The rat began to gnaw the rope
(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.

Includes bibliographical references.

"The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope follows Gil Henry, a Kentucky lawyer who begins investigating a stock fraud and winds up investigating a murder. When Ruth McClure approaches Gil and asks him to investigate the stock she inherited from her father, he reluctantly agrees, never expecting to be embroiled in scandal, subterfuge, and murder. But the more he digs the deeper the manipulation scheme goes, and it becomes unclear whether Gil will find a way out. In this portrait of pre-WWII America, this exceptional mystery combines fast-paced plotting and a breezy writing style with C.W. Grafton's thorough knowledge of the law. Grafton was also one of the first to add humor to the hard-boiled style of Hammett and Chandler."--,Provided by publisher.