Search - No Cure for Death (Mallory, Bk 1)

NO CURE FOR DEATH by Max Allan Collins: A 1983 effort from one of America’s most prolific writers, this was apparently a series attempt that didn’t take. At least this is the only “Mallory” adventure I’ve come across. Mallory is a Vietnam vet who has bounced around through several jobs before becoming a mystery reader. The Thanksgiving holiday death of acquaintance Janet Taber in an engineered accident sends Mallory throughout the city looking for answers.

Thanksgiving looked to be just another holiday alone for Mallory. Then Janet Taber died. Suddenly, the tranquility of the day is shattered by suspicion and threat. For Mallory there's only one thing to do, the right thing -- find out who engineered the accident that ended the life of the beautiful, young woman.
The hunt for her killer takes him from the streets of Port City to the lofty mansions, perched like vultures, on the hillside above. There, at the very foundations of Port City's wealth, lie the clues that will solve Janet's mysterious death. But the price is high, and before it's over, may cost Mallory his heart, his soul...even his life.