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Mike Shayne #9
Michael Shayne's Long Chance
From the back She was a full blown brunette in a bandanna halter that just covered the essentials. The non-essentials were very impressive too. This was just the kind of case Shayne could enjoy. Keeping an eye on a dish like this and getting paid for it to boot.
191 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
3 people are currently reading
53 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
December 1, 2024
Another outstanding read featuring the red headed detective who can't catch a break.
Following the death of his wife in the previous novel, Mike is pulled out of his distress by a friend who knows a guy who has a case for him. Intrigued about the case, and having to get out of Miami and go to New Orleans, Mike goes to the Big Easy to track down a missing 23 year-old girl who attempted suicide the month earlier, has been hooked on drugs in the past, and has left her family to become a writer in the South.
Mike locates the girl quickly, sees she's not on drugs, finds her absolutely charming, and has a date with her late that night. This seems like the easiest job in the world, until he finds the young woman that night not ready for their outing but on the floor with her head bashed in from the bottle they were both drinking from earlier that day.
Great twists and turns, stellar characters, plenty of mystery, and a fantastic ending.
I have yet to read a bad book featuring Michael Shayne. I look forward to reading more.
Following the death of his wife in the previous novel, Mike is pulled out of his distress by a friend who knows a guy who has a case for him. Intrigued about the case, and having to get out of Miami and go to New Orleans, Mike goes to the Big Easy to track down a missing 23 year-old girl who attempted suicide the month earlier, has been hooked on drugs in the past, and has left her family to become a writer in the South.
Mike locates the girl quickly, sees she's not on drugs, finds her absolutely charming, and has a date with her late that night. This seems like the easiest job in the world, until he finds the young woman that night not ready for their outing but on the floor with her head bashed in from the bottle they were both drinking from earlier that day.
Great twists and turns, stellar characters, plenty of mystery, and a fantastic ending.
I have yet to read a bad book featuring Michael Shayne. I look forward to reading more.
April 25, 2025
I think I can safely say that I am a big fan of Brett Halliday's Michael Shayne detective novels! This one had a small stretch in the middle where I wasn't as big of a fan of the direction it went, but it more than made up for it with the ending! Woo this ending was fantastic. I think these are such excellent mysteries with incredibly tightly paced, action packed plots, but also chalked full of wacky characters that are enjoyable to read about from start to finish. I highly recommend these ones if you're into the hardboiled detective genre!
January 9, 2021
Good Hard-boiled Story
Mike takes a case in New Orleans after the death of his wife Phyllis. The drinking is more noticeable, and he has a new Secretary. Who he has just rescued from life on the streets in this book. The client is shifty and tight on giving information about what is really going on. Why does he keep getting hit from behind in the head ? Good Story..
Mike takes a case in New Orleans after the death of his wife Phyllis. The drinking is more noticeable, and he has a new Secretary. Who he has just rescued from life on the streets in this book. The client is shifty and tight on giving information about what is really going on. Why does he keep getting hit from behind in the head ? Good Story..
May 20, 2024
Copious amounts of Cognac,
uber macho attitudes,
the inevitable plethora of hots chicks (broads, frails, etc.),
bad guys,
guns,
and a Detective that never shows all his cards.
uber macho attitudes,
the inevitable plethora of hots chicks (broads, frails, etc.),
bad guys,
guns,
and a Detective that never shows all his cards.
May 15, 2017
Long Chance is a very important Shayne mystery if you are following them chronologically. It links the early Shane mysteries when he works out of Miami and is married to Phyllis to the next section of novels where he has secretary Lucy Hamilton working for him, and works in New Orleans, before returning to Miami.
The mood of this one us far more somber than many other Shayne mysteries. Shayne starts off absolutely miserable, unconsolable after Phyllis' death and doesn't even want to take on a case. The mood is like that of Mike Hammer during his descent into the bottle or Matt Scudder's darkness.
Another significant aspect of this book is that all the action takes place in New Orleans, not Florida. From hotel balcony romances to depraved nightclubs, the story concerns drugs, prostitution, corruption, murder, and all kinds of dirty dealings. It all seems to take place at night as the foggy mists swirl.
All in all, a terrific novel, and highly recommended.
The mood of this one us far more somber than many other Shayne mysteries. Shayne starts off absolutely miserable, unconsolable after Phyllis' death and doesn't even want to take on a case. The mood is like that of Mike Hammer during his descent into the bottle or Matt Scudder's darkness.
Another significant aspect of this book is that all the action takes place in New Orleans, not Florida. From hotel balcony romances to depraved nightclubs, the story concerns drugs, prostitution, corruption, murder, and all kinds of dirty dealings. It all seems to take place at night as the foggy mists swirl.
All in all, a terrific novel, and highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews