The Venom Business
A novel by Michael Crichton, originally published under a pseudonym. Charles Raynaud is a artifact smuggler masquerading as a poisonous snake dealer. He meets an old friend, Richard Pierce in Paris, who will inherit 500 million 1968 USD (about 3 billion USD today), provided he lives to the age 34 and 2 months. He feels that his step-mother Luicenne is out to get him, and he hires his old friend as a bodyguard. But there is a catch, if he dies before that date, all the money gos to charities. And all is most certainly not as it seems...
Tropes used in The Venom Business include:
- Action Girl- Jane Mitchell
- Anti-Hero - Raynaud is a type III, he is a smuggler, and when he loses his temper, bad things happen. He also kills snakes.
- Complete Monster- Denosin makes you this, also, arguably Johnathan Black
- Deadly Doctor- Dr. Johnathan Black
- Femme Fatale- Lucienne
- Gambit Pileup: Richard, Black, Lucienne all have gambits going. They are not compatible.
- Gay Paree- Part of the book takes place here.
- Hookers and Blow- Richard
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Averted. None of the prostitutes in the book are sympathetic.
- London Town- Uses both. Most of the book takes place in London.
- Mad Doctor- Averted, Black seems quite sane
- Magnificent Bastard- Raynaud, Richard
- Unwitting Pawn - Raynaud. It doesn't work.
- Wicked Stepmother- Lucienne
- Xantos Gambit- Jonthan, Lucienne, and Richard all have one, though Herbert Pierce's will is one as well.