<DIV>The Continental Op is a short, squat, and utterly unsentimental tank of a private detective. Miss Gabrielle Dain Leggett is young, wealthy, and a devotee of morphine and religious cults. She has an unfortunate effect on the people around her: they have a habit of dying violently. Is Gabrielle the victim of a family curse? Or is the truth about her weirder and infinitely more dangerous? <I>The Dain Curse</I> is one of the Continental Op's most bizarre cases, and a tautly crafted masterpiece of suspense.</DIV>