March 1950 Pocket paperback, first printing
cover painting by Harvey Kidder
first in the long-running and deservedly respected Lew Archer series by Kenneth Millar, aka Ross Macdonald. After using his father’s name as the pen name for this novel, he was forced by John D. MacDonald to alter it for future novels, and Ross Macdonald was born.
1959, third printing
cover art by Jerry Allison
1990 Warner edition
cover art by Gary Kelley
[updated 9/6/25 ~ all copies mine]
SMB Noir 