A FAIRLY DANGEROUS THING.

UK,12mo p/back 1st edn. [Originally published by William Collins (London),1972 as UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.This is the first p/back edn.] VG+. No owner inscrptn and no price removal from generally sharp-cornered,glossy,colour photographic illustrated card cover.Capitalised pale pink-lettered author's name and title and critic's review beneath them both to front cover; no reading creases to a flat,black coloured spine/backstrip with similarly coloured author+ title as the front's; with publisher's coloured colophon to head and book's part ISBN 3384 to foot of same; rear cover with black background and capitalised,pale pink lettered author name and same critic as front but different review,white-lettered synopsis with further critics' reviews beneath that. Negligible shelf-wear,bumping/creasing to edges and corners; foot of spine minisculely bumped with reciprocal crease - but no nicks,tears or splits present.Top+ fore-edges with ubiquitous ageing/toning; contents bright, tight and clean even with minimal page-edge toning,and a faint accidental top corner crease to cover,leaving a diminishing crease impression to the following 12pp and one intentional lower corner crease to pp37/8.UK,12mo p/back 1st edn,10-190pp [paginated] includes Pts 1-2 comprising 11 and 7 chapters respectively; plus [unpaginted] half-title with prose extract,a title page,a dedication with an epigram to reverse,Pts separator pages each with an epigram,and to the rear,1pp publisher's advertisement for Ross Macdonald titles with cut-out Fontana order form on its reverse. Visually the exterior appearance is more than acceptable, and even internally,the book is in a similar condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of its 45+ year-old age and nature, i.e. an ephemeral p/back.It is only the described minor faults that prevents a slightly higher grading.Despite them,it really is still an exceptional example for its cleanliness,brightness and lack of major detracting faults. Author's 4th title,still a crime novel albeit a comedic one; written after his first two Dalziel & Pacose detective novels that he went on to be best known for. School master Joe Askern's interests in life are simple - stately homes,golf and big girls. But these interests become complications when he finds himself teeing off with a local criminal,who wants Joe's inside knowledge of the nearby stately home for an inside job: with a mind-reelingly big girl to lure him on . . . Please contact seller,because of the lighter weight of this item,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - 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: 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. **