AMBLER, ERIC — Cause for Alarm

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. Hardcover. A 1940 US edition of Eric Ambler's fourth novel, a spy thriller set in Italy during the Fascist era of Benito Mussolini. This work first published in 1938. The dust jacket is unpriced, which may indicate a possible book club edition. --- In black cloth-covered boards with spine titling and zig-zag decorations to spine in blue, more zig-zags in blind to front cover; blue topstain. Volume wrapped in dust jacket with Florian image of three sinister-looking men to front panel (repeated on spine) and an unattributed black & white photographic portrait of the author to back panel. --- A well-preserved, tightly-bound copy, though with prior owner's bookplate affixed to front paste-down. Dust jacket with chipping and small tears along edges but remaining mostly intact and wrapped in removable archival mylar protector.; Small Octavo - 7-1/2 to 8 in. tall; [14], 3-284 pages. Very Good+ in Very Good- dust jacket .