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HER WEALTHY STEPFATHER WAS DYING—
BUT NOT QUICKLY ENOUGH...

What beautiful 18-year-old would want to spend her life taking care of an invalid? Not Shirley Angela. But that’s the life she was trapped in—until she met Jack.

Now Shirley and Jack have a plan to put the old man out of his misery and walk away with a suitcase full of cash. But there’s nothing like money to come between lovers—money, and other women...

• First publication in more than 40 years!
• Entertainment Weekly on THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN: "The momentum never stops."
• Levi Stahl on THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN: "It’s a flawless crime novel...as the final plot twist unfolded, I actually stopped cold[,] unable to pay attention to anything but the book. Now that’s good crime writing."
• Bloomberg News on THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN: "The combo of lust and greed that fuels the best of James M. Cain also runs Brewer’s engine. We know his murderous lovers are going straight to hell, but the creeping paranoia that overtakes them on the journey gives the book the feeling of a slow roast. Brewer makes you sweat with them."
• The Washington Post on THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN: "A wonderful time capsule."
• Pop Syndicate on THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN: "One of the best crime noir books I’ve ever read...thoroughly satisfying."
• Bestselling author of THE RED SCARF, which sold more than 1 million copies
• The Gina Gershon movie 3-Way was based on two of Gil Brewer’s novels

"A Cainlike story of greed, sex and murder, culminating in retributive horror worthy of Jim Thompson."

— Anthony Boucher, The New York Times

"[Brewer] produced some of the most compelling noir softcover originals of the 1950s [and] THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN is among my favorites."

— Bill Pronzini