Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1965. The first book by the author of the highly popular, Edgar Award-winning Dave Robicheaux mystery series, among other books. His early books were well-received critically but were seen as "regional" fiction and never enjoyed significant commercial success. His foray into genre fiction earned him high praise as one of the most "literary" of the mystery novelists, and his books soon became instant bestsellers upon publication. Like the Robicheaux books, this is set in the author's home state of Louisiana and is a tale of violence and the quest for redemption, revealing the underpinnings of Burke's later series and his attempt to develop the strands that would define a heroic character in contemporary terms. Signed by the author. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with mild fading and rubbing to the spine. A nice copy of an important first book. [#914619] SOLD