Brighton Rock. An Entertainment

GRAHAM GREENE

Publication: The Viking Press, 1938, New York

First edition. The U. S. edition precedes the U. K. edition. Original red cloth with black and silver band at the top, cloth lightly rubbed else near fine tight copy in dust jacket with light wear to the spine ends and corners, extremities rubbed, rear pastedown sheet lightly toned, small chip to top edge of rear cover panel resulting in a loss to the last letter of the title. Still a better than usual copy of this Haycraft-Queen "Cornerstone" mystery novel. Pinkie Brown is a small-town hoodlum whose gang runs a protection racket based at Brighton race course. When Pinkie orders the murder of a rival, Fred, the police believe it to be suicide. This doesn't convince Ida Arnold, who was with Fred just before he died, and she sets out to find the truth. She comes across naive waitress Rose, who can prove that Fred was murdered. In an attempt to keep Rose quiet Pinkie marries her. But with his gang beginning to doubt his ability, and his rivals taking over his business, Pinkie starts to become more desperate and violent. A Haycraft/Queen Cornerstone mystery and considered by many to be Greene's best mystery novel.

Inventory Number: 43683