First edition, first printing of the author's first work of crime fiction. Inscribed by the publisher. Original red cloth with black titles to the upper board and spine, in dustwrapper. The book in the earliest state with pictorial front pastedown and endpaper utilising the dustwrapper front and rear panels. A very good copy, the binding firm, the cloth bright and fresh. The contents, with spotting to the prelims are otherwise clean throughout. The closed text block edge is toned and bumped to the fore-edge. Complete with the rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that has several short closed tears with associated creasing but is otherwise without loss. Correctly priced 7/6 net to the spine. A rare title in dustwrapper.
Inscribed by the publisher to his wife in black ink on the front free endpaper "To my darling Evie / The first copy / of the first book / published by / Geoffrey Bles". The debut crime novel of Cecil Street who wrote under the pseudonyms John Rhode, Miles Burton and Cecil Waye. (Hubin).
Stock code: 24147
£8,500