THE BEAST OF BARBARESCO

Warwick, Toronto, 1996, 1^st/1^st Canadian ed.  ISBN 1-894020-89-8.  Hard cover, 187 pages.  Near fine; yellow boards with gilt lettering on spine, tight binding with headbands; small spot on front board, tiny scrape on bottom front edge; spine head lightly bumped.  Dust jacket with price intact shows very light edge wear, some rubs and light scratches.  Interior clean and unmarked; inscribed and signed by author to prior owner on title page with hand-drawn wine glass.  Remainder of interior clean and unmarked.  ‘For wine writer Ezra Brant, the trip to the picturesque Piedmontese village of Barbaresco to help judge the annual wine competition was supposed to be a restful interlude – despite all the talk of a serial killer the locals have dubbed “the Beast.”  But when a fellow wine writer disappears without a trace, Ezra has no choice but to investigate.  Could his colleague have become the latest victim of the Beast?  Or does his disappearance have to do with a story he had been pursuing?  Ezra puts his wine knowledge to work in finding the truth, in spite of all the obstacles set before him … including a charming Irish redhead.’ (from front flap)