The Consummata -- Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins

Those of you who've been following along will recall that back in January, Max Allan Collins wrote about the completion of this novel and about how his posthumous collaboration with Spillane had worked. At that same time, I wrote about my re-reading of The Delta Factor, the first (and up until now only) novel by Spillane about his new character, Morgan the Raider.

Naturally I ordered the new one immediately, but it took a while for it to get here. Maybe the mail was delayed. Anyway, when it showed up, I read it, of course. After all, I'd been waiting more than 40 years to find out what had happened to Morgan.

As it turns out, this book is a direct sequel to The Delta Factor. The unsolved heist from the first book is still being blamed on Morgan, and the Feds are still after him. They almost catch up with him in Miami, but he's helped out by some Cuban exiles who, as it turns out, could use his help. Soon enough, Morgan's involved in plenty of headlong action with spies, betrayals, explosions, gunplay, and beautiful women. Several of them, in fact, one of whom is his wife (if you've read The Delta Factor, you know the complication here; if not, don't worry. It's all explained).

Morgan takes refuge in a whorehouse, where he learns about the legendary Consumatta, an ageless dominatrix who's rumored to be coming to Miami and whose talents appeal to the man Morgan's hunting.

All this is carried of with the usual Spillane/Collins panache, and I'm really happy that Hard Case Crime is up and running and giving the world this sort of material again. The ending hints at the possibility of another adventure for Morgan. I'm ready.