The Doomsters by Macdonald, Ross - 1958

Knopf, 1958. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. A fine first edition in a near fine dust jacket, with a small closed tear on front panel of jacket. Lew Archer is hired by Carl Hallman, the desperate-eyed junkie scion of a wealthy political dynasty, to investigate the suspicious deaths of his parents, Senator Hallman and his wife Alicia. Archer soon discovers that orange groves may have been where the Hallmans made their money, but they'd invested heavily in political intimidation and police brutality to shore up their wealth. After years of double-crossing and dirty-dealing, the family seems to be on the receiving end of a death-blow. With two dead already and another member in the nuthouse, Archer races to crack the secret before another Hallman is murdered. An exceptional copy. Housed in a custom-made collector's slipcase.