"Maybe no one liked Del Gilbert a whole lot, not the men he ruthlessly did business with, not the women who discovered his other lovers, not even his partner in the Gilbert and Blake literary agency - me. But when I found him shot to death on the floor of his office, I had no choice. I had to track down the person responsible. And not just to lay Del to rest, either. Next to his body, the office safe was wide open, and a contract worth millions was...

Six people involved in sexual games band together to steal an antique cup, from which Socrates is said to have drunk his hemlock. Next, the six proceed to double-cross each other, which is when the Florida PI, Matthew Hope, is hired by one of them to recuperate her money.

25 crime stories published between 1952-1957 written by Ed McBain under various pseudonyms.