TOO MANY CLIENTS. A Nero Wolfe Novel.

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Inscribed presentation copy. Publisher's original yellow cloth with red publisher's device to the upper board and titles to the spine, in the Bill English designed dustwrapper. Top edge red. An excellent near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth bright and fresh, with a little bumping to the spine tips. The contents, with a couple of tiny closed tears resulting from a production fault, are otherwise clean, and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with lightly creased, price-clipped and spine faded dustwrapper that has a single short closed tear, and a touch of spotting to the rear flap fold.

Inscribed by the author in blue ink on the front endpaper "Nov. 17 - 1960 / To Nick and Peggy - / with love - / Rex". The recipients are Hungarian-born American photographer and former Olympic fencer, Nickolas Muray (1892-1965) and his fourth wife Margaret (Peggy) Schwab, an amateur pilot. Hailed as one of the greatest fencers in American history and the master of the three-colour carbon print in commercial photography, Muray's professional successes, while highly impressive, have been somewhat eclipsed in the public eye by his prolific ten-year love affair and enduring friendship with Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. His colour photographs of Kahlo remain the most iconic and recognisable images of the artist, second only to her painted self-portraits. The twenty-third Nero Wolfe novel. Published in October 1960. The UK first edition, published by Collins, The Crime Club followed in August 1961. (Hubin).