"Patrick Quentin" was one of a number of shared pseudonyms in mid-century American genre fiction. A variety of writers would incorporate to produce a larger output which would then be published under the shared pen name. The Quentin group wrote murder mysteries and whodunits in the John Dixon Carr style; one of its most popular works was this:
Black Widow, published in 1952 by Simon & Schuster under their "Inner Sanctum Mysteries" imprint. Like other genre-club imprints (see: "Crime Club"),
Inner Sanctum was backed by an eponymous radio show of the era.
Black Widow was filmed in 1956, and it was not a "B" picture -- it was a Cinemascope, Technicolor release with Van Heflin as Peter Duluth (renamed "Peter Denver" in a slight to Minnesotans) and Ginger Rogers as the femme fatale.
This is a fun item for any collector of genre fiction, mid-century noir, or old time radio fans. These editions are hard to find in good condition.
Here are the condition notes:
Good used condition. No DJ. Exterior red paper boards show significant edge wear, including some color chipping, but holds together well. Binding is tight and intact. Inside endpapers are tanned/discolored from the inexpensive glue used in these editions. Interior is otherwise clean and unmarked with white-to-off-white pages.