Mike Dime
Created by Barry Fantoni

''He was no taller than the Empire State and no wider than the Grand Canyon.''
-- from Mike Dime. The author evidently graduated from Chandler U.

MIKE DIME makes Philadelphia of the late 1940's his turf in this well-written, spot-on homage to (or is it parody of?) Raymond Chandler. Well worth tracking down.

Sometimes they evidently do write like that anymore. Even if their tongue might be inserted firmly in their cheek...

But whatever, I loved these. Kudos to British writer Barry Fantoni for getting it right. His wisecracks actually crack.

But then, Fantoni is no stranger to private eyes. A long-time contributor to British satirical magazine Private Eye, in 2010 he announced his retirement -- after 47 years! At the time, he announced that his plans were to write a few memoirs, and then dive back into detective fiction, with a novel "about the world's oldest detective who is old and useless and talks about his illnesses."

The result, Harry Lipkin, Private Eye, was published in 2012.

THE EVIDENCE

• "She was in her late forties and her figure was spreading faster than spilled milk."
  -- from Mike Dime
  
  
• "Her face was the color of uncooked bread, her lips were large and puffy and painted with less care than drunks count change."
  -- from Mike Dime

OBLIGATORY SENSITIVE MOMENT

• "It was a world that began and ended in innocent young girls with soft, golden curls and prim summer frocks in forget-me-not blue.''
  -- from Mike Dime

UNDER OATH

• "sharp and on target...a very funny and intelligent effort".
  -- Baker and Nietzel, One Hundred and One Knights

NOVELS

• Mike Dime (1980) ...Buy this book
• Stickman (1982) ...Buy this book

SHORT STORIES

• "Hopper and Pink" (1989, New Crimes)
• "Holy Smoke" (1990, New Crimes 2)