Topsy and Evil

8vo, pp. 224. Original orange boards, lettered in black to spine. Leading edge uncut. Illustrated dustwrapper. Spine ends a little bumped, otherwise a near fine copy in a very good dust jacket, fading to spine as usual, and with a little light edgewear most noticeable at corners and spine ends. First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO FRONT FREE ENDPAPER: 'Sept 2 1968 For Rosie and Max -- this trilogy ends, but we go on forever -- with love, George'. The final instalment of Baxt's crime trilogy featuring his trailblazing gay black detective Pharoah Love (although the character was to appear in two later novels as well). Here, Pharoah yields centre stage to another black detective, rejoicing in the name of Satan Stagg. (If Starbucks had existed in the 1960s, Mr. Stagg would have had a problem.) Scarce inscribed.