American author and cultural icon Gore Vidal wasn’t known for his crime writing, but in his early career he did dabble in the genre. Now, Charles Ardai‘s Hard Case Crime has unearthed Thieves Fall Out, a pulp piece Vidal had published in 1953 under the nom de plume Cameron Kay. It was his 10th novel and would have been consigned to the sands of time were it not for HCC.

“This novel provides a delicious glimpse into the mind of Gore Vidal in his formative years,” says Ardai. “By turns mischievous and deadly serious, Vidal tells the story of a man caught up in events bigger than he is, a down-on-his-luck American in Cairo at a time when revolution is brewing and heads are about to roll. Thieves Fall Out also offers a startling glimpse of Egypt in turmoil – despite having been written over half a century ago, it feels as current as the news streaming from that region today.”

In typical HCC fashion, a fresh cover has been commissioned for this reprint and it’s by Greg Orbik, who also illustrated the jacket for Stephen King’s crime novel Joyland. Let us know what you think.

Theives Fall Out will be released in the UK by Titan Books on 17 April as a hardback, and for Kindle. Pre-order below.