First and foremost Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer novels are centered on Mike, an ex-GI turned private eye with a penchant for curing societies' social ills, particularly through violent, direct action. From I, the Jury, the first of the series, Mike was fully drawn and did not really change much over the run of the books. He is a harddrinking, tough-minded shamus given to sentimentally becoming involved with women, often to his later regret.

Mike's partner in crimefighting is Velda, nominally his secretary who runs the office but actually his co-worker who often investigates as much as does Mike, frequently putting herself into danger while doing so. Although she is gorgeous and takes every opportunity to throw herself at Mike, he seems unable (or unwilling) to succumb to her love or her sexual charms. One of the running themes of the series is the on-again, off-again relationship between Mike...