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Mike Shayne #37
The Homicidal Virgin
A desperate want ad draws Mike Shayne into a tangled murder plot
It starts with a post in the classifieds. A woman calls for a red-blooded American, a soldier-of-fortune type willing to do anything if the price is right—even commit murder. This catches the eye of Tim Rourke, hotshot reporter, who passes it on to Mike Shayne, the legendary Miami detective. Rourke believes the ad was placed by a lonely housewife hoping to pay someone to knock off her husband, and he thinks the story could be front-page news. He just needs someone willing to answer the call—and Shayne has the reddest blood in Miami.
Shayne responds to the ad, and finds the situation far stranger than anything he and Rourke could have dreamed up. His new employer is sweet, young, and scared for her life. Plus, there’s $50,000 at stake—and a life on the line.
The Homicidal Virgin is the 38th book in the Mike Shayne Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
It starts with a post in the classifieds. A woman calls for a red-blooded American, a soldier-of-fortune type willing to do anything if the price is right—even commit murder. This catches the eye of Tim Rourke, hotshot reporter, who passes it on to Mike Shayne, the legendary Miami detective. Rourke believes the ad was placed by a lonely housewife hoping to pay someone to knock off her husband, and he thinks the story could be front-page news. He just needs someone willing to answer the call—and Shayne has the reddest blood in Miami.
Shayne responds to the ad, and finds the situation far stranger than anything he and Rourke could have dreamed up. His new employer is sweet, young, and scared for her life. Plus, there’s $50,000 at stake—and a life on the line.
The Homicidal Virgin is the 38th book in the Mike Shayne Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
6 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Brett Halliday
526 books64 followersAKA David Dresser
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 - February 4, 1977), primary pen name of Davis Dresser, was an American mystery writer, best known for the long-lived series of Mike Shayne novels he wrote, and later commissioned others to write. Dresser wrote non-series mysteries, westerns and romances under the names
Asa Baker, Matthew Blood, Kathryn Culver, Don Davis, Hal Debrett, Anthony Scott, Peter Field, and Anderson Wayne.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 - February 4, 1977), primary pen name of Davis Dresser, was an American mystery writer, best known for the long-lived series of Mike Shayne novels he wrote, and later commissioned others to write. Dresser wrote non-series mysteries, westerns and romances under the names
Asa Baker, Matthew Blood, Kathryn Culver, Don Davis, Hal Debrett, Anthony Scott, Peter Field, and Anderson Wayne.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 9, 2020
Can you A Mike Shayne novel without hoods and nightclubs? In this 1960-era novel, which was probably written after Halliday became a house name rather than Dresser's pseudonym, we are treated to an easy to read, page-turning private eye novel that takes a few unusual turns.
To begin with, it opens with Shayne assuming a secret identity right out of a spy novel, and possibly agreeing to murder for hire. Moreover, Shayne neither tangles with hoods nor gets beaten up, shot up, or stabbed. And, he's made a complete fool of by an imposter.
What's great about it is a deepening mystery as to what exactly is going on and who is involved that makes you as the reader keep turning the pages. And I enjoyed the banter between Shayne and secretary Lucy Hamilton. Overall, it's a mystery worth reading, although not quite the hardboiled stuff that the earliest Shayne novels were.
To begin with, it opens with Shayne assuming a secret identity right out of a spy novel, and possibly agreeing to murder for hire. Moreover, Shayne neither tangles with hoods nor gets beaten up, shot up, or stabbed. And, he's made a complete fool of by an imposter.
What's great about it is a deepening mystery as to what exactly is going on and who is involved that makes you as the reader keep turning the pages. And I enjoyed the banter between Shayne and secretary Lucy Hamilton. Overall, it's a mystery worth reading, although not quite the hardboiled stuff that the earliest Shayne novels were.
July 29, 2025
I'm a tremendous fan of the Mike Shayne novels and this one really disappointed me. This could be because the original author had ceased writing the books by 1958 and employed ghost writers. This book was published in 1960 and just doesn't have the feel of the earlier books.
Mike's had no business for a while and his reporter friend Timothy Rourke comes in with an offer: the paper has received an ad it can't print because it's essentially asking for a hired hand to murder someone for Jane Smith. Tim hasn't had a break in a while either and suggests Mike check it out so he can get a story out of what prompted this Smith woman to place an ad. Mike doesn't want to, but he's bored and says he'll check it out.
From this point on the book becomes a question of whom Mike can trust. This has been the case in many Shayne stories, but this one comes off as not right. Mike has lost his soul, coming off as sarcastic and bitter to everyone, with his profanity strangely upped. There aren't many characters in the story, but they are related to each other in ridiculous ways. The book ends with a massive over-the-top solution that just did not make sense.
I was really disappointed in this book. I'm going to read other Shayne mysteries, but I'll prepare myself better for the books written after 1968.
Mike's had no business for a while and his reporter friend Timothy Rourke comes in with an offer: the paper has received an ad it can't print because it's essentially asking for a hired hand to murder someone for Jane Smith. Tim hasn't had a break in a while either and suggests Mike check it out so he can get a story out of what prompted this Smith woman to place an ad. Mike doesn't want to, but he's bored and says he'll check it out.
From this point on the book becomes a question of whom Mike can trust. This has been the case in many Shayne stories, but this one comes off as not right. Mike has lost his soul, coming off as sarcastic and bitter to everyone, with his profanity strangely upped. There aren't many characters in the story, but they are related to each other in ridiculous ways. The book ends with a massive over-the-top solution that just did not make sense.
I was really disappointed in this book. I'm going to read other Shayne mysteries, but I'll prepare myself better for the books written after 1968.
January 17, 2021
Classified Ad Seeks Soldier Type
Tim Rourke sees the above ad in the newspaper he writes for. He hires Shayne to pose as a hitman which the ad is basically looking for. He wants to write a story on it for the paper. It does not go as planned to say the least. I liked the story.
Tim Rourke sees the above ad in the newspaper he writes for. He hires Shayne to pose as a hitman which the ad is basically looking for. He wants to write a story on it for the paper. It does not go as planned to say the least. I liked the story.
April 23, 2025
Contrary to what its title suggests, this book does not feature a virgin going around killing people. But we have ourselves a tight little mystery here, kids. The amount of cognac Mike Shane drinks in this book is unreal.
August 29, 2025
2 +
well I like detective pulps but this is not a particularly good one. Short at least.
well I like detective pulps but this is not a particularly good one. Short at least.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews