Mr. Zero - Patricia Wentworth (psued. Dora Amy Elles) 1938 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition A superb near fine example of the first edition in the classic dust jacket.

‘The last thing London debutante Gay Hardwicke wants is to become involved in another one of her cousin’s messy jams. But Lady Sylvia Colesborough is in over her head this time: She claims she’s being blackmailed by the mysterious Mr. Zero. If she doesn’t steal important government papers from the safe of her politically connected husband, the distinguished Sir Francis, her gambling debts will be exposed. Gay’s reluctant attempts to help Sylvia backfire when a murder raises the stakes—and Gay’s boyfriend, Algy Somers, becomes the prime suspect. [Barnes & Noble].
  Published the same year by Hodder and Stoughton, London. According to Cooper & Pike it is possible the British Edition may not be the true first.

Dora Amy Elles (1877-1961) was a prolific British author who wrote under the pseudonym Patricia Wentworth.

References: Reilly, ’
Twentieth-Century Crime and Mystery Writers’ (1980), 1460. Cooper & Pike, ‘Detective Fiction’, 309.

Octavo (book size 19.7x13.5cm), pp. 317 [3]. In publisher’s orange cloth, spine and front panel lettered in dark blue, top edge tinted blue (possibly benefiting from later colour touch-up), foredge untrimmed, lower edge trimmed. Dust jacket priced ‘$2.00’ to lower corner of front flap, colour touch-up to panels and spine, and paper restoration to head and tale of spine and corners.
  Condition: Near fine, minor rubbing to corners and spine ends, small patches of abrasion to rear pastedown, top edge tint of blue has possibly benefited from later colour touch-up, in dust jacket with colour touch-up to panels and spine, and paper restoration to head and tale of spine and corners.   Ref: 110810   Price: HK$ 3,000