have given us another taste of the Mike Hammer legend. This time, Collins has found eight short stories that Spillane left behind incomplete. They are presented here in chronological order and, though short, each is imbued with that frantic explosion of Hammer violence and hardboiled beauty that filled Spillane's original Hammer novels. Each story is a fine read. There is no filler. It would be real difficult to choose one as my favorite. Remarkably, as Collins hints in a he introduction, each story, brief as they are, quickly draws the reader into Hammer's world. Anyone who has read Mike Hammer will certainly enjoy this collection, although it certainly leaves one wanting more.
August 24, 2017
A quick and enjoyable read and the eight short stories are just the right length to keep you entertained with very little slow or dragging dialog.
This book of stories is based on unfinished plots and story lines left by Mickey Spillane and completed by his mentor, Max Allan Collins.
It's unfortunate Spillane didn't write more short stories featuring Mike Hammer, as Hammer is a good fit for the short story format.
The book makes you want more Mike Hammer stories.
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways for introducing one of the original American detectives to an old mystery fan.
This book of stories is based on unfinished plots and story lines left by Mickey Spillane and completed by his mentor, Max Allan Collins.
It's unfortunate Spillane didn't write more short stories featuring Mike Hammer, as Hammer is a good fit for the short story format.
The book makes you want more Mike Hammer stories.
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways for introducing one of the original American detectives to an old mystery fan.
November 18, 2018
This is the first Mickey Spillane I have ever read. Dang. He’s good. These are not pure Spillane stories, just started by him and completed by Mr. Collins. I really enjoyed the introduction by Collins as well.
There is a beauty to the directness of the writing. Don’t mess around too much. Just get to the heart of it and finish it. Admittedly the short story format leans towards a direct storytelling.
I would enjoy reading some pure Spillane at some point, but at this time my local library doesn’t have anything. Ah well.
I would absolutely recommend this book. I might throw a caution about the gore in a few of the stories, otherwise certainly it is worth a read.
There is a beauty to the directness of the writing. Don’t mess around too much. Just get to the heart of it and finish it. Admittedly the short story format leans towards a direct storytelling.
I would enjoy reading some pure Spillane at some point, but at this time my local library doesn’t have anything. Ah well.
I would absolutely recommend this book. I might throw a caution about the gore in a few of the stories, otherwise certainly it is worth a read.
March 30, 2024
Believe it or not, there has never been a collection of Mike Hammer short stories before this book. Spillane wrote a ton of short stories, but not very many about his main character. These are pretty solid stories, some of then extremely well crafted, but Mike's "take no prisoners" approach is difficult to really see working in a short sequence of events so it challenges plausibility at times. These books run a spread of stories from the 50s to the 90s, with Mike essentially retired at the end when he runs into a gruesome serial killer.
May 20, 2024
This is a collection of short stories or novels that represent some partial works by Mickey Spillane that were discovered by Michael Allen Collins and completed by him. They were fun to read for this fan old time radio crime shows. As such they are superficial glimpses at the main character, Mike Hammer, and his cronies, but that is what you get in shorter fiction. Sadly the violent Mike Hammer would find our world today too much to his liking.
April 19, 2018
Now in one book, a collection of eight short stories collections in mystery crime fiction.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a family member who I think will enjoy it too.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a family member who I think will enjoy it too.
August 26, 2025
It was ok. Not great, but ok. This is a collection of short stories each of which is about the length of a chapter in the regular books. This doesn't leave a lot of room for character development or plot development.
May 27, 2017
I don't usually like short stories, but these were pretty good.
July 2, 2017
A good selection of short stories by Mickey Spillane about Mike Hammer, a private eye who solves crime in his own way. I'd forgotten how much I
liked Mickey Spillane. Really fun to read.
liked Mickey Spillane. Really fun to read.
March 25, 2019
Loved it. Classic hard-boiled private investigator stories from one of the masters. Recommended.
August 31, 2019
Great read, hard to put down.
September 3, 2019
Mickey Spillane didn't write many short stories, but Max Allan Collins turned fragments into some pretty good stories.
November 17, 2022
A entertaining short story collection of Mike Hammer and his battles against the human monsters.
September 2, 2023
Good, strong Spillane. Mike Hammer, though a lot older, has lost none of his skills. The short story collection took me back to the I,the Jury days....
March 16, 2017
Great collection!
Glad that I found and bought this book. Great collection of short stories that made miss Mike Hammer a lot now!
Glad that I found and bought this book. Great collection of short stories that made miss Mike Hammer a lot now!
July 26, 2016
Short story collections are a mixed bag. It's hard to review the book as a whole because typically the stories included are of varying quality. This is not the case with A Long Time Dead: A Mike Hammer Casebook. While there were some stories here I preferred more than others, this collection is pretty consistent overall. Each story moves quickly, never bores, and retains the pulpy feel that is Mickey Spillane. Hammer is in full effect with his fists and trusty .45 in every story; along with his trademark dry wit. In the second story, "Fallout', Hammer's friend and NYPD Captain of Homicide Pat Chambers reams him for his severely violent retaliation of a would-be assassin and Hammer plainly responds, "... a lot of that damage was from the fall he took." How can you not like this guy?
Included in this collection is an introduction by Max Allan Collins and 8 previously published Mike Hammer stories collected for the first time in what is the first complete Mike Hammer story collection. I'd always been surprised that Hammer stories hadn't been collected before in light of the character's popularity. But, as Collins describes in his introduction, there just hasn't been that much Hammer short fiction to begin with. The stories here were fragments, outlines, or partial works by Spillane unfinished at the time of his death in 2006 and completed by Collins at Spillane's request. Spillane and Collins were close friends and admirers of each other’s work and when reading these stories it's clear why Spillane chose Collins for such a daunting task. (Spillane also asked for Collins to complete his unfinished Hammer novel manuscripts as well) As a Spillane fan it was difficult for me to detect where Spillane's words ended and Collins' began. These stories were seamless.
The stories span mid-1950s period to present day. My personal favorite of the bunch is "Grave Matter" which was previously published in a horror themed Mystery Writers of America anthology. A perfect Hammer story for Halloween. Yet the closing story "Skin" also has some particularly gruesome moments.
Finally, I must mention the publisher Otto Penzler and The Mysterious Press. They put together a handsome looking book here with a stylish cover design and layout. And A Long Time Dead is a perfect edition to their lineup of great books. While The Mysterious Press has been around for quite a while, I think they are one of the most exciting publishers in business today with what they've been doing in recent years. By putting out well-made, inexpensive print and e-editions of long out-of-print works, they are not only keeping this pulp literature alive, but also keeping the short story form relevant.
A Long Time Dead by Spillane and Collins is a winner that I recommend. Pick yourself up a copy if you like hardboiled short stories!
Included in this collection is an introduction by Max Allan Collins and 8 previously published Mike Hammer stories collected for the first time in what is the first complete Mike Hammer story collection. I'd always been surprised that Hammer stories hadn't been collected before in light of the character's popularity. But, as Collins describes in his introduction, there just hasn't been that much Hammer short fiction to begin with. The stories here were fragments, outlines, or partial works by Spillane unfinished at the time of his death in 2006 and completed by Collins at Spillane's request. Spillane and Collins were close friends and admirers of each other’s work and when reading these stories it's clear why Spillane chose Collins for such a daunting task. (Spillane also asked for Collins to complete his unfinished Hammer novel manuscripts as well) As a Spillane fan it was difficult for me to detect where Spillane's words ended and Collins' began. These stories were seamless.
The stories span mid-1950s period to present day. My personal favorite of the bunch is "Grave Matter" which was previously published in a horror themed Mystery Writers of America anthology. A perfect Hammer story for Halloween. Yet the closing story "Skin" also has some particularly gruesome moments.
Finally, I must mention the publisher Otto Penzler and The Mysterious Press. They put together a handsome looking book here with a stylish cover design and layout. And A Long Time Dead is a perfect edition to their lineup of great books. While The Mysterious Press has been around for quite a while, I think they are one of the most exciting publishers in business today with what they've been doing in recent years. By putting out well-made, inexpensive print and e-editions of long out-of-print works, they are not only keeping this pulp literature alive, but also keeping the short story form relevant.
A Long Time Dead by Spillane and Collins is a winner that I recommend. Pick yourself up a copy if you like hardboiled short stories!
October 8, 2020
A Long Time Dead: A Mike Hammer Casebook by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins is the first collection of Mike Hammer short stories. Spillane, was an American crime novelist, many books featured his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally. Collins has written novels, screenplays, comic books, comic strips, trading cards, short stories, movie novelizations, and historical fiction. He wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition, created the comic book private eye Ms. Tree, and took over writing the Dick Tracy comic strip from creator Chester Gould.
Growing up, there was Mannix. Mike Connors took a more than his share of punishment. He was shot seventeen times and knocked unconscious fifty-five times in eight seasons. Then came James Rockford who with his cool car also became the victim of much abuse. Private eyes took a lot of abuse. Then came Stacey Keech playing Mike Hammer. Hammer didn't take the abuse. He dished it out.
A Long Time Dead is a collection of short stories by Mickey Spillane that were left unfinished at his death. Collins collected up the stories and finished them. He has had a history of working with Spillane and seamlessly fills in the missing material. The short story format is new even so much to make the television episodes seem long. It is the same Mike Hammer -- gruff, quick to use his gun, and by far the most sexist P.I. in popular culture. Mike thinks that the female scientist would make a nice specimen and hardly passes a chance to describe a woman as a work of art to the reader. Velda, his secretary, is more than a secretary. She is a partner in the Hammer Investigations. She also carries a .22 or .38 -- progress, but still smaller than Mike's .45.
A Long Time Dead brings together eight stories from three decades of writing. The stories grab the reader from the start whether it is a junkie on death row or a disabled veteran. Justice comes quick and is forceful to the lowest hood to authority figures. There is the law and there is justice. Lucky Strikes, beer, and violence make up a good part of this detective’s diet. Rough, smooth talking, and driven Mike Hammer returns for some unfinished business.
Growing up, there was Mannix. Mike Connors took a more than his share of punishment. He was shot seventeen times and knocked unconscious fifty-five times in eight seasons. Then came James Rockford who with his cool car also became the victim of much abuse. Private eyes took a lot of abuse. Then came Stacey Keech playing Mike Hammer. Hammer didn't take the abuse. He dished it out.
A Long Time Dead is a collection of short stories by Mickey Spillane that were left unfinished at his death. Collins collected up the stories and finished them. He has had a history of working with Spillane and seamlessly fills in the missing material. The short story format is new even so much to make the television episodes seem long. It is the same Mike Hammer -- gruff, quick to use his gun, and by far the most sexist P.I. in popular culture. Mike thinks that the female scientist would make a nice specimen and hardly passes a chance to describe a woman as a work of art to the reader. Velda, his secretary, is more than a secretary. She is a partner in the Hammer Investigations. She also carries a .22 or .38 -- progress, but still smaller than Mike's .45.
A Long Time Dead brings together eight stories from three decades of writing. The stories grab the reader from the start whether it is a junkie on death row or a disabled veteran. Justice comes quick and is forceful to the lowest hood to authority figures. There is the law and there is justice. Lucky Strikes, beer, and violence make up a good part of this detective’s diet. Rough, smooth talking, and driven Mike Hammer returns for some unfinished business.
February 23, 2017
A quick and enjoyable read and the eight short stories are just the right length to keep you entertained with very little slow or dragging dialog. I would have rated this even higher if Mike Hammer was more human and less superhero, but then again Spillane was not Chandler and maybe that is okay.
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