The Corpse Steps Out (John J. Malone Mysteries)

This is a classic case of "murder without tears," and even the incredible amount of booze consumed by the characters seems inoffensive, though, with hindsight, we know how harmful it is. Included is a brief biography of Rice by William Ruehlmann which is crammed with information. Rice had a terrible alcoholism problem which contributed to her death and "wrote the binge but lived the hangover," according to Ruehlmann. Her brief, unhappy life ended at age forty-nine in 1957; her enjoyable mysteries live on.