When beautiful Laura Hunt - an intelligent, cultured, generous, and thoroughly modern career gal in 1940s New York - is found murdered in her apartment, the press has a field day speculating as to who would want to kill such a charming creature. Hardened NYPD detective Mark McPherson plans to find out, but as he interrogates her many admirers and combs through her personal life, McPherson finds he's begun to fall in love - like so many before him - with the beguiling victim. If you've seen the 1944 Academy Award-winning film based on the book, you know that there's a stunning plot twist! But even if you know the outcome, this captivating noir classic from 1942 is worth the read, for its stylish prose, its memorable characters, and its scintillating mix of psychological suspense and romance.(AG)