No Case for the Police.

London, UK Victor Gollancz , 1970. Hardcover First Edition (1970), unstated, but implied: no subsequent printings noted and same date at the title and copyright pages, in accordance with Victor Gollancz ' customary practice. First Edition (1970), unstated, but implied: no subsequent printings noted and same date at the title and copyright pages, in accordance with Victor Gollancz ' customary practice. Very Good in a Good DJ: The Book shows a hint of crimp to the heel of the backstrip and a very mild nudge to the lower rear corner tip; moderate spine lean; the binding remains secure; the text is clean. Free of creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of underlining, hi-lighting, notations, or marginalia. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome, carefully-used copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing very mild wear and a couple of flaws, but remaining attractive: bright and clean and tightly bound. The DJ shows mild rubbing and faint, but pervasive dust-darkening to the backstrip (the black titles thereon remain bold and clearly legible; moderate wear to extremities, with scant loss to rubbing and chipping to the corner tips and the head and heel of the backstrip; several tiny snags at the top of the front panel; the price has not been clipped; mylar-protected. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (8 x 5.3 x 0.85 inches). 192 pages. Language: English. Weight: 11 ounces. Bright blood-orange boards with gilt titles at the backstrip. Gollancz' signature bright yellow dust jacket. Hardback with DJ. V. C. Clinton-Baddeley (1900 – 1970) was a playwright, actor, and writer. Clinton-Baddley also founded Jupiter Recordings Ltd, a company that produced spoken word and poetry set to music. The recordings were made either by the poets themselves, or by actors and scholars. Jupiter Recordings featured recordings of works by Ted Hughes, Thom Gunn, and Philip Larkin. In this, the fourth detection featuring Dr R V Davie, he is appointed literary executor to a friend whom he had known since childhood. Going through the voluminous papers after the funeral he finds a few pages written in a notebook which relates to the mysterious death of a neighbour - Adam Merrick. The police had determined it to be an accident but Robert thought there was something odd about the circumstances of the death and had written down some thoughts about it. His widow, Irene, wants Davie to destroy the notebook but Davie - not unnaturally - is curious. It seems he isn't the only one. A student from his own college living in the area and he approaches Davie about the case. The is extremely entertaining reading. It is well written and well plotted and I like the way Davie sets about his investigations - piecing together tiny bits of information to build up the whole picture. This series can be read in any order and it has the flavour of the many of the Golden Age mysteries even though it was written many years later.