Description: First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Signed by Author. Fine / Fine. 8vo. Deluxe limited edition. Number 6 of only 150 copies printed. Signed by Colin Dexter on the limitation page. Features a unique introductory appreciation by fellow crime fiction writer Jonathan Gash. Elegantly bound in the publisher's original red quarter-leather over patterned marbled boards incorporating eggshell blue, cherry, purple, and fawn tones. Top edge of the text block is stained pink. Spine features bright gilt lettering. Issued without a traditional paper dust wrapper, this edition features the original clear acetate protective jacket. [1] Condition: A spectacular, investment-grade copy. The binding is square, rigid, and tightly bound. The red leather is vibrant and entirely free of rubbing or the common light-fading that impacts the top edge of this specific edition. Marbled boards are flawlessly clean with sharp corners. The pink top stain remains deep and uniform. Internal pages are crisp, immaculate, and free of foxing, toning, or previous owner marks. The author's signature is clear and bold. The original clear acetate jacket is in pristine condition, showing no splits, chips, or surface scuffing. An exceptional, collection-defining presentation of the tenth Inspector Morse mystery. Synopsis: When a young Swedish tourist vanishes in the Oxfordshire countryside, the case goes cold until a cryptic poem is sent to The Times, hinting that her body is buried deep within Wytham Woods. Inspector Morse and Sergeant Lewis are drafted in to decipher the verses and re-examine the original investigation, only to uncover a complex web of voyeurism, deception, and hidden identities. As Morse battles his own failing health, he must use his brilliant instinct for wordplay and human frailty to catch a calculating killer before the trail goes cold forever.