Make My Coffin Strong — William R. Cox

MAKE MY COFFIN STRONGSteve Galloway has been away for a while, making his fortune in Saudi oil. Then he gets the letter: his mentor and old friend, Sam Goulding, is dead, and it looks like murder. Now he's back in NYC with a score to settle. It's clear to Galloway that the syndicate is behind Sam's death, but he has no way to prove it. So he gets himself introduced to Jack Barr, a fellow gambler, to see what he can find out-and that's how he meets Fay. The attraction is immediate. But there's also Virginia, who knows a thing or two about the syndicate and wants to help. Galloway is soon over his head in women and cold-blooded killers. And as he draws closer to discovering who killed Sam, he jeopardizes not only the lives of those around him, but pits himself against a man he genuinely admires-Jack Barr. Unfortunately, his new friend may be the very man he is looking for.