"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."
"Mike Hammer’s deadly final adventure challenges everything we knew about the enduring noir detective in this gripping finale with a shocking twist.
The concluding Hammer novel begins with a 21st-century funeral before flashing back to summer, 1973.
Nine years after the events of Dig Two Graves, Hammer takes another unlikely vacation—this time on Long Island to help look after his partner Velda Sterling’s seventeen-year-old sibling, Mikki.
Mikki must deal with the attention of two boys vying for her affection—Hammer preferring the good kid from a wealthy family over the long-haired doper with an Easy Rider vibe. When Mikki gets hooked on heroin, Hammer—filled with contempt for dope dealers—goes on a rampage. He will find those behind the drug racket and teach them what shooting up is all about.
But a final resolution awaits him in the future at that funeral …"
"The mob couldn’t kill him, the cops couldn’t catch him, and even time wouldn’t slow him down.
His name’s Nolan … a shrewd, restless tough guy with a talent for theft. With a lifetime of heists under his belt and a bullet in his side, he’s ready to retire. And the Mafia’s eager to help him along … permanently. They think he’s got a debt to pay—with his life. But after all these years, they might be willing to settle for 100 grand instead.
Nolan’s got to pull a bank job to try to save his ass. Trouble is, the only people willing to help him are a kid whose idea of danger comes out of comic books, a punk as green as the grass he smokes, and a sweet young thing who gets her kicks playing one man off another … and another …
It’s a desperate gamble—for the highest stakes—and Nolan’s down to his last chip …"
"It's the early 1950's. Ju McCarthy is campaigning to rid America of the Red Menace. Nate Heller is doing legwork for the senator, though the Chicago detective is disheartened by McCarthy's witch-hunting tactics. He's made friends with a young staffer, Bobby Kennedy, while trading barbs with a potential enemy, the attorney Roy Cohn, who rubs Heller the wrong way. Not the least of which for successfully prosecuting the so-called Atomic Bomb spies, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. When famous mystery writer Dashiell Hammett comes to Heller representing a group of showbiz and literary leftists who are engaged in a last minute attempt to save the Rosenbergs, Heller decides to take on the case. Heller will have to play both sides to do this, and when McCarthy also tasks Heller to find out what the CIA has on him, Heller reluctantly agrees. His main lead is an army scientist working for the C.I.A. who admits to Heller that he's been having misgivings about the work he's doing and elliptically referring to the Cold War making World War II look like a tea party. And then the scientist gus missing."
"A must-listen collection of thirteen bibliomysteries by bestselling and award-winning authors
Bibliomysteries Volume 1 includes:
● 'An Acceptable Sacrifice' by Jeffery Deaver
● 'The Final Testament' by Peter Blauner
● 'What's in a Name?' by Thomas H. Cook
● 'Book Club' by Loren D. Estleman
● and many others"
"In an attempt to soothe growing Cold War tensions between America and Russia, Premier Nikita Khrushchev visits the US to see all that his “enemy” has to offer. Top of his to-do list? A trip to Disneyland and an introduction to sexual icon Marilyn Monroe.
Thanks to the impossible security requirements, Disneyland is out of the question. Marilyn, on the other hand, jumps at the chance to put on a show for the Russian official. During her appearance, she overhears the details of an assassination plot designed to spark an atomic holocaust and devastate both superpowers. When the Secret Service refuses to believe her, Marilyn risks everything to whisk Khrushchev away to safety—in the happiest place on earth.
With US agents and the KGB hot on their trail, Marilyn and Khrushchev enjoy the thrills of the amusement park while fighting to stay one step ahead of the assassins and prevent the horrors of an unprecedented war that would annihilate millions."
"He wanted to retire . . .
. . . Assassins have other plans.
Secret Agent John Sand was the world’s greatest spy, then he decided to call it quits. Settling into quiet mornings and lovely dinners, Sand finally found peace.
But as Sand is adjusting to a life free of espionage, the CIA calls in an unexpected favor. JFK needs Sand for a final mission: one he might not survive. Deadly assassins are targeting Cuba’s president, and his own people might be in on the attempt. If El Presidenté dies, World War III is imminent . . .
The unexpected jolt to Sand’s senses pulls him back into a world full of secret intelligence, where Sand is on board for the most dangerous mission of his life. The enemies are deadlier. The stakes higher. The threats more complex.
Is John Sand ready to face these enemies, or will the once great spy be brought to the verge of his physical abilities with each passing test?
Come Spy With Me is the first in The John Sand Series, invoking the best of the original spy thrillers that follow a recently retired British secret agent in the early 1960s. His real-life exploits inspired a very famous series of best-selling novels by a friend in the spy game."
"A young woman from the Midwest, recipient of an unexpected college scholarship, is recruited into a lucrative courier job that shuttles her from Manhattan to Washington, DC. There’s a slight drawback: the previous two “cutouts” died by violence.
Sierra Kane—who has bounced from one foster family to another—faces an uncertain future when she receives an unapplied-for scholarship to Barnard College specifically designed for orphans whose academic records are merely above average. A second unexpected boon comes her way when another recipient of that somewhat mysterious scholarship offers her a part-time courier job.
Soon Sierra is caught up in a whirl of espionage and murder, with a new boyfriend who may or may not be part of a plot, a college mentor with a possible agenda of her own, and an FBI agent who rebuffs Sierra’s plea for help.
It’s a classic story of a small-town girl caught up in an overwhelming big-city world; but Sierra Kane is a young woman whose curiosity and determination will lead her to the truth … and into more than one deadly confrontation.
Max Allan Collins and Barbara Collins, the married writing team behind Bombshell and Regeneration, and whose Antiques mystery series is a long-running fan favorite under the name Barbara Allan (of which Antiques Liquidation and Antiques Foe are also read by Gabrielle de Cuir)—have crafted a novella that is at once as timeless as a fairy tale and as modern as a headline."
"Mike Hammer, the iconic PI created by the master of noir Mickey Spillane, takes on the mob in the first of two gripping final novels for the deadly private eye.
Winter, 1969. After a hit-and-run accident nearly kills her mother, Velda learns her father is not who she thought he is. Seeking to uncover her true heritage, Velda and Mike Hammer travel to sunny Dreamland Park, where retired law enforcement officers keep an eye on notorious criminals held under the Witness Protection Act.
Just as Velda and Mike’s search leads to a dead end, a brutal attempt on their lives and a missing fortune in mob money leads them to a deadly midnight confrontation in a cemetery where secrets are buried and open graves await."
"Do No Harm is the latest mystery in the Nathan Heller series by New York Times bestselling author Max Allan Collins.
It’s 1954 and Heller takes on the Sam Sheppard case—a young doctor is startled from sleep and discovers his wife
brutally murdered. He claims that a mysterious intruder killed his wife. But all the evidence points to a disturbed
husband who has grown tired of married life and yearned to be free at all costs. Sheppard is swiftly convicted and sent
to rot in prison.
Just how firm was the evidence … and was it tampered with to fit a convenient narrative to settle scores and
push political agendas? Nathan’s old friend Elliot Ness calls in a favor and as Nathan digs into the case he becomes
convinced of Sheppard’s innocence. But Nate can’t prove it and has to let the case drop.
The road to justice is sometimes a long one. Heller’s given another chance years later and this time he’s determined
to free the man … even if it brings his own death a bit closer."
"Fancy Anders returns in Fancy Anders for the Boys, the second of three thrilling mysteries by Road to Perdition creator Max Allan Collins.
Hollywood, 1942. Hedonistic socialite turned undercover detective and poster girl for the war effort, Fancy Anders is back to solve another case. The Hollywood Canteen has just opened as a refuge and nightclub to give enlisted men some nights they will never forget as they prepare to head into war. With Hollywood elite cooking food and tending bar, with beautiful young actresses and starlets serving as hostesses and dance partners, the Canteen is a wonderland indeed. But when a young hostess dies in a car accident, the entire club—and possibly the entire American military service—is in jeopardy.
Lieutenant Rick Hindler, recently divorced, informs Fancy that the dead girl in question is actually the daughter of a member of the German-American Bund and that her crash may not have been an accident—and it might not be the end of their troubles.
Fancy, along with her pals from Amalgamated Aircraft, goes undercover as a hostess to find the potential plot to undermine the war effort. Surrounded by Hollywood royalty and young soldiers, Fancy must use all her discretion and powers of detection to ensure the legitimacy of the Canteen and the safety of her country.
The enhanced audiobook production features ambient sound effects and period music."
"Fancy Anders goes undercover at an aircraft plant to solve the murder of Rosie the Riveter in the first of three thrilling mysteries by Road to Perdition creator Max Allan Collins.
Fall 1942. When her Hollywood private detective daddy is called back to uniform, Fancy Anders is issued orders of her own—answer the phone, make referrals, and keep the place dusted. But the twenty-four-year-old Barnard grad—whose hobbies include shooting, flying, and jujitsu—isn’t having any.
At Amalgamated Aircraft, a young female worker chosen to pose for patriotic photos and posters has met with a suspicious “accidental death.” Fancy takes the victim’s place on the swing shift, fitting in well with co-workers very much not from high society circles. With the occasional reluctant help of LAPD homicide cop Rick Hinder, Fancy takes a hammer to the head of a saboteur, sniffs out an enemy within, and sets out to prevent an assassination attempt on President Roosevelt, scheduled to tour the plant and greet the women who work long, hard hours for the war effort.
Portraying the times vividly with his usual historical accuracy, Mystery Writers of America grandmaster Max Allan Collins creates a compelling new series protagonist both indelibly of her time, and far ahead of it.
The enhanced audiobook production features ambient sound effects and period music."
