Neck and neck: A "Sergeant Beef" detective novel

1980, American hardcover edition (This book was copyrighted by the author in 1951; there was another English edition published in 1976. Here this title appears for the first time in America), published by Academy Chicago Ltd., Chicago, Illinois. 224 pages. British detective fiction, featuring Sgt. Beef who manages to trample his "flatfooted way" in his investigation of a publisher who is found hanged. The unpopular man apparently committed suicide; or did he? Until this American publication, most of the Beef books were unavailable in America. Leo Bruce, by the way, is the pen name of Rupert Croft-Cooke, who wrote many great, very well respected biographies of famous writers in the U.K. and these very well done Sgt. Beef mysteries.