So after Mike Hammer does Agatha Christie (in the previous volume ‘The Twisted Thing’), we return most definitely to Mike Hammer does Mike Hammer. ‘The Body Lovers’ is the classic formula. Hammer is out on the streets on New York one night when he stumbles across the corpse of a beautiful woman (as one often does). He and Velda start to investigate what becomes an increasingly brutal series of crimes, before the dreadful conspiracy is revealed. Seasoned Hammer watchers will, as usual, be able to guess who’s behind it quite early on. The main difference between this and earlier novels though, is that Mike Hammer is in some ways calmer. Rather than swear a bloody revenge, he is almost drawn reluctantly into the case (and at points even shows his cultural side by expressing knowledge in art and classical music). This was written in 1967, so our detective even deals with some hippies – and I’m wondering whether he sniffed some of what they were smoking.Of course Spillane and Hammer have always been right wing – it was ever thus – and a book written at the time of the Vietnam War is bound to reflect that. And there is fury at American being made the goat on the international stage, with particular venom spat at the UN. But then serious political arguments are really difficult to make in a Mike Hammer novel, as such as is the level of wild misanthropy it’s quite hard to take any particular hatred seriously. After all Mike may not like these characters or that institution a lot, but then Mike doesn’t like anything. And when a character is always seeing red, it’s not easy for the reader to pick up the nuance of the argument – instead we just think it’s Mike Hammer being Mike Hammer in another first-in-the-face Mike Hammer novel.
I've tried to read Mickey Spillane before but I didn't like the two books I picked up. I made it about halfway through The Long Wait and a fourth of the way through The Delta Factor. I thought I'd give Spillane another chance, though. He is one of the bestselling authors ever, after all, so some of his books had to be good. I thought I'd try a Mike Hammer book, since Mike Hammer is Spillane's most famous character. I actually really liked The Body Lovers. It's a story with quite a few twists and turns so it got a bit confusing and I thought the characters were kind of hard to keep track of but that's my fault, not Spillane's. I was really glad when Mike Hammer basically summed up the entire plot of the book at the end and where all the characters fitted into the story. Some people might call it spoonfeeding, but I don't think I could have done that myself without going back and skimming a few chapters.This book is fast-paced and the ending is great. I'd say I liked it more than any of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels that I've read so far (although I suppose you can't compare James Bond, a spy, with Mike Hammer, who's a detective). I do have two complaints about the book, though. First of all, I thought there was a bit too much talking, even for a detective novel. Also, I didn't think the villains were close to menacing enough. But, overall, the book was pretty good and I'll have to read more of the series.
What do You think about The Body Lovers (1967)?
This is my first introduction to Mike Hammer. I actually liked him, despite some of his narrow minded views and set-in-stone mindsets about political issues. Rather than being annoying, I found it amusing and appreciated the author's right-wing bend.He was a stereotypical man's man - good with the ladies, always a step ahead of the police, sharp and insightful, tough...you know the type, I'm sure.There isn't a big mystery on who is behind everything since there are only so many possibilities, but the story didn't seem intent on the mystery being the point. I still like how everything unfolded for Hammer to find out, and at the end revenge was served anyway, even if a little too sudden for me. An easy out for the villains.It was definitely disturbing what they were up to. Picturing the end - brrr - that would be a nightmare come true for me. Overall the book has fast pacing, smooth writing, a flawed but still likeable main, fun villains (fun in that they are diabolically cheesy but do it so well), and a justified ending. Not a typical, watered down mystery I encounter today. Would read more of Spillane's stuff if I ran into it.
—Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading*
