Sometimes I wonder just how Mike Hammer manages to pay the bills and Velda when he’s constantly chasing after killers for free, albeit in the name of vengeance. For example, let’s take Chester Wheeler, an old army buddy who comes into town on business. He and Mike get together for old time’s sake, get drunk and pass out in his hotel room. When Mike gets up the next morning, he finds Chester dead, having been shot with Mike’s own .45. Although he isn’t charged with the murder, his P.I. and gun licenses are revoked by the District Attorney, leaving Mike to deal with the two bit hoods without a ticket or a rod. His investigation takes him to a modeling agency where he meets Miss Juno Reeves, an extraordinary beauty with a secret. He is captivated by her but senses something about her he can’t quite put his finger on. As his search for the killer progresses,

he runs into a pair of lowlife criminals named Rainey and Dinky Williams, Dinky now going by the name of Clyde. However, Clyde seems to be connected to some important people, important enough to exert pressure and influence on the DA. As usual, Mike’s suspects keep getting killed. To me, the most interesting aspect of this book is the way in which his previous actions haunt him, something which doesn’t happen very often. The scene where he tries to express his feelings to Velda is quite shocking, as a seldom seen side of Mike surfaces. In my opinion, this scene is definitely more interesting and intriguing than the surprise ending, which is not to say you shouldn’t finish the book. Overall, this book has got a good pace, especially towards the end, a good selection of suspects but not one of his best books.