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True Noir Options, Fruitcake for Sale, Sour Grapes Extra

Tuesday, February 24th, 2026

As I put this together, I’m hoping my son Nate can help me share with you several good True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak clips that have appeared here and there.

In the meantime – here, a week after our international distributorship for True Noir kicked in – an amazing revised version of our website, truenoir.co, has gone up, thanks to my pals and accomplices Phil Dingeldein and Mike Bawden. If you have even the slightest interest in my work, you need to click on that link and have a look around. Be sure to click on the photos of our voluminous, world-famous cast and crew, for full-color photos and bios.

You can access the whole damn thing (that is, True Noir: The Assassination of You Know Who) on Audible; if you have a subscription there, you can use a credit and receive our nearly five-hour effort – words, music, sound effects. I must salute another accomplice, the man who put it all together: director/editor Robert Meyer Burnett.

Now, if you’re not an Audible subscriber, your best bet is to go to:
Downpour (THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN BUY THE 4-CD SET as well as find other options)

Other available options are:
Spotify
Apple Books
Google Play Books
Chirp
Libro.fm

Potential Library readers should use Libby (by OverDrive). No link available.

* * *

Rob Merritt and the new DVD starring…Rob Merritt!

The other big M.A.C. release (both came out Feb. 17) is Death By Fruitcake, our little indie film bringing the “Barbara Allan”-bylined Antiques mystery series to life. Again, you can find it here:

AppleTV
YouTube Movies
Google Play
Amazon Digital Buy/Rent
Amazon DVD
Oldies.com

That last one has the DVD at a significantly cheaper price than Amazon, but if you’re a Prime member and get free shipping, Amazon is the better option. Oldies “free shipping” doesn’t kick in till you spend $75.

I haven’t done a giveaway on Death By Fruitcake because I received no comp copies and I have to pay full price per copy to get ‘em. I am a nice, generous and wonderful man to his readers; but not that nice, generous and wonderful.

We don’t have a Blu-ray this time, but the DVD looks fine. We supervised the packaging. Bare bones – no commentary (though I’ve been doing commentaries with Heath Holland on all kinds of movies by other people!); but the disc itself has a terrific fruitcake skull image.

On a related indie front, Mickey Spillane’s Cap City (based on the Spillane/Collins novella, “A Bullet for Satisfaction” in The Last Stand) won Best Scripted Feature at the Star City Film Festival in Des Moines. I co-scripted and co-produced with director David Wexler. Much more on that soon.


Red carpet at the Star City Film Festival (Barb and me in back)

Also, I’m directing a table read of my horror script, House of Blood, for a prospective indie movie based on my radio script for Fangoria’s Dreadtime Stories. It’s being presented at Muscatine (Iowa) Community College in the same Black Box space where we mounted Blue Christmas. The cast is mostly actors who were either in Blue Christmas or Death By Fruitcake or both. It’s at 7 on both Friday the 27th and Saturday the 28th of February. If you’re in the area, come. Otherwise, stay home and wait for us to turn it into a movie. (I’m talking to you, Mike and Jackie White!)

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My birthday is coming in one week. I will be 78. I do not encourage gifts, but if you want to say something nice about me, write me at macphilms@hotmail.com, and I’ll share it here next week, on the big day. Of course, every day is a big day at my age.

Along those lines, I want to share a particularly nice missive I received from a reader. But, first, I will bitch about something. Anyone who invites nice comments about himself on his birthday obviously has a huge ego, but likely also a thin skin. As Bill Murray says in Groundhog Day: “Me…me…I am really close on this one.”

So I am going to carp about a certain kind of comment that appears on Amazon from readers who profess to be “really big fans” and then advise other readers not to buy this particular Collins book, because it misses the mark.

Okay, I am sure some of my work misses the mark (like this update, for example). One of those negative reviews appeared recently among dozens of overwhelmingly positive reader reactions to Return of the Maltese Falcon. It stung, and I stupidly replied (privately to the person) because I am a weak human being in this particular area.

I think it’s because there’s something personal about it. I generally shrug off bad reviews (and I’ve had my share) and have only very, very, very rarely responded to a pro reviewer. I enjoy good reviews but try not to take them to heart, because (I guess) if I take the good ones seriously, I have to take the bad ones too; good reviews are mostly just good press, as I see it. And some of the mixed or negative ones do point out flaws that I can work on.

But attacks from self-professed fans are different. They say, from one fan to the other, “Don’t read this one. He’s let us down.” That, my friends, is personal.

And it’s unkind. A really big fan would keep it to himself. A reader who says, “Sometimes Collins is good, sometimes, he’s bad, and this is a bad one” strikes me as fair. Or “I don’t know what the hell anybody sees in this hack Collins” – you know, that’s probably an opinion worth sharing.

The promise I will make to you is this: I will never phone it in, and never have. I’m in business to entertain, not just to be in business. But of course this is a business, and I don’t love it when someone who regularly does business with me discourages others from doing so. (Did I use the word “business” enough in that paragraph?)

I do enjoy it when readers step up to say, “I enjoy what you do,” and sometimes they have even been inspired (poor fools!) to go into fiction writing themselves. And now I will share a missive with you from David K.

M.A.C.

Hi Max:
You have been kind enough over the years to have emailed back and forth from time to time about the Nate Heller books which I started reading back in 1980’s along with your westerns, the Galena books and your non-fiction along with Quarry.

I read your newsletter weekly and saw where you asked for any pictures from bookstores featuring Return of the Maltese Falcon.

This picture is from a Barnes and Noble in suburban Milwaukee as they had one copy on hand. I took the liberty of taking it from the other books, moving a book by Michael Connelly and placing yours in a more prominent display. I am hoping that just having one copy is indicative of sales of multiple copies at the store.

Thanks for all the hours of reading enjoyment you have provided me over the years. Being now in my seventies, one joy of aging is I can go back and read the first Heller’s like The Million Dollar Wound or Neon Mirage and they are like new books all over again.

I am looking forward to reading this book and the final Heller when it comes out. And also planning on ordering True Noir but need one of my kids to help download it to my phone. A technical wizard I am not.

Anyway sir, thanks again for all of the work in your career. There will always be the critics but until they write a book or books and have had the success you have had, they really aren’t worth paying much attention to in my opinion.

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Falcon Nice Reviews (Get It?)

Tuesday, January 13th, 2026

I am happy to report that the reviews for Return of the Maltese Falcon thus far have been overwhelmingly positive. While proud of the book, and delighted to have had the chance to write it, I have braced myself (at my smart wife’s instructions) for what might be reviews in the “who do you think you are?” category.

That reaction is understandable.

My only justification is that the novel was written out of love and respect for Dashiell Hammett and his great novel. I was writing it essentially for the adolescent I’d been who desperately wanted to read another Sam Spade novel.

When I began reading mystery fiction, and became obsessed with Mickey Spillane and Mike Hammer, I knew that Mickey hadn’t written a Hammer novel in almost ten years. Imagine my delight and astonishment when in 1961 (nine years after Kiss Me, Deadly) Mickey gave his readers The Girl Hunters.

I knew, with The Maltese Falcon coming into the public domain, that Sam Spade would inevitably be subjected to the kind of nonsense that Winnie the Pooh, Popeye the Sailor and Steamboat Willie have, by way of “inspiring” bottom-feeding horror features. Higher up the food chain, but not necessarily involving writers who understood and respected the material they were drawing upon, new Sam Spade stories would almost certainly emerge. Paging James Patterson.

I wanted to be first and (at least try to) do it right.

Here is a review at Book Reporter that I particularly liked seeing, as the reviewer seemed to understand and appreciate what I was up to.

You may be interested in checking out this interview from Alex Dueben at CrimeReads, which is different from most of the many other interviews I’ve given over the years. Frankly, I usually request questions in writing and will respond accordingly – e-mail interviews. I can control what gets out there.

This interview, however, was actually transcribed and presented as spoken. It is long, and I thought pretty good, if exposing my loquaciousness (like that needed exposure). I was given the opportunity to go over it, and corrected a couple of things, but mostly got out of Alex’s way. I wasn’t happy with how long-winded I was, but relieved I spoke in actual sentences…a novelty these days.

There is a quite gratifying post on Linked-in from a longtime fan (he used to write into the Ms. Tree letters column, SWAK, frequently) – Wylie Wong. I love that name. It has music.

Anyway, I’m going to share his nice write-up with you.

I need to fanboy for a bit. Max Allan Collins – best known as the author of Road to Perdition – is the reason I grew up wanting to be a writer. And he just sent me an autographed copy of his latest novel, Return of the Maltese Falcon.

As a teen, I devoured his Ms. Tree comic books and mystery novels. I loved his work so much that I wrote him a 12-page fan letter. Somewhere in my gushing praise, I mentioned I couldn’t find two of his out-of-print novels. A month later, Collins responded with the coolest Christmas gift: those two books – autographed.

Later, I met him at San Diego Comic-Con and went full geek with a backpack full of his books to sign. He graciously spent 20 minutes chatting and signing, then told me he was publishing a condensed version of my letter in Ms. Tree. That fan letter became the first thing I ever had published.

When I went to college, I double-majored in creative writing and journalism, curious about a career in either fiction or non-fiction. Collins influenced my writing in unexpected ways – I even fell in love with the em dash because of him – and I’ve used it ever since. (So screw you, AI. I used it first.) But I enjoyed journalism too much, so I dropped creative writing and focused on telling true stories instead. No regrets.

Fast forward to 2024: Collins announced he was writing a sequel to Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon. I loved the original book. I loved the movie. A sequel from my favorite author? I’m all in.

When the book came out this week, Collins offered free copies to the first 20 people who promised to write an Amazon review. I wrote to him saying I’d already pre-ordered a copy but would love to be included. I told him I was still a big fan and shared that after college, I lived on Leavenworth Street in San Francisco, two blocks from where Hammett lived and supposedly finished the Falcon. On cold, foggy nights, like SF Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, I’d imagine Sam Spade tromping up and down the hills.

Collins responded saying it was a “terrific email” and he’d send me the book and to “feel free to read the hell out of your other copy.”

I don’t know if he even remembers me. But receiving this book brings me right back to my teenage years, reading voraciously and learning good storytelling.

Oh, and for the record: I have the real Maltese Falcon in my home office. Photo as proof.

Thank you for this, Wylie. Good reviews, and particularly rave reviews, feel great – but a piece like yours goes way beyond anything of those.

M.A.C.

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Death by Fruitcake an Official Film Festival Selection

Tuesday, June 24th, 2025

Death by Fruitcake, my latest indie movie, is going out to a limited number of film festivals, mostly in Iowa, which will better enable us to attend ourselves. (A slightly revised version of our poster is shown here.)

As you will see below, the Star City Film Festival has chosen us as an Official Selection, as well as screening the film in a prime spot on Saturday night August 2nd. Thirty-three other films are showcased in the festival, so this in itself is a nice honor.

We have already done nicely at the Iowa Motion Picture Awards and hope to do well at Star City. As I said, we are mostly going out to Iowa festivals and limiting the number of fests we’re entering to half a dozen. They say getting one acceptance out of a ten entries is a good result, and we have two out of six (so far).

Work continues to get Death by Fruitcake onto a streaming service. It’s unlikely we’ll have a DVD and/or Blu-Ray until the 2026 holiday season.

Here’s the press release about the Star City Festival:

The Star City Film Festival Returns to Waukon, Iowa for Its 8th Season – Celebrating Film, Creativity, and Community – July 31 to August 3, 2024

Special Guest of Honor: Max Allan Collins

Waukon, Iowa – The Star City Film Festival is excited to announce its return for the 8th season, taking place from July 31 to August 3, 2024, in the charming town of Waukon, Iowa. Founded and directed by filmmaker, musician, and writer, Dr. Katie O’Regan, this year’s festival promises to be an unforgettable celebration of filmmaking, featuring 40 diverse films, live performances of three new film scripts as radio plays, a glamorous red carpet premiere, and engaging talk-backs with attending filmmakers.

This year’s festival will honor Iowa’s very own Max Allan Collins, a celebrated figure in the world of film noir and a best-selling author, producer, and director. Max will premiere his new film Death by Fruitcake, which he wrote and directed, on Saturday evening of the festival. Following the screening, he will participate in a live talk-back session, providing the audience with insights into his creative process and the making of the film.

Max is renowned for his work on the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of his graphic novel, *Road to Perdition*. He has been recognized by the Mystery Writers of America as a Grand Master and has received an impressive twenty-three “Shamus” nominations, with notable wins for his Nathan Heller thrillers. His extensive body of work includes acclaimed novels, contributions to comics, film criticism, and several successful screenplays, including the Lifetime film Mommy and the HBO World Premiere The Expert. His creativity also extends to documentaries, with Mike Hammer’s Mickey Spillane featured in the Criterion Collection.

Joining Max at this year’s festival is his wife, Barbara Collins, an esteemed short story writer and production manager for various independent film projects. Together, they have co-authored bestselling novels that showcase their unique storytelling abilities.

The Star City Film Festival aims to create a platform for filmmakers and audiences alike to connect, inspire, and celebrate the art of cinema. Attendees can look forward to a lineup of films that highlight emerging talent, as well as discussions that delve into the creative process behind the stories told on screen.

Join us in Waukon for a celebration of film, creativity, and community, with activities including a live street dance and outdoor music during “Corn Days,” happening simultaneously!

For more information about the festival, ticketing, and programming details, please visit [](http://www.sacrednoisesociety.org).

By the way…our previous indie movie, Blue Christmas, is available on DVD and Blu-ray at Amazon and other cyber retailers. It’s also streaming, and this link will give you a rundown on where you can see it free (often but not always with commercials) and can rent it.

I do beg you to understand these are micro-budget films (micro-budgets defined as “a movie made with very limited financial resources, typically under $250,000, and sometimes even under $100,000 or $50,000.”

* * *

I seem to be a more or less regular segment on Robert Burnett’s Let’s Get Physical show on You Tube (usually airing at 2 pm on Sunday afternoons, Central.) I talk about recent releases on Blu-ray and 4K discs having to do with crime/mystery movies.

This week Rob’s co-host Dieter Bastian had a work conflict and I was asked, at the last minute, to sub. Nobody can adequately fill in for the unique presence of Deets (as Dieter is called), but I did my best.

Director Rob and I shamelessly plugged our ten-episode audio drama, True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak, every change we got, pretty much making a running joke out of it. (Nonetheless, we encourage you to go to truenoir.co and order it, if you haven’t already.)

The show often runs very long, and this week – as Rob and I went down numerous rabbit holes – lasted over three hours. Here it is, but be warned: I’m not kidding about that how long it went.

Here’s a great write-up on the forthcoming Blu-ray of The Two Jakes, which includes a commentary by my pal Heath Holland and me. Thrilled to be part of this release as Two Jakes is one of my favorite films.

Heath and I also did a commentary for Rustler’s Rhapsody, well written up here.

M.A.C.

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Quarry Up for an Award, Mike Hammer’s Big Announcement

Tuesday, June 17th, 2025

Things have been popping around here. First came news that Quarry’s Return has been nominated for the Best Paperback Novel “Shamus.” The Shamus is an award that means a lot to me, because my late friend Bob Randisi and I, and a few others, were grousing to each other about the Mystery Writers of America ignoring private eye novels in their Edgar awards. Bob was not one to let the grass grow under his feet and very soon he’d created the Private Eye Writers of America and the Shamus awards.

Arguably, the Shamus awards became the second most-prominent and prestigious honor of its kind in mystery fiction. Others have come and gone, and some may lay claim to being more important now; but I know and remember what it meant to me.

In 1983 my novel True Detective was published and got quite a bit of attention in its approach to merging the PI story with historical crime, and for being the longest private eye novel ever written (later my novel Stolen Away would eclipse it). I was, predictably, ignored by the Edgars but got a Shamus nomination. I was a long shot to say the least, because I was up against a Murderer’s Row of mystery writers: James Crumley, Stanley Ellin, Loren Estleman and Robert B. Parker. But my book won, and I was boosted considerably in the business…and both Nate Heller and I are still around. Stolen Away won the Best Novel in 1992. The series went on to be the most-nominated in the history of the organization.

Anyone who says awards don’t matter (like me, when I lose) are full of it. If Bob Randisi hadn’t started up the PWA, I wonder if Heller and I would still be around.

Nate Heller and True Detective are the basis, of course, of True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak, director Robert Meyer Burnett’s ten-episode audio drama from my adaptation. (truenoir.co)

Quarry has been nominated for the Shamus several times (my hitman even got an Edgar nomination last year for Quarry’s Blood) but I don’t recall him ever winning. Kind of makes sense in the PWA, because to make a private eye out of Quarry, you have to squint and look sideways. But the books are very much built on the private eye novel paradigm.

In other private eye news…

Matthew McConaughey is serious talks with Skydance about reuniting with True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto in the Mike Hammer movie that has been threatening to happen for a decade or so.

Matthew McConaughey and Nic Pizzolatto

The film is based not just on Mickey’s work but draws upon the entire series (including the collaborative novels and short stories that share a Spillane/Collins byline). I have read the script and it’s solid; as an executive producer, I was able to provide notes, to get the characters and concepts in line with Mickey’s and my work.

This news exploded all over the Internet. I lost count at 21 articles. Here’s a typical one from Deadline.

It was everywhere, from Variety to the Hollywood Reporter. I am optimistic but I never believe this kind of thing till I’m on set and the cameras are rolling. But it has a real feel to it.

You will note a certain irony here: the title of my novel True Detective is of course the title of the (later) HBO series that brought together actor McConaughey and writer Pizzolatto – a highly rated and regarded series that I have never seen, since the use of the title irked me. On the other hand, I plucked the title from the vintage true-crime magazines that were on the newsstands when Heller was starting out in the other True Detective.

* * *

Here’s a cool review of The Last Quarry.

My band the Daybreakers has a Wikipedia page! And I didn’t submit it much less write it (a few inaccuracies, but hey).

M.A.C.

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