The Venom Business is Michael Crichton's seventh published novel, and the fifth under his pseudonym John Lange.

It was released in 1969 by The World Publishing Company (New York) under the pseudonym of John Lange.

Charles isn't a fan of Richard's brash womanizing ways, but agrees to help because the money is good.

After a series of thwarted sketchy attempts at Richard's life, Charles begins to smell a rat.

The critic from the New York Times called the book "overlong, and it's encumbered with a welter of extraneous detail and as grubby a collection of opportunists as I've encountered in a good while.