1st edition, 1st printing. 288pp. Red publisher's cloth boards (rubbed at edges, rounded at spine tips, some marks including coffee rings). Lending sheet on front endpaper but no other library markings. Pages softened, some spotting, small closed tear on one page. In its original pictorial dust jacket ( rubbed at edges, chipped at spine tips, spine crease and a few other minor creases, shelf wear visible on verso, possibly some bleeding). Features Wills' Crofts' recurrent detective, Inspector French. Hard to find first edition, especially in original dust wrapper. Jacket fitted with archival-quality mylar wrapper to protect & prolong its life. It is not adhered to the book or to the jacket. 12mo