Then this arrived today. Not what I was expecting.
Yes, I was expecting my hardback of The Bone Tree by Greg Iles to arrive, but I didn’t expect this.
I was fairly sure I’d ordered the UK version from The Book Depository, as it looked (that’s it on the left), though in hardback, very similar to the design of the paperback version of Natchez Burning I read last year (on the left). 
That was a super-looking cover and I thought, at least if I am going to break the sequence and get a hardback instead of waiting for the paperback, at least it’ll look similar.
Just me? OK then.
So then, today, this turns up:
At first, I’m a little disappointed that it wasn’t what I obviously thought I was ordering. Then, I saw this:
Those are some rough-cut edges alright.
I can’t imagine that that is how they should be. The Book Depository did seem to give the impression that the book was being sent out ahead of schedule, so maybe I got one that was – somehow – unfinished? I did rack my old designer brain for a – given that I do know something of the story so far – justification for it. Came up empty.
So, I’m thinking ‘do I have the enthusiasm for sending it back?’, when I get thinking ‘that there cover looks a bit strange’ and I have a closer look…
And…I’m sold! My previous ‘oh good lord, this isn’t what I wanted!’ is now ‘Wow!’
So, rather than the dinner of the dog, in an instant I really do think it looks the knees of the bee, the pyjamas of the cat.
It’s certainly a first edition,
can’t complain there.
So, a nice – delayed – surprise then. The UK version still seems available to order on The Book Depository there, with another version also available, but without the cover pictured. I still believe I ordered the UK version, but I’m well chuffed with this one now and looking forward to getting some eyes into it asap.
Even with the ‘A Novel’ nonsense on the front…
speeshreads.com 