This is a 1st edition of THE MALCONTENTA, just one of 12 lettered rebound copies signed by the author Barry Maitland on a special page. Sumptuous leather with five raised bands, marbled sides and endpapers, Scorpion logo in gilt.

From the additional page:

The Barry Maitland book is second left. The ithers are by John Lawton, Minette Walters and R J Ellory.

Barry Maitland made his crime writing debut with The Marx Sisters in 1994. The novel brought to life the two Metropolitan police officers – Brock and Kolla – who are shown over the twelve novels of the series to date to be resourceful and compelling. These novels have enthralled fans because the crimes were fascinating in the sense that they carried a texture marrying place, history and social relations. Each novel was set in a different part of London and the suburbs – often in a building with an imprint of history; this background was generally the place which in today’s commercial world had become a centre for private medicine, art, property development, stamp trading etc. Clever plotting and suspense were evident, but uncovering what the police need to know requires a special kind of mind and expertise – enter Brock, and of course, Kolla. The late crime guru H R F Keating writing of Maitland’s books noted, “the Great Detective is now (in the 90s) split into two, female equal with male, Brock plus Kolla”.

This book was signed in 2017 and rebound for the Scorpion Press for issue to subscribers in early 2018. It is supplied with original dust jacket.

Scorpion Press had previously published a signed limited edition of The Chalon Heads in 1998.