I, the Jury is the 1947 debut novel of American crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane, the first work to feature private investigator Mike Hammer.
First edition
Frank Morrison Spillane, better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, called the "king of pulp fiction." His stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally. Spillane was also an occasional actor, once even playing Hammer himself in the 1965 film The Girl Hunters.
Spillane in the "Publish or Perish" episode of Columbo in 1974
Photo of Spillane from Greenwood Army Air Field yearbook for 1943
Spillane in the 1974 Columbo episode "Publish or Perish".