Shadow Guilt Random by Patrick Quentin (1 results)

Jacket design by Jerome Kuhl (illustrator). A handsome Random House Mystery Book Club Edition of Shadow of Guilt, originally published in 1959 under the Patrick Quentin pseudonym. The novel exemplifies the psychologically driven crime fiction that made Quentin one of the most respected names in mid-century American suspense, blending domestic tension, moral ambiguity, and tightly controlled narrative pacing. The Random House Mystery imprint places this firmly within the golden-era tradition of quality hardcover crime publishing. This copy is particularly attractive. The book itself is Near Fine, with clean, bright pages and no underlining or annotations. The binding is tight and square, and the lightly textured boards remain crisp and unfaded. A small owner name label is present on the front flyleaf, accompanied by a discreet penciled date '8-1-76;' otherwise the interior is exceptionally clean and well preserved. The dust jacket is Very Good, showing light edge wear and age toning consistent with careful handling, but no major chips or losses. The bold, graphic jacket design - credited to Jerome Kuhl - is a strong example of late-1950s American mystery aesthetics and displays well in a protective sleeve. Notably, the jacket identifies this as a Book Club Edition, as expected for this issue. Overall, a sharp and highly presentable example of a classic Patrick Quentin title - ideal for collectors of American crime fiction, Random House Mystery editions, or mid-century dust-jacketed mysteries who value condition and visual appeal over strict first-edition status. Patrick Quentin was the shared pseudonym of Hugh Wheeler (1912-1987) and Richard Webb (1903-1965), whose collaborations produced some of the most psychologically sophisticated American crime novels of the 1940s-50s. Their work is frequently compared to Cornell Woolrich and Francis Iles for its emotional depth and narrative daring, and several Quentin novels were adapted for film and television, cementing their place in classic American mystery literature.