THE MARK TWAIN MURDERS: A Beth Austin Mystery (Brown Bag Mystery Series) **SIGNED COPY** AWARD FINALIST**

Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.A.: Council Oak Books, 1989. First edition, second impression, so stated. Near fine in dust jacket. SIGNED COPY, signature only, by the author on the blank page opposite the title page. The first title in the Brown Bag Mystery Series featuring pocket-sized hardcover books. Highly regarded as it was a FINALIST for three awards: AGATHA, ANTHONY and MACIVITY AWARDS for BEST FIRST NOVEL. "This exciting story is set at Midwestern University in Illinois where a student is killed after winning a prize for her essay on Tom Sawyer . Convinced that the girl had plagiarized the piece, Professor Beth Austin plunges into the intricate task of unearthing the original. Coincidentally, Gil Bailey, an erudite FBI agent, arrives to investigate thefts of library treasures and establishes an informal partnership with Austin. Suspicion falls on professors and others on the university staff as the amateur and professional detectives cooperate and (soon) fall in love. In the end, an attack on Austin proves fatal to the unlikely killer. Skom provides a literary treat, salted with wit, most notably in her characterizations of eccentric academics." -- Publishers Weekly. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Book.