In May 2012, Titan Books are set to release a book that should have Mickey Spillane fans queuing around the block. Lady, Go Die was originally intended to be the second Mike Hammer novel after I, The Jury, but due to a twist of fate it was never actually finished.

Nearly 70 years have passed and the novel has now been completed by Spillane’s friend and literary executor, Max Allan Collins. The book is one of three previously undiscovered novels that Collins unearthed amongst Spillane’s papers following the author’s death in 2006. Publication rights to all three books were recently acquired by the UK independent Titan Books, with Complex 90 due for release in May 2012 and King of the Weeds to follow in May 2014.

In Lady, Go Die the New York based gumshoe and his secretary Velda are on vacation in a Long Island beach resort, but their trip ceases to be the relaxing break they originally planned when Mike gets caught up in the mystery of a missing local New York party girl. A naked woman is discovered astride the statue of a horse in the town square – dead, hence the title – and as you can imagine Hammer’s detective gene takes over. He’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

Mickey Spillane was one of the most popular and widely read pulp fiction authors of the 20th century and the debut Hammer novel I, the Jury, was reprinted 60 times during 1947 alone. Max Allan Collins is a talented wordsmith in his own right. He authored the graphic novel that the film Road to Perdition was based on, and his writing for screen includes Saving Private Ryan, American Gangster, CSI and NYPD Blue.

Here at CFL our excitement over this release can barely be contained and our writer RoughJustice is preparing to bring you both an interview with Max Allan Collins and a review of the book. Watch this space or pre-order your copy below.