Murder Is Served — Lockridge, Avon 1951

📖 Murder Is Served by Frances and Richard Lockridge (1951, Avon Books) — the 12th Mr. and Mrs. North mystery featuring a hired murder plot, Manhattan wit against academic malice. This copy is a Very Good+ Avon Pocket-Size paperback #363 with vibrant mid-century cover art and intact maroon edge stain.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Frances Lockridge (1896–1963) and Richard Lockridge (1898–1982)
• Publisher: Avon Books, New York
• Year: 1951 (Avon Pocket-Size Book #363, first printing)
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 188 | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Very Good+ — full report below

THE STORY

Murder Is Served is the twelfth novel in the Mr. and Mrs. North series, published as a standalone hardcover in 1948 and issued in paperback by Avon in 1951. The plot centers on Manhattan amateur sleuths Mr. and Mrs. North as they investigate a murder-for-hire scheme involving a thirty-million-dollar motive, pitting sophisticated wit against calculated academic malice. The novel typifies post-war Lockridge pacing — fast, dialogue-driven, and rooted in New York society.

THIS EDITION

This is Avon Books Pocket-Size #363, a first Avon printing dated 1951. The edition is complete and unabridged with the publisher’s maroon edge stain. The cover credits the Avon Pocket-Size series and is marked “COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED.” The paperback measures approximately 6.75 x 4.75 inches and shows the typical glossy laminate of the era.

COVER ART / ILLUSTRATIONS / DESIGN

The front cover illustration shows a tense confrontation: a man in a suit and fedora points accusatorily at a blonde woman seated at a wooden desk, who holds a white object and looks down with concern. The tagline reads “WOULD YOU KILL A MAN YOU HATED — FOR THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS?” The title is in bold red with white outline, author name in red below, and the Avon logo in a yellow circle at top left. The palette is earth tones with blue jacket and green dress accents, typical of mid-century Avon mystery art. The back cover features a “Dyckman University Term Paper” excerpt on hatred, reinforcing the novel’s moral dilemma. The spine displays the title, authors, and number 363.

WHY IT MATTERS

• The Mr. and Mrs. North series ran 26 novels from 1940 to 1959 and was adapted for radio and television, making it one of the most recognizable American mystery series of the era.
• Avon Pocket-Size books are collectible for their distinctive cover art and affordable wartime/post-war distribution; #363 is a key mid-series entry.
• The novel was first published in 1948 under the Lockridges’ own name and remains a representative example of cozy Manhattan detective fiction.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? Avon Books Pocket-Size #363, first Avon paperback printing 1951, complete and unabridged.

What condition is it in? Graded Very Good+ overall; full report below.

Is the dust jacket included? No dust jacket — this is a paperback edition.

FOR COLLECTORS

This copy retains bright cover lettering, intact spine, publisher’s maroon edge stain, and no writing or tears. The gentle outward curl along the fore-edge is typical of glossy Avon laminates and does not affect readability. A solid example for Mr. and Mrs. North collectors and vintage Avon paperback enthusiasts.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Very Good+ (VG+)

Cover & Spine: Both covers exhibit a gentle natural outward curl along the fore-edge, likely due to the glossy laminate applied to the covers and age; spine and both covers are smooth and uncreased, with vibrant lettering. If it has been read, it was very gently handled.

Text Block & Pages: Publisher maroon edge stain intact; interior pages are uniform off-white to lightly age-toned. No writing, no torn or folded pages.

Binding: Spine glue does show drying, but the spine is sound and firm with no loose leaves/pages.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-11-02

Shelf: 3-top

1 in stock