The Day I Died

A young man with nothing left to lose makes a bargain with death—only to welsh on the bet.   Lawrence Lariar was one the most popular cartoonists of the twentieth century. But from the 1940s through the 1960s, he also crafted a line of lean and mean detective and mystery novels under his own name as well as the pseudonyms Michael Stark, Adam Knight, Michael Lawrence, and Marston La France. Lariar now gets his due as a leading artist in hardboiled crime fiction.   Tom Coyne's hardscrabble childhood and criminal career have left him with no friends, no family, and no prospects for the future. All he has now is a death wish. A criminal acquaintance from his past offers to make it come true—with a perk Tom can't refuse.   He'll give Coyne ten thousand bucks to go out with a bang on booze and pricey dolls on the beaches of Miami. Just one small trade off: an unexpected "accident" when Coyne's time is up, and his benefactor will collect on his life insurance. What could go wrong?   For starters, her name is Sue. The sweetest, most openhearted girl Coyne has ever met. Dammit if she hasn't given him a reason to live. And with the hot breath of a hired killer on his neck, a reason to run.