The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope - (Library of Congress Crime Classics) by C W Grafton (Paperback)

About the Book

"The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope was first published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1943. A notation in the Library of Congress's first edition copy states it is a "war edition," meaning the novel's complete text appears at reduced size to comply with paper conservation orders of the War Production Board during World War II"--Title page verso.

Book Synopsis

"Grafton's novel is not simply a historical curio, but a genuinely offbeat and entertaining suspense story."--The Washington Post

The second book in the Library of Congress Crime Classics, an exciting new classic mystery series created in exclusive partnership with the Library of Congress. In this exquisite piece of hard-boiled crime fiction, is this lawyer digging his way to the truth, or digging his own grave?

A timeless and propulsive story, The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope is:

• For fans of historical crime mysteries and crime classics
• For readers who love the works of Sue Grafton

Short, chubby, and awkward with members of the opposite sex, Gil Henry is the youngest partner in a small law firm, not a hard-boiled sleuth. So when an attractive young woman named Ruth McClure walks into his office and asks him to investigate the value of the stock she inherited from her father, he thinks nothing of it--until someone makes an attempt on his life.

Soon Gil is inadvertently embroiled in a classic American scandal, subterfuge, and murder. He's beaten, shot, and stabbed, as his colleagues and enemies try to stop him from seeing the case through to the end. Surrounded by adversaries, he teams up with Ruth and her secretive brother to find answers to the questions someone desperately wants to keep him from asking.

In this portrait of America on the eve of America's entry into World War II, C.W. Grafton--himself a lawyer and the father of prolific mystery writer Sue Grafton--pens an award-winning historical crime fiction that combines humor and the hard-boiled style and will keep readers guessing until its thrilling conclusion.

Review Quotes

"A worthy addition to an outstanding new series. " -- Booklist

"Perfect for fans of A.A. Fair's brash contemporaneous Bertha Cool/Donald Lam franchise." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The superior prose and logical but surprising plot twists amply justify this volume's reissue as a Library of Congress Crime Classic" -- Publishers Weekly

"This book is the perfect addition to anyone's mystery library, and I highly recommend you meet Gil Henry yourself." -- Portland Book Review