My Kingdom for a Hearse

A supermodel’s beauty secrets trigger an ugly series of murders in this “pretty damn wonderful” mystery (The New York Times).   From her velvety voice to a pair of legs that say walk this way, Delora Deanne is the most divine creation ever put on earth to sell moisturizer. As Chicago attorney John J. Malone’s new client, the notoriously reclusive model has requested a rare one-on-one. Imagine Malone’s surprise when he’s greeted by Hazel Swackhammer, as midwestern as a stalk of corn and less remarkable. She’s also the brain behind Delora Deanne Cosmetics and its closely guarded secret: Delora doesn’t exist. Print-ad perfect, she’s a composite of several different women. But one of them has gone missing, her hands delivered to Hazel in a pair of lavender gloves.   Malone’s stumped—and more than a little queasy. Whether her vengeful ex-husband or an entrepreneurial rival, someone’s clued in to the truth behind Hazel’s success and wants to bring her down. Now, with each special delivery, the illusion of Delora Deanne is literally falling apart, piece by beautiful piece.   The first mystery writer to grace the cover of Time magazine, Craig Rice is “the Queen of the Surrealistic Crime Story. Almost everything that happens in one of her witty, wacky novels is completely off the wall” (Thrilling Detective).   My Kingdom for a Hearse is the 6th book in the John J. Malone Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.