A Murder of Quality
By John le Carré
 
First edition, first impression: London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1962.
 
Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With the original yellow dust jacket printed in red and black, priced 15/- net to the front flap.
 
A very good copy; ever-so-slight hint of a slant; spine bright, gilt clear with a small area of sunning to spine head. Some toning to the edges of the text block; contents clean throughout, save for a couple of isolated spots to the top edge of first few leaves.
 
The dust jacket has benefitted from some restoration to the top edge of upper panel and top corners, and therefore presents very well. There is some toning to spine panel with light and marginal toning to panels, colours otherwise still strong on the panels, without loss to lettering, and unclipped. Very good.
 
Le Carré’s second novel, following Call for the Dead (1961), and the first to feature George Smiley in a full-length investigation, here transposed into the milieu of the English public school. Early Gollancz titles in such presentable condition are rare, particularly with the fragile yellow jacket intact.