By Death Possessed

London: Constable and Company Ltd, 1988. BH2 - A first British edition hardcover book in very condition in very good dust jacket that is mylar protected. Dust jacket and book have some bumped corners, light tanning and shelf wear. Although not marked in any way, this copy comes from the personal collection of Otto Penzler, legendary editor and founder of the Mysterious Press, an award-winning icon in the genre. 8.75"x5.25", 191 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. It is generally assumed that to discover your family heirloom is very valuable cannot be anything but a delight. Tony Hine, taking his painting to an Antique Road Show, discovers that this is not necessarily so. Before the night is out, his marriage has broken apart and he finds himself deeply involved with a woman art expert, who is convinced his canvas was painted by the now famous Frederick Ashe. Tony always believed it was painted by his grandmother. The provenance of its origin becomes of paramount importance. In following up the history of his painting, Tony discovers that there may be many more canvases involved, and that collectively they have already caused a near-fatal accident and a violent death. There is every reason to believe they could cause another - his own. Tony must know the truth. Is he a potential millionaire, or merely the same run-of-the-mill photographer he has always been? So involved does he become that he finds no time to probe the two new deaths the paintings bring about. But in the end it is his expertise as a photographer that leads to the truth of the paintings, and at the same time to a recognition of a murderer.. First British Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.