Typed Letter, Signed, to the Journalist Hy Gardner

Murrell's Inlet, SC, 1961. Ephemera. Near fine. The hardboiled author of the Mike Hammer novels writes to his friend, the reporter and TV journalist Hy Gardner about his father's health problems and rumors of the mob working with Fidel Castro to smuggle drugs into the US.

"Word in from sources south has come up with a cutie... Since Cuba has tied in so close with Commie Russia and China, the narcotic import has increased with Cuba the jumping off point and the garlic brotherhood in Italy cut off. It's so serious in Europe that a big personality formerly deported from the U.S. is due in Cuba to parlay with Castro and rumor has it (Rumor hell, this is classified) that it will be Lucky himself... I'm going to follow it up some, but out of gunshot range."

Spillane also describes driving back to South Carolina, presumably from New York. He had a house in South Carolina, and his parents had retired there. His father was back in the hospital. He closes the letter with a wry observation on his father's condition: "Love to the wife...if either of you have to be checked out on diapers, let me know. I'm an expert."

In this undated letter, Spillane writes, "The week end of the 15th I'll be back to pick up the rest of the family and deliver a book to Dutton." Spillane's father, John Joseph, died on June 18, 1962 (according to South Carolina death records). Spillane did not publish any novels in the late 1950s, so the most likely candidates for the book he refers to are The Deep (1961) and the Mike Hammer novel, Girl Hunters (1962).

Hy Gardner is a character in Girl Hunters and played himself in the 1963 film adaptation. Typed in brown ink on Mickey Spillane Productions (South Carolina) letterhead. 8-1/2 by 11 inches. Signed Mickey in red pencil. Garner (presumably) has written "File" in pencil in the top margin. Folded for mailing, else near fine.