Mike Hammer, Private Eye

While on a stakeout, Mike steps in to save a cop and arrest a mobster. Lingering doubts about the scenario trouble Hammer, and he searches for a connection. A surprise birthday party interrupts his train of thought, but a threatening phone call puts the private investigator right back in the thick of things. When the caller tell Mike Hammer that he has 24 hours to live, he must uncover the truth at the bottom of the mystery.

Mike Hammer is a big fan and old friend of Buzz MacClaine, a popular mystery writer, and the author asks the private eye to help edit his latest work. When Buzz meets his own violent end, Mike Hammer takes on the case to find the killer. But in this case, life seems to imitate art. Hammer and his team realize that his manuscript is filled with clues to an actual crime, and they must decode the mystery novel in order to find Buzz's killer.

There's more than just paint on the walls when Mike tries to help Velda after her boyfriend, an artist, is murdered in his studio before an exhibition. But Hammer struggles to connect the dots in this mysterious case, and a long list of suspects emerges when he discovers that the artist often made others see red. Could it be the artist's jealous ex, the wealthy art collector, the corrupted art critic, the gallery owner, or even Velda herself?

Hammer's on-again off-again flame is a Broadway star named Linda Fortunato, but her latest role is as primary suspect in the murder investigation of her ex-husband and co-star. The whole city is convinced of her guilt after the spatting couple was seen fighting during rehearsals, but Mike Hammer is determined to clear her name. Drama and mystery unfold while Hammer investigates a whole cast of suspects.

After being released from his time in prison, Mike Hammer's old friend Herman Simpson joins him for dinner. The discussion turns techie when Simpson brings up the computer revolution that is underway. However, a bank robbery involving this same technology-- and a suspiciously similar criminal --takes place the same evening. Simpson becomes the prime suspect, and Hammer is his only hope at staying free.

Mike's journalist friend, Pete, misses their scheduled meeting. But the apparent suicide raises questions that lead Mike to follow up on Pete's latest investigative assignment, an exposé on surveillance. Hammer finds out that Pete was writing about the shadows and powers behind modern surveillance, an entity known as Big Brother. Now Hammer must track down the killer that's always watching everybody.

Deputy Mayor Barry Lawrence may be running for District Attorney on a "law and order" platform, but that doesn't mean that his conduct is always above board. When his mistress Tracy calls, she puts him in a compromising position. The police investigation stalls in what appears to be an attempt to cover up for the man Tracy's parents believe killed her--Barry Lawrence. Mike loves the idea of getting dirt on Barry, but a brawl with a cop leaves him conducting his investigation--with the help of his team--from a jail cell.

Radio host Dr. Silvia runs an on-air love and relationship advice show for women. When Mike Hammer's girlfriend takes Dr. Silvia's advice to dump him, he makes an unscheduled guest appearance in her studio in order to give her a piece of his mind. With his new reputation as a macho bully, Mike Hammer becomes the prime suspect after she is suddenly murdered. Now, he and his team must prove his innocence by finding the real killer.

Mike Hammer travels down to Texas to attend his friend's wedding, but he still finds a case to work. Complications immediately arise when he discovers that the bride is missing. The fiancé's cousin is found dead with her organs surgically removed, and now the bride-to-be must be located before she might meet the same fate. Mike Hammer is the only one who can stop this white wedding from turning bloody.

Maya Ricci's boyfriend Tony is something of a mystery man who tends to come and go without much explanation. When he surprises Maya for a visit, his disappearance the following morning is caused by more sinister circumstances. When his car is discovered in the debris of an explosion and a mysterious strangers starts asking about Maya, Hammer and his team take up the investigation. They uncover a connection between Tony and the CIA, and other more nefarious entities. Mike decides to protect Maya at any costs before it is too late.

It's a rough night at the table for Mike and some of his buddies on poker night. A wild card named Angel thinks he's getting hustled and tries his luck by pulling a gun on Hammer. After the last hand, the night turns to threats, theft, and even murder. Mike looks for suspects and an alibi while Barry Lawrence harasses him, Skip Gleason, and his other friends with a new scorched-earth policy against gambling.

Lila B. has earned Mike Hammer's attention for a number of reasons, not least of which is her intoxicating voice. But the beautiful jazz singer also has a dangerous side, keeping company with mobsters. When her beaux arrested, he's forced rat on his partners. The plot thickens when one of Lila's gentlemen called is killed and she becomes a suspect. With both the police and the mob on her heels, Hammer is determined to keep the songstress safe.

Mike can't wait to hit the open road and go bass fishing with Skip. The first stop on their trip is Lou's bar. A pleasant morning turns into a dangerous afternoon when Hammer realizes that a team of violent bank robbers is sitting at the next table. The situation spirals and after a shoot out that leaves Grady wounded, the volatile men and their lingerie-clad femme fatale hold everyone in the bar hostage. Now, Hammer must keep everyone safe and stop the criminals, all without his gun.

The former secretary of an old friend, Simon, visits Mike Hammer with a theory about her old boss's sudden death. Mike chalks up her death to Simon's adventurous streak, until he shows up alive in his apartment. Simon reveals how he continued to play dead after a hired assassin took shots at him and two other hunting buddies. Looking for revenge, Simon talks Mike into helping him track down his assassin, and hunt that takes the private eye all the way to California. However, Mike soon after meets danger on this journey.

After failing to save a tobacco company scientist scheduled to testify in court, Mike Hammer decides to quit smoking. However, a clean lifestyle becomes harder than he thought when he follows up on his client's murder. The dead scientist leaves behind questions about the killer's motives, his work at the company, and the tobacco industry at large. Of course, the nicotine withdrawals don't seem to help.

Mike Hammer becomes increasingly involved with the tobacco company and the family that owns it after he takes a job as their poster boy. The head of the company wishes to get to know Mike better and invited him to stay at their mansion. Some of the other family members hope that Mike's new status will prevent him from asking any more questions. But the death of Loolie leads to an investigation that Hammer just can't quit.