Lay Her Among the Lilies

Vic Malloy of Universal Services is once again trolling in waters so turbulent they make a maelstrom look like a millpond. The churning starts when Vic's assistant retrieves an envelope Vic had stuffed into an old trench coat and forgotten about. The envelope contains $500 and is a retainer from a potential client-a client he never followed up with. Now months have passed without a response from Universal Services and the case is as cold as a dead mackerel. Embarrassed by his sloppy oversight, he attempts to make amends for his mistake, but his efforts quickly lead to a dead end . . . literally. His prospective client, Janet Crosby, died of a "heart attack" the very day she wrote and mailed the check. The accompanying letter requested Universal Services to investigate her half-sister, Maureen, whose wild and wanton behavior was causing the family considerable concern. The trouble is Maureen-now having inherited a pile of cash-has been sequestered while she recovers from a mysterious ailment. Vic quickly discovers that there are more gears turning behind the scenes than a few family squabbles. Having more twists and turns than a minotaur's maze, Lay Her Among the Lilies affirms that James Hadley Chase is indeed the King of Thrillers. James Hadley Chase (René Brabazon Raymond) was born in London on Christmas Eve, 1906, and started his career as a bookseller. Seeing that the hard-boiled thrillers were selling especially well, he decided to write his own-"No Orchids for Miss Blandish." It was the start of an incredible run of nearly 100 novels. Dozens of Chase thrillers have been made into feature films and stage plays.