Toning to free endpapers; some chipping to jacket, foxing visible to lower panel.
Levin (Ira) A Kiss Before Dying
£195
London, Michael Joseph, 1954.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10/6.
Levin’s debut novel is a noir thriller. A charming, sociopathic college student impregnates and murders Dorothy, daughter of a wealthy copper magnate, failing to anticipate her sisters’ suspicion and perseverance.
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