WILD HORSES -- **SIGNED COPY / LETTERED EDITION

Bristol: England: Scorpion Press, 1994. First Edition. LETTERED EDITION. One of only 20 lettered copies (this being " K ") SIGNED by both FRANCIS and by H.R.F. KEATING, who wrote the Appreciation. Laid in is a note on Scorpion Press letterhead describing the De Luxe Specifications : "The de luxe presentation copies are produced in small numbers as they are intended primarily for the use of the author, contributor, editor, publisher and others associated with the authors work. These books are given a letter rather than a number and are especially handsome, bound in goatskin rather than bonded leather with five raised bands. The spine blocking is horizontal because of the raised bands. In addition these books contain the signature of the contributor. Prices vary slightly due to the costs involved, the difficulty of obtaining the signatures and overall desirability of the volumes." Bound in green goatskin with marbled paper-covered boards. Titles stamped in gilt with green topstain. A fine unread copy in acetate dust jacket as issued. "For his 33rd-and quite splendid-novel, Francis (Decider) adds to his usual horse-racing setting a backdrop involving feature filmmaking. As usual, though, it's murder most foul and mayhem most brilliant for this English master. In the Suffolk city of Newmarket, Thomas Lyon is for the first time directing a film featuring an American megastar. Based on a bestselling book, the movie concerns a still unexplained, 26-year-old death by hanging of a young horse trainer's wife. The wife's sister, niece and nephew are vehemently opposed to the film, while the book's author, who's also the screenwriter, is opposed to any changes in his plot. The megastar's double is attacked, a murder occurs, Thomas gets death threats and finds himself in great peril. How Francis has him solve the assorted mysteries and achieve a satisfactory ending for his film is nothing short of dazzling. Francis puts his novel together in the same way a movie is constructed, with out-of-sequence scenes, dissolves and brilliant images. He offers wonderful set pieces and moves his large and colorful cast with the aplomb of a seasoned director. Even better, in Thomas Lyon he has created a representative of a vanishing, even endangered, fictional species: the thoroughly decent chap we care about. A tip-top thriller, this could make the best movie about movies since The Stunt Man" -- Publishers Weekly. Signed by All Contributors. First Edition. Goatskin. Fine/Fine. Book.