The third book in the Mike Hammer series finds Hammer on the case of what the cops have deemed a suicide. The twist, right at the beginning, is that Hammer himself was passed out in the same room as the dead body, an old friend from the war. Hammer is suspicious though based on the gun recovered from the scene, Hammer’s gun, that only has 4 bullets in it. Hammer always has it loaded with six so…why are two bullets missing with only one in the body of his friend?

Another excellent entry in this hard-boiled series. The plot takes Hammer down a dark path, even for him, losing his PI license and license to carry a gun along the way. Modeling agencies, gaming joints, and the DA himself are all fair game for Hammer’s fact-finding excursions and he doesn’t hold back on any of them.

…you’ve forgotten something. You’ve forgotten that I’m not a guy that takes any crap. Not from anybody. You’ve forgotten that I’ve been in business because I stayed alive longer than some guys who didn’t want me that way. You’ve forgotten that I’ve had some punks tougher than you’ll ever be on the end of a gun and I pulled the trigger just to watch their expressions change.

Even his lovely secretary, Velda takes on a major role (and dangerous one) to help solve the case.

There is a huge twist right at the end of the book, one that I felt I should have seen coming…but didn’t. Readers are cautioned not to accidentally view the final page for the very real risk of major spoilage.

Originally published in 1950, this is Mickey Spillane in top form.