SHELL GAME

New York: HarperCollins, 2018. Hardcover. Very Fine/Fine. With her first novel, "Indemnity Only" in 1982, Paretsky established Chicago private eye, V.I. Warshawski, as a female detective equal to the mystery genre's hardboiled PI's such as Chandler's Marlowe or MacDonald's Archer. "Shell Game" is the 19th book in the series and V.I. Warshawski is now a legend in her own right. In "Shell Game" Warshawski must split her time between two cases involving people close to her, dealing with a murder victim obsessed with Mideast archeology in one, and with her niece, Reno, who is harboring a deadly secret,in the other. The investigations also involve the Russian mob, ISIS backers, rogue ICE agents, and a network of stock scams and stolen antiquities. First edition, first printing (as stated, with complete numberline). About 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches, 385 pages in light blue paper-covered boards with black backstrip and silver lettering on spine. Publisher's "WM" stamped in lower right corner of front cover. Dustjacket's front panel shows author and title in white lettering above a night-time city scape with a blurb from Lee Child separating title and author. Back panel contains two lengthy blurbs praising "Shell Game." This copy is signed and dated (10.26.2018) by Paretsky on the title page. This is a very fine copy in mint condition, the only flaw a tiny dogear on the back fold of the dustjacket. Not other noticeable flaws or damage. A collector's copy.