First edition, first printing. Publisher's original yellow cloth with red titles to the upper board and spine, in the Bill English designed dustwrapper. Top edge red. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, lightly marked to the lower board, with a little fading to the extreme top edge and top-stain, and mild rubbing and bumping to the spine tips and extremities. The contents, with just a touch of toning to the fore-edge of the closed text block, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the near very good, rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrapper, which has a couple of small chips, some marks to the rear panel and a piece of tape at the head of the mildly faded spine. Not price-clipped ($2.50 to the upper front flap).
The fourteenth Nero Wolfe novel. A bibliomystery, published in October 1951. The UK edition, published by Collins, The Crime Club followed in 1952. (Hubin).
Stock code: 29822
£50