Twice nominated for a Shamus by the Private Eye Writers of America, Mike received the award in 2006 for his short story "A Death in Ueno." His (unpublished) novel The Outside Man was runner-up in the PWA's Best First Private Eye Novel contest in 2004.

Exit Strategy was a finalist for Best Paperback from the International Thriller Writers in 2006.

The story "Soldiers" received an Honorable Mention in the Al Blanchard Short Story contest, November 2007.

Mike's stories have been four times nominated for a Derringer Award by the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and two stories have won: "The New Lawyer" (2001) and "The Test" (2004).