Better Corpses first published in 1940, is a classic hard-boiled detective murder mystery featuring private investigator Race Williams. Williams, operating midway between the police and the criminal world, is called to aid Mary Morse, wealthy heiress to a long-established New York jewelry business, who is being threatened with blackmail by a ruthless gang. Carroll John Daly (1889-1958), considered one of the pioneers of the hard-boiled crime genre, authored 16 novels and a number of short stories. Better Corpses is book no. 8 in the Race Williams series.