KING OF THE WEEDS
Mickey Spillane/Max Allan Collins
2014
Titan Books
A few years back we ran a cover story with Max Allan Collins in which he discussed Mickey Spillane and talked about being asked by Spillane to finish unfinished projects that he had. Max Allan Collins was Spillane’s chosen heir and being a fan of both authors I have to say that the fact is reading this book I can’t tell where Spillane ends and Collins begins. It is proof to me that Collins was the right choice.
KING OF THE WEEDS opens with things kind of quiet for Mike Hammer. He and Velda are getting married and long time associate Pat Chambers, Homicide Captain is retiring. But things never stay quiet in Hammer’s world for long and that is the case in this tale as well. Someone wants Hammer dead, nothing new there. The trick is figuring out who and stopping them. It might be someone about to get out of prison after spending years locked up because of Hammer. It might also be the mob who is mad at Hammer over some hidden money. Mike’s going to have to wait for another opportunity to relax.
Pure hard boiled (Don’t call this noir) detective story telling here as done by a pair of masters of the craft. Books like this are why I started reading crime fiction and it makes my heart soar to know they are still being published. Collins is on the top of his game.
Jon Jordan