Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Grandmaster Says Good-Bye, July 9, 2003
Black Alley is the latest and possibly last book in the Mike Hammer series, featuring the toughest private eye in the business.
Hammer is out to avenge the death of an old war-buddy, who was murdered during a mysterious burglary. His vendetta is complicated by several events: He catches a bullet during a mafia gang shootout, which renders him weak and vulnerable througout the book; his dying friend reveals the approximate location of a 89 billion dollar stash that he has stolen and hidden from the mob, who - of course - want to get their money back; and last, but not least, Velda, Hammer's beautiful secretary, is adamant in her desire to finally walk him down the aisle.
Black Alley is somewhat different from the previous Hammer-novels. The crime noir atmosphere is missing for the most part; Hammer has definitely arrived at modernity. This becomes apparent when the hero muses about and decries corporate America, aluminum beer cans, and the future of warfare, which he believes to bring about "ugly, destructive death" due to the use of chemical and biological weapons. Moreover, some humor is added, in the form of Miller Lite Beer, which is consumed in considerable quantities throughout the book (Spillane appeared in TV ads for Miller Lite in the 70s).
It is obvious that Hammer is nearing retirement. Having just recovered from an almost fatal gunshot wound, he is feeble throughout the book. And he does something he has never done before: When he has finally cornered the villain, he does not finish him off with a bullet in his guts, but turns him over to the cops. However, don't be fooled by Mike's ostensible softness - he is still dangerous, and the turks who are trying to take his place still get their feathers ruffled.
Black Alley is not one of Spillane's strongest books. At times, the plot is somewhat predictable; the characters are rather transparent; and the final solution lacks the shocking explosion of the other Hammer novels. On the other hand, perhaps Spillane didn't even attempt to create an ending like that - for a good-bye to his fans the book's ending is definitely better suited, and as a good-bye Black Alley seems to be intended, after all.
Despite its not-so-great plot and characters, the book is still a gem. Spillane's style is still unmatched by any author in the genre. He still makes you not want to put the book down before you've arrived at the last page. In case this is really his last Hammer novel, I would like to extend a sincere "thank you" to him. What he has written is not just "good garbage", as he once described his novels in a reply to his numerous critics, but literature that will stand the test of time. Let's all have a Miller Lite now. Cheers!!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Black Alley, November 14, 2002
Would you risk your life and the life of your beautiful fiancé over and over in hope of finding 89 billion dollars? This is what the famous, fictitious detective, Mike Hammer does in Black Alley. Mike Hammer, the ruthless, New York City detective fights crime in this action-packed mystery. Not only is Hammer after the loot, he is also out for revenge, after his friend dies from gunshots.
The novel begins with Mike Hammer recovering from bullet wounds received during infiltration of a drug war, which he almost died from. After being thought dead by all of his close friends and family for 8 months, he comes back and resumes his normal, exciting life. When his friend from the war is on his deathbed, he clues him in on a pot of 89 billion dollars he stole and hid from the dons of the mafia. Young, greedy mobsters are also looking for the pot, which they should have inherited, had it not been stolen. Mike Hammer takes on the whole mafia, coolly, in imperfect health.
Black Alley is a thrilling story of good vs. bad. The novel was never too predictable with many unexpected plot twists. As in all Mike Hammer tales, there is a lot of killing, revenge, girls, and near-death struggles. The book was never boring, even in calm parts. It painted a vivid picture in my mind of the numerous settings as well as the various characters. It has a fast pace with many encounters of hostile mobsters. It is a good conclusion of the Mike Hammer series, by Mickey Spillane. This emotive story is suitable for people who like mysteries, don't mind reading about murder, and enjoy gunfights. Anyone who thoroughly enjoyed a James Bond novel or movie will like this book.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A race to find hidden loot, February 23, 2002
Good light fiction for a rainy evening or such. Mike Hammer is in Florida recovering from gunshot wounds when he is called back to New York to the bedside of a dying Army buddy, shot by a person unknown. As he is dying, he reveals to Hammer that $89 billion of mob assets have been hidden (yes, that is billion with a "b"). He pulled a switcheroo on the Mafia, and is the only one who knows the location. He gives a clue to Hammer as he dies. Then the race is on.Members of the mob want their ill-gotten gains returned (money is power). Federal agents want it. The police, of course, are interested. Hammer is looking for both the loot and his friend's killer. Making sense of the clues is a challenge - an urn of his buddy's ashes with a fake military i.d. number, an old rundown boat, and the man's house which has already been torn apart by the mob. There are the usual Hammer type confrontations with some amount of violence and occasional dead bodies. This is more loot than you can hide in a mattress. Some rough calculations indicate a warehouse sized space would be needed. So where is it, and if Hammer finds the loot will he be a good guy and turn it in? Hmmm... What would you do?
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