I, the Jury

Make no bones about it: this is definitely one of the best detective novels ever written, but not only that. It is also a piece of art, beautifully told, with characters that are hard to forget, and scenes that must have made Norman Rockwell shudder with disgust. It is also, more by accident than purposely it seems, a description of the underbelly of American society after World War II, when U.S. power was at its peak and the American way of life seemed to leave nothing to be desired. Trying to find out who killed his best friend, Mike Hammer ruthlessly punches, kicks, and shoots himself through the mesh of thugs, pimps, racketeers, and femme fatales, that pave his way before he can finally nail down the murderer. His methods are brutal and totally inconsistent with even the most lenient interpretations of the law. Along the way, he meets a host of the most beautiful and attractive bombshells ever to grace the pages of a novel, not without getting a little closer to at least some of the most beguiling ones of these kittens. Despite his apparent disregard for rules, norms, and morals, deep down Hammer is a very decent and honorable man. Loyalty means everything to him; he treats doormen and elevator attendants with respect; and he even refuses to sleep with his soon-to-be wife before they officially seal their commitment. He even doesn't think anything of having a drink at the bar of a friend, who, incidentially, happens to be a black man.As far as violence goes, Hammer sure doesn't shy away from it. Neither does he seem to dislike it all that much. However, he never resorts to it without a purpose. It's a means to an end, namely, to make the murderer of his friend pay and to finally bring about justice. The latter would not be served if not for Hammer taking the law in his own hands. "No jury would ever convict you on that, would they? ... We won't have to worry about a smart lawyer cracking our chains of circumstance and making them look foolish to a jury ... No, I am the jury now, and the judge, and I have a promise to keep". The extent to which Spillane was despised by the 40s literary critics in particular and the then dominant voices of public opinion in general is not hard to imagine. I don't believe he would fare much better today; a statement like "you no longer had the social instinct of a woman - that of being dependent upon a man" would not go too well in today's politically overcorrect society. Well, I don't give a damn - to me Mike Hammer is an honest, straightforward, and down-to-earth character, just as I, The Jury is an unpretentious and sincere effort by its writer to make a buck. This, I guess, he did, and, incidentially, he created a great work of American fiction. You'r a good man, and I believe we all should have a whiskey or two to your health. Here's to you, Mickey. (I have come across the "Unofficial Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer Site" - it's the best web page on this topic and about the best site on the whole world wide web

Mike Hammer has never been told so boldly, so brazenly as he was here by the master of the dime novel mystery, Mickey Spillane. This should be standard reading for any man's man as well as standard fair on any pure study of American literature. Mickey Spillane's prose ranks at the highest of its form, bar none, and there are very few novels that narrative points come down to the last sentence of the book.This is a must for any serious fan of mystery fiction, whether you prefer your private eyes hard-boiled or not, and this should be on any serious men's literature list.Trust me. "It was easy."

If you are looking for hardboiled detective fiction, Mickey Spillane's I, THE JURY is the place to start. Spillane's Mike Hammer is as brutal and uncompromising as they come. There's nothing weak about this book, and the conclusion is so suprising, so shocking, that it will leave you with a powerful, but guilty, sense of vindication.

Spillane's first novel is unfortunately out of print and I hope this will encourage the publishers to reprint. It's a classic redoing of the hard-boiled tradition, taking the essentials of the plot of the Maltese Falcon, adding even more sex and violence, and casting its hero, Mike Hammer, as a returned veteran of WWII, disgusted with the world that he and his buddies had fought to preserve. It marks the beginning of Spillane's long career as a detective novelist, is essential to understanding where the detective goes after Hammett and Chandler, and is a terrific read!

This was Spillane's first book - and what a book! Mike Hammer's war buddy is taunted and murdered and Mike vows to bring the killer to justice. He smashes his way to a conclusion you won't soon forget. After you read this one, try the next 6 - All Hammer stories with the exception of "The Long Wait." At one time all of Spillane's first 7 books were listed in the all time top 10 best sellers. There's a reason for that - read them and find out.