Now here is a jacket to bring back memories. Photo-art covers on Pan books. I know little, as usual, about Towards Zero, except it has a very sci-fi name for a Christie. What does this cover tell me about the book. Next to nothing, except there may be game of tennis involved (I am sure the Lex can confirm or deny, he being a Christie and tennis lover).
These kind of seventies book jackets relied on my better printing for covers, good phot representation. But just because your jacket can be photo-realistic should it be? Here we have a truly baffling still life, possibly knocked together by the art departments kids. Not that I have read the book, there may be massive clues in this cover such as the murderer being a wonky eyed blonde bloke whose face you would like to throw balls at, and has a voice like a handbell. So I’m guessing Thom Yorke did it.
What on earth is the left eye?
One eye’s a golf club and the other the top view of a nearly-empty cup of tea or coffee, I think.
Yes, it’s a golf club – an IMPORTANT CLUE in the book.
One of the main protagonists is a tennis pro, and there’s a good scene near the start where Christie takes us through a match he plays at the Monte Carlo Open (which is still held today). I think it’s one of Christie’s best-crafted books.