Mike Hammer has turned into a drunk.
For over three months he's been on a bender existing on hard booze,
cigarettes and very little food and sleep.
One of his best policeman friends was found murdered in a shady part of town. Mike is down-so down that he's let his health decline, his private investigation business flounder and alienated many of his friends.
All but one-a tough New York cop who wants Hammer to investigate his fellow officer's untimely death, go after Velda and clean up his act.
Reluctantly at first but after his bull dog stubbornness kicks in Hammer starts his slow progress back to top form. He gives up booze and cigarettes and tracks down Velda in Miami.
What he finds upsets him. Velda has taken up residence with a Miami mobster. But why? Is there a connection between her disappearance and the death of his cop friend?
Mike is about to find out and when he does it places Velda and himself in great danger. But Mike has been down that road before.
Max Allan Collins has taken a long lost Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer transcript, fleshed it own and presents a new hard boiled detective and crime thriller that is pure Mike Hammer: lots of danger, fisticuffs, gorgeous dames and chase scenes.