First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original light orange cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Lawrence Cutting illustrated dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, with mild bumping to the spine ends and light rubbing to the corners, the cloth clean and bright. The contents are clean throughout and free from inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed, creased and toned dustwrapper, that is a touch faded to the spine and price-clipped to the front flap. A scarce crime novel.
Inscribed by the author in black ink on the front free endpaper 'To dear Zane / gratefully / Oswell'. Oswell Blakeston was the pseudonym of Henry Joseph Hasslacher (1907-1985), a painter, writer, poet and experimental film maker. He wrote across a number of subjects including film theory, travel and cookery, as well as crime fiction under the name Oswell Blakeston and in collaboration with Roger Burford under the pseudonym 'Simon'. (Hubin).
Stock code: 24883
£185
London: Hutchinson.
1968