Fit to Kill by Brett Halliday

Brett Halliday is a pseudonym for Davis Dresser but this particular novel was ghost written by Robert Terrall. Got it? Good

This was my first Private detective Mike Shayne book so I can’t compare them to the actual Halliday books but I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

Shayne’s reporter buddy, Rourke is in an unnamed South American country. He’s trying to put together a story concerning some murders related to a dictator in charge of said mystery country. He’s bumming around not getting much of anything when a call comes into his hotel room inviting him for a guided tourist night out. He knows it is not what it seems but when the car pulls up, he jumps in. He is introduced to the revolutionaries’ underground and taken to an abandoned building to meet a witness to a murder committed by the secret police. He’s all in for the story.

Back at his hotel he is met by two members of the secret police already onto him. They give a warning with fists and tell him to leave the country. Once out of the hospital he’s ready to go. On the last night a beautiful blond American woman busts into his room wearing almost nothing. Typical. She tells a tale of coming to the country to aid the revolution but now her life is in danger and needs help. Like many dudes he puts himself on the line for a chance of that sweet puddin’ pie. He agrees to hide some papers in his typewriter case to smuggle back into the US. And buy her a plane ticket. And some clothes. Sucker city.

In the US, customs grab her right off the plane and take her to be questioned. A tip came in that she was smuggling narcotics. Rourke gets wind and cannot abide helping a drug dealer. He opens the typewriter and finds…

Something else entirely is going on and he’s going to find out what. His good buddy Mike Shayne shows up to pick him up from the airport. We now switch to the perspective of Shayne. Rourke acts weird and paranoid. Hands him the typewriter case and takes off. Shayne goes to get a cab. Leaves typewriter case in the cab and goes to find Rourke. Where did he go?

Now it’s up to big Mike Shayne to find his missing friend, deal with the ladies, fist fight some thugs, drink a lot (duh), deal with mystery countries ex-patriot revolutionaries, smugglers, insurance companies, customs, the local cops and a bunch of burnt biscuits all with a beautiful Miami backdrop.

This story moves fast. There is absolutely no filler. Plenty of red herrings. Two timing three times double crossing. Like most hard-boiled crime the mystery isn’t a concrete who-dunnit but a conspiratorial slow showing of hands. I absolutely loved it and from the reviews I’m seeing online it looks that the actual Halliday penned novels are even better.

Dell 1966

Cover art by McGinnis

Review by Nick Anderson

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