David Starr, Space Ranger

After two hundred earth citizens are fatally poisoned by produce from Mars, David “Lucky” Starr, Space Ranger, is sent undercover to investigate! David Starr, Space Ranger is the first book in the Lucky Starr series written by the legendary Isaac Asimov, author of I, Robot, Foundation, and the Galactic Empire series. David reached for the sick man, lifting him as though he were a rag doll. Artificial respiration was useless. The Space Ranger had no illusion as to the possibility of recovery. He knew the symptoms—there had been many such cases lately—the sudden flushing, the loss of voice and breath, the hopeless minute’s fight for life, and then, the end. He turned to the trembling restaurant manager and identified himself. “My name is David Starr. I am a member of the Council of Science. What was the dead man eating before he collapsed?” “Stewed marplums,” the manager replied, wringing his hands in anguish. “Nothing like this has ever happened here before …” “Just the same you had better eliminate marplums from the menu,” David said. Extraterrestrial delicacies had laid claim to yet another victim!