A
Shot in the Dark was published by Simon & Schuster in
1952 as a hardcover. The edition that caught my eye is a mass market published
by Award Books in 1965. It is a seemingly simple cover with only a small splash
of illustration, but the overall design—the black background scratching its way
into a blue border—works very well. The "Now Only" sticker, which I don't dare remove, adds a little something, but mostly an enviable price. The artist: Unknown (to me).
The opening sentence:
“It
was stupid to go on needling the customs officer at the Havana airport, but
Johnny Edwards had been doing stupid things all his life and he didn’t feel
like reforming now.”
I've read several books by Richard Powell, including this one. I think my favorites are Shell Game and Say It With Bullets.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Richard Powell's work, but I need to. I'm not sure why I didn't read Hard Case Crime's edition of SAY IT WITH BULLETS.
ReplyDeleteBen, the author is new to me. I know what you mean about certain editions catching the eye. I'm always on the lookout for them, especially old paperbacks.
ReplyDeletePrashant, me too. I can't seem to pass up an alluring paperback.
ReplyDelete