THE MYSTERIOUS COMMISSION.

London: Gollancz, 1974. 192 pp, 8vo (8" H). "Charles Honeybath's clients are usually successful businessmen, and he does very well out of them, but his latest commission is a most unusual one. He is offered twice his standard fee if he will agree to spend a fortnight in the country, at a place unspecified, painting the portrait of a client who must remain unidentified. Curiosity, rather than cupidity, impels Honeybath to accept the strange terms. Whereupon he is drawn into an extremely bizarre, and for some people fatal, adventure. To give away even the plot's first surprise would be to give away far too much. But when Honeybath discovers the startling motive for the extraordinary commission, this is only the beginning of his own intrepid venture into the field of criminal investigation. True, the police are by now investigating too, and most urgently, for the crime is a big one. But Honeybath goes it alone, with his own private clues, which include the main line from Paddington to Swansea - and Michael Innes fans know that whenever one of his characters boards a train, something interesing happens. Innes is, as ever, delightfully relaxed, and his criminals are an engaging gang - or two gangs, to be precise; but in this novel there are darker colours too, and hints of terror." Wrinkling at top/bottom of spine, tiny bump at top corner of rear board, book is lightly cocked a few tiny foxing marks on top of textblock. Dust jacket has light edge wrinkling - mainly at top/bottom of spine and flap-folds.. First British Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good.