PAST LYING. [A KAREN PIRIE THRILLER.**]

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,2nd imp. [Complete number line 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.] FINE/FINE. As new,so no owner inscrptn and no price-clip t dw/dj.Bright, crisp, clean,matt,colour landscape illustrated front of dw/dj with capitalised,matt,white-lettered NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER leegend and author's matt yellow-lettered name at it's top edge,capitalised,glossy,embossed white-lettered part-title and capitalised,matt yellow sub-title to front's lower edge.Glossy spine/backstrip with thumbnail repeated front illustration at it's head and similarly coloured+lettered - but flat printed - author name+title as the fronts and publisher's capitalised,yellow-lettered name and yellow illustrated colophon to foot of same,rear panel of dw/dj with colour skyscape continuation of front's imagery with 8 critics' white+yellow lettered reviews and glossy,thumbnail colour photographic illustrations of author's previous 2 titles and a website's b/w The Crime Vault logo. Negligible shelf-wear to edges and corners – no nicks, tears or splits present.Top+fore-edges bright crisp and clean without foxing/spotting; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound – no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips – appears unread,apart from my own collation. Publisher's bright,crisp and clean/unblemished,sharp-cornered,original plain black cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt capitalised lettering to spine/backstrip,and immaculate plain white endpapers.UK, 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,1-452pp [paginated] includes a Prologue,49 chapters and an Epilogue, Acknowledgements; plus [unpaginated] author's potted biography with publisher's list of author's other titles to its reverse,a title page,a dedication,an epigrams (3) page - O.E.D definition of Gambit,The Chess Website and 'Twelve Notes on the Mystery Story' - Raymond Chandler,and to the rear,4pp blanks. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional and particularly internally,is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation. It really is an exceptional,exemplary example for its cleanliness,brightness and lack of detracting faults. Edinburgh, haunted by the ghosts of its many writers, is also the cold case beat of DCI Karen Pirie. So she shouldn't be surprised when an author's manuscript appears to be a blueprint for an actual crime. Karen can't ignore the plot's chilling similarities to the unsolved case of an Edinburgh University student who vanished from her own doorstep. The manuscript seems to be the key to unlocking what happened to Lara Hardie, but there's a problem: the author died before he finished it. As Karen digs deeper, she uncovers a spiralling game of betrayal and revenge, where lies are indistinguishable from the truth and with more than one unexpected twist . . . Please contact seller,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas customers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: US Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **