Noted writer Donald Westlake is known for his humorous mysteries, so he write the rather hardboiled Parker series using the pseudonym Richard Stark. The books were well enough written that they soon came out of original paperback obscurity and began to be published in hardback. This is one of the early pb titles. The first printing is determined by the book number (D1949) and cover price (50 cents). Some light to medium wear along the page and spine edges, a slight front cover scratch and slight spine lean; a book store stamp marked over with an :"X" and small writing on the first page (before the title page). Still, a solid copy.