The Beginning of Mike Hammer: I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane

I, The Jury
Author: Mickey Spillane
Published By: Impress
Date Published: 1947
Genre: Vintage Noir, Murder Mystery
Pages: 214
Recommended For: Adult
Reviewed By:  K
Rating: 4
Purchased Book For Review on Amazon



Summary:
Mike Hammer's good friend Jack has just been murdered and there's no way he's letting anyone get away with it. As the mystery unfolds, we follow the Private Detective as he races to find the killer before the cops. He wants justice his way- a shot in the gut, just like his pal Jack got.



K's Thoughts:
I picked up this book with much encouragement from my husband. He has a passion for Old Time Radio shows, specifically in the noir genre. Though the radio series That Hammer Guy was not written by Mickey Spillane, it captured the essence of the character perfectly- true grit. For the time period, Spillane's work was considered extremely violent and overly sexual, but compared with today's standards I found it quite tame.

The author certainly created a tangling mystery, but his writing style is rough. Like the radio shows, its written in a very shorthand- choppy way. I loved some of his descriptions and many of the good ones were highlighted on my Kindle by other readers.

Even though I guessed the killer before it was unveiled, I second guessed my assumptions throughout. A great mystery, fantastic character, and fun adventure. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves good noir. If you have ever listened to a Mike Hammer radio show, this is where it all began.


Parents/Content:
Language: None that I can recall. Possibly some dated slang.
Adult Content: Kissing, woman stripping, lots of notice of womanly features. Women seducing Hammer. Overall plot of revenge.
Violence: Lots of murders by gunshot, some blood- but not overly gruesome. A couple of short fight scenes.