First Edition. Octavo. Original red cloth with black lettering to spine.

• Book Condition: Good+. Binding remains firm, tight, and square. Cloth boards are clean with only minor shelf wear to the extremities. Text block is clean and edges are sound. Notable flaw: A neat, contemporary personal inscription on the first leaf (front free endpaper).

• Dust Jacket Condition: Good+. Not price-clipped, retaining the original "10s. 6d." net price. The front and rear panels remain clean and visually striking. Notable flaw: The fragile spine panel exhibits uniform sun-fading, though the black lettering remains entirely legible. Minimal rubbing to the corner tips and spine ends, with no major tears or chips.

A highly presentable, structurally sound copy of this classic Hercule Poirot student hostel mystery. Summary of Plot: An unusual outbreak of kleptomania at a student hostel on Hickory Road fails to interest Hercule Poirot until he looks at the bizarre list of stolen objects. A stethoscope, a slashed rucksack, some old trousers, and a diamond ring found in a bowl of soup make absolutely no logical sense. However, when the petty thefts take a sinister turn and a student is found dead, Poirot realizes a clever killer is hiding in plain sight. Assisted by his efficient secretary Miss Lemon, the Belgian detective must unravel a web of hidden relationships, smuggling, and murder.