Reading Order
Mike Hammerseries.seoTitleShort
Start with I, the Jury and continue through all 28 books in the listed reading order.
About This Series
The Mike Hammer series, crafted by the renowned author Mickey Spillane, is a cornerstone of hardboiled detective fiction. First introduced in 1947 with "I, the Jury," the series features the titular character, Mike Hammer, a tough and relentless private eye navigating the gritty underbelly of post-war America. With its raw, unfiltered prose and an unyielding protagonist, the series captures the essence of a noir aesthetic, making it a must-read for fans of crime literature.
What sets the Mike Hammer series apart is its exploration of themes such as justice, vengeance, and moral ambiguity. Spillane's writing is characterized by its fast pace, sharp dialogue, and a gripping narrative that pulls readers into its dark world. Ideal for those who appreciate compelling characters and intricate plots, this series resonates particularly with readers who enjoy classic detective stories and the psychological depth that comes with them. Hammer's relentless pursuit of truth, often against overwhelming odds, provides a thrilling reading experience that keeps audiences engaged from start to finish.
Starting with Book 1, "I, the Jury," is crucial for understanding the evolution of Mike Hammer as a character and the overarching narrative that unfolds throughout the series. While there are no direct spin-offs or prequels that significantly alter the reading experience, each installment builds upon the last, enriching the reader's understanding of Hammer's world and motivations.
Though no thought leaders have yet recommended this series, it is easy to see why it has captivated countless readers over the decades. Mystery enthusiasts and lovers of classic literature will find themselves drawn to Spillane's iconic writing style and the complex moral dilemmas faced by Mike Hammer. Whether you are a longtime fan of noir or new to the genre, diving into the Mike Hammer series promises a thrilling literary journey.
Start Here
Start with I, the Jury
Book 1 by Mickey Spillane • Published 1947
Private eye Mike Hammer vows to avenge the slow, cruel murder of his war buddy Jack Williams by killing the culprit in exactly the same way. His hunt drags him through New York’s nightclubs, clinics, and mob hangouts,...
Complete List
Mike Hammer reading order
Ends with Kill Me If You Can
- 1
Book 1:I, the Jury
Mickey Spillane • 1947
Private eye Mike Hammer vows to avenge the slow, cruel murder of his war buddy Jack Williams by killing the culprit in exactly the same way. His hunt drags him through New York’s nightclubs, clinics, and mob hangouts,...
- 2
Book 2:My Gun Is Quick
Mickey Spillane • 1950
After Mike Hammer gives a down-on-her-luck redhead enough cash to escape the streets, she turns up dead in an apparent hit and run. Convinced it is murder, Hammer tears into a prostitution and blackmail ring that stre...
- 3
Book 3:Vengeance is Mine
Mickey Spillane • 1950
Hammer wakes up in a hotel room with a hangover, a dead war buddy on the floor, and his own gun as the supposed suicide weapon. Stripped of his licenses, he digs into a modeling agency and blackmail racket that powerf...
- 4
Book 4:One Lonely Night
Mickey Spillane • 1951
Shaken after a judge calls him a killer, Hammer wanders a rainy Manhattan bridge and stumbles into a woman’s death and a stranger’s murder. The trail leads to Communist cells, political fronts, and a conspiracy that t...
- 5
Book 5:The Big Kill
Mickey Spillane • 1951
In a seedy bar on a stormy night, a desperate man kisses his baby goodbye, walks into the street, and is gunned down. Hammer shoots back, then takes responsibility for the child and launches a relentless hunt for the...
- 6
Book 6:Kiss Me, Deadly
Mickey Spillane • 1952
Speeding home from Albany, Hammer almost runs down a terrified hitchhiker, then is run off the road by killers who torture and murder her. His investigation uncovers a tangle of mobsters, spies, and stolen atomic secr...
- 7
Book 7:The Girl Hunters
Mickey Spillane • 1962
Seven years after Velda vanished on a case, Hammer is a drunken derelict pulled off the streets to hear a dying man’s confession: Velda is alive and in deadly danger. To save her, he has to sober up and face a Soviet...
- 8
Book 8:The Snake
Mickey Spillane • 1964
Picking up after *The Girl Hunters*, Hammer spirits Velda out of hiding and discovers she has been sheltering a runaway young woman. Protecting the girl from her murderous stepfather throws Hammer and Velda into a dec...
- 9
Book 9:The Twisted Thing
Mickey Spillane • 1966
A routine bodyguard job turns into a nightmare when the teenage son of Hammer’s wealthy client disappears. The kidnapping ties back to a fourteen-year-old crime and a killer whose warped motives make him one of the mo...
- 10
Book 10:The Body Lovers
Mickey Spillane • 1967
Hammer hears a child’s scream in the night and finds a terrified boy beside the whipped, murdered body of a model. As similarly brutal killings mount, he dives into fashion houses, hidden clubs, and an underground cir...
- 11
Book 11:Survival... Zero
Mickey Spillane • 1970
A dying friend’s phone call pulls Hammer into the shabby death of a small-time pickpocket. Under the cheap suit and alleyway violence he uncovers a deeper plot, where political players and faceless bureaucrats are rea...
- 12
Book 12:The Killing Man
Mickey Spillane • 1989
Hammer walks into his office to find Velda unconscious on the floor, a mobster butchered in his chair, and a note from a killer signed “Penta.” With the DA, FBI, CIA, and the Mafia all crowding in, Hammer has to find...
- 13
Book 13:Black Alley
Mickey Spillane • 1996
Still recovering from bullet wounds and presumed dead by many who knew him, Hammer returns to New York and to an old army buddy on his deathbed. The friend whispers one last secret, pointing Hammer toward a hidden cac...
- 14
Book 14:The Goliath Bone
Mickey Spillane • 2008
On the eve of retirement and marriage to Velda, Hammer stumbles into an attack on two young archaeologists carrying a mysterious giant thigh bone. The relic is tied to biblical legend, Middle Eastern politics, and a t...
- 15
Book 15:Kiss Her Goodbye
Mickey Spillane • 2009
Recuperating in Florida from a mob shootout, Hammer learns that his old NYPD mentor apparently killed himself. He refuses to believe it and heads home, only to find a murdered woman, Nazi loot in the shadows, and enem...
- 16
Book 16:The Big Bang
Mickey Spillane • 2010
Set in the swingin’ sixties, Hammer is just back from a near-fatal run-in with the mob when he stops a gang mugging a young hospital messenger. The kid was carrying lifesaving drugs, and the ambush leads Hammer and Ve...
- 17
Book 17:Lady, Go Die!
Mickey Spillane • 2012
On a supposed beach vacation with Velda, Hammer crosses paths with a crooked small-town cop and a missing party girl. When the woman turns up naked and dead on a statue in the town square, he digs into illegal gamblin...
- 18
Book 18:Skin
Mickey Spillane • 2012
Driving upstate, Hammer spots a dog guarding something off the road and finds a mangled corpse with only a single hand intact. Teaming with an ambitious young reporter who soon vanishes, he uncovers grave robberies an...
- 19
Book 19:Complex 90
Mickey Spillane • 2013
Acting as security for a controversial anti-Communist politician, Hammer is snatched off the streets and hustled behind the Iron Curtain. Imprisoned, interrogated, and written off as a dead man, he has to fight his wa...
- 20
Book 20:King of the Weeds
Mickey Spillane • 2014
As Hammer and Velda finally plan their wedding, an assassin’s bullet nearly kills him outside his office. At the same time a serial killer of cops is about to walk free and everyone suspects Hammer knows where billion...
- 21
Book 21:Kill Me, Darling
Mickey Spillane • 2015
Velda has vanished from Hammer’s life, and he is coming off a four-month bender when an ex-vice cop she once worked with turns up murdered. Learning that Velda is now on the arm of a Miami gangster, Hammer heads south...
- 22
Book 22:Murder Never Knocks
Mickey Spillane • 2016
A hired gun bursts into Hammer’s office and nearly puts him in the ground, then a newsstand vendor takes a bullet meant for him. While hunting whoever signed the contract, Hammer is hired to guard a producer’s glamoro...
- 23
Book 23:A Long Time Dead
Mickey Spillane • 2016
This collection gathers eight Mike Hammer stories completed from Spillane’s drafts, beginning with a string of “accidents” that nearly kill him. The cases range from subway platform brawls to mob vendettas, showing Ha...
- 24
Book 24:The Will to Kill
Mickey Spillane • 2017
A midnight walk by the Hudson brings Hammer face to face with a partial corpse drifting on an ice floe. The dead man was a former cop turned butler to a wealthy family now beset by suspicious deaths, and Hammer must s...
- 25
Book 25:Killing Town
Mickey Spillane • 2018
In this “lost” first Mike Hammer case, the young PI hops a freight to the mill town of Killington and is promptly accused of rape and murder. A powerful senator’s beautiful daughter gives him an alibi at a price, and...
- 26
Book 26:Murder, My Love
Mickey Spillane • 2019
Hammer is hired by a New York senator and the senator’s sharp, charismatic wife to stop a blackmailer who threatens a White House bid. As suspects die one by one, he finds himself neck-deep in political secrets, bedro...
- 27
Book 27:Masquerade for Murder
Mickey Spillane • 2020
Witnessing a Wall Street hotshot mowed down by a speeding red sports car, Hammer is hired by the victim’s broker father to find the driver. What looks like a hit and run leads to a series of bizarre murders tied to a...
- 28
Book 28:Kill Me If You Can
Mickey Spillane • 2022
Set between *Kiss Me, Deadly* and *The Girl Hunters*, Hammer reels from Velda’s disappearance when an old bootlegger friend is murdered. To avenge him, Hammer hunts for a secret ledger packed with the names of corrupt...
Quick Answers
Mike Hammer FAQ
What is the best order to read the Mike Hammer series?
The recommended reading order is the numbered order shown on this page, starting with I, the Jury.
How many books are in the Mike Hammer series?
There are 28 books currently listed in the Mike Hammer series on GurusReads.
Where should I start with the Mike Hammer series?
New readers should start with I, the Jury, the first book in the reading order.
Is the Mike Hammer series complete?
Based on the publication years we have, the series appears likely complete and spans releases from 1947 to 2022.