The Soft Centre is a work of detective fiction

Detective fiction

Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...

 by James Hadley Chase

James Hadley Chase

James Hadley Chase is the best-known pseudonym of the British writer Rene Brabazon Raymond who also wrote under the names James L. Docherty, Ambrose Grant, and Raymond Marshall. Chase is one of the best known thriller writers of all time...

, first published in Great Britain by Robert Hale Ltd. in 1964. The novel in set in Chase's fictional city "Paradise City" and was the first novel to introduce Detective Tom Lepski.

Plot summary

Val Burnett's husband, Chris, has had a fatal head injury and has now been brought to the Spanish Bay Hotel, Paradise City, to lie in the sun-and-sands and recuperate. He is almost a zombie by now, although there is hope of recovery. One day he vanishes from the Spanish Bay Hotel, only to be found the next day, roaming around in a disheveled state on the highway. The same day, a hard-faced prostitute, Joan Parnell, is found horrifically ripped apart in a nearby motel room. So far no connection. But a cigarette lighter presented to Chris by Val, is found in the scene of the crime. And blackmailers, gangsters, corrupt private eyes, homosexual criminals and other assorted crooks have a field day.....