Hunt The Man Down by William Pearson

A first-rate twist on the 'scheming woman after her husband's life insurance' theme, this has a femme fatale so calculating it's a pleasure to see her get hers.

Carol is a statuesque blonde still wishing for the finer things, wishing to be richer than sin, and wishing her husband were dead. God, the things she wished!

George knew she married him for his money—a quick Las Vegas ceremony as her divorce came through—before gambling stole his entire fortune. He no longer expected her to love him, but if only she would pretend. Heading to New York to raise funds, he purchased an insurance policy from an airport machine—he's worth more dead than alive. On that rainy night, the plane goes down.

Shep Henderson is the Acme Life Insurance Company agent assigned to the case and was also Carol's first husband. He always knew she was fast and questions the payoff. The airline policy plus George's life insurance nets her a cool $150,000, enough to disappear to South America. George's tall and athletic lawyer, Hart McIntyre, is quick to move on the newly single Carol, and she teases him as long as she needs him. For George is actually alive and hiding out until the widow is paid. His hired detective watches her every move, but that much money will turn anyone's head, and Carol doesn't plan to share. There will be four more dead by the time they catch up to Carol—finishing her business at the quicksand pit of an old quarry.

This has a fast plot and clever twists. No one is going to stop Carol from doing whatever she must for the money. Shep enlists help from police, and the net tightens with steady progress. Pearson injects new life into this theme, and for fans of twisted dames, this is is one to seek out.

1956 / Hardcover / 194 pages