He'd been a promising piano prodigy, once. Now he was just an addict, scraping to get by, letting his hunger for drugs consume him. But a man's life can always get worse - as Ray Stone discovers when he wakes up beside a beautiful nightclub singer only to find her dead... and 16 ounces of pure heroin missing.

"It’s scary how very good the master was from the start. With beautifully flowing prose and a gripping storyline, this rereleased novel is a must for McBain’s fans and lovers of hard crime tales." - Book Devil"So Nude, So Dead carries us off into the seedy world [of] hophead jazz musicians, a world where a reefer stick can send a promising young pianist into the arms of heroin, and the arms of any number of amorous young women, be they half-Chinese strippers, supper club singers or just hangers-on." - The Rap Sheet"So Nude, So Dead  is a remarkable glimpse Ed McBain’s early efforts and the evidence of his amazing talents is apparent throughout." - Pulp Fiction Reviews"So Nude, So Dead is just so damn awesome." - Pulp Serenade"So Nude, So Dead is tough-as-cheap-steak noir that goes down quick. McBain’s writing is sharp and concise." - Ravenous Monster