Done: "Lady, Go Die!" by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane

Done: Lady, Go Die! by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane, 2012, 9780857684653.

I liked this quite a bit.  I just finished my work with the literary awards committee and grabbed a couple books for my own pleasure reading.  I took this and the Lansdale.  Lady has Hammer vacationing in small town Long Island with Velda to escape the heavy boozing Hammer was doing in the aftermath of I, Jury's events.  As always, spoilers await.

Another manuscript left behind by Spillane.  I remember Collins writing that this one was finished by Spillane and then set aside.  Collins's name is first on the cover.  He has written before how cover design is not indicative of which author may have done the most work.  I could go through the many interviews he has given regarding this book and find out how much he wrote and discover why Spillane shelved this away, but I don't want to bother.

Hammer has been boozing after killing his new girlfriend in I, the Jury.  Velda andPat Chambers convince him he needs to dry out and to take a vacation in Sidon, NY where he has vacationed as a kid.  Hammer and Velda are wlaking through Sidon's small downtown when they see a small guy getting kicked near-to-death in an alley.  Hammer steps in and rescues the guy from three goons attacking him.  The kickee is named Poochie, the kickers are local cops and one is a former NYPD guy, Dekkert, whom Hammer knows and hates.  Hammer hates a lot of people.

Hammer rescues the guy and starts mouthing off and beating people up.  Hammer beats up a lot of people.  Hammer gets involved in helping the mentally retarded Poochie.  Hammer gets involved in local murder case.  Murder case involves illegal, high end gambling in local oceanside mansion.  Hammer investigates.  Hammer finds out about more murders.  Those other murders have cruel sex angle.  Hammer suspects Dekkert for most everything.  Things happen: NYC gamblers, Hammer bones hot chick in NYC, Sidon's local doctor is a drunk, Velda is hot but only wants marriage, Hammer pulls his .45 a lot, Hammer shoots his .45, Velda is abducted,

Comments:
1.  Leonard Pine and Mike Hammer could be brothers or best pals.  They are both rude and throw insults towards people they dislike, or in situations where they want results.  Would Hammer like Pine?  Hammer does not approve of nancies and poofs.  Hammer is a man of his times and although he does not hate or dislike gays he does not see them as equals.  But, Hammer also sees people as individuals and judges them on their actions.  Pine has plenty of action.

2.  What is the chronology of Hammer's cop service, military service, and PI work?  Jury came out in '47 but Hammer already has made a big name for himself in the papers with PI cases, shootouts and whatnot.  The novels already stretch disbelief so I suppose the timeline should.

3.  At first I liked the title.  Then, I thought the title was stupid.  Then, I read title coming straight from dialogue.
4. Tough guy talk love.
5.  .45 love.
6.  Big boobed curvy women love.  Pun intended.
7.  Lots of great lines including the novel's last.  I should have written some down.  Read the book and find them yourself.
8.  Hammer can be a real dick.
9.  Hammer is impatient and tempestuous.  Hammer is quick to punch but can also interview with patience.  Hammer does not like slutty, teasing behavior but loves to quickly hook-up with and bang chicks.  Hammer never follows the rules but is upset when untrained, local cops do not follow investigative procedure and training.  Hammer is full of contradictions.
10. The flyleaf mentions the film Kiss Me Deadly.  I saw that a few months ago and thought the lead was a good Hammer.  A couple days ago I saw reference to the 6'5" Mike Mazurki and think, minus his accent and usual dumb guy act, would have been good.