Throughout his career Warhol created numerous artist books based on his drawings. However, he also designed covers for other authors. This drawing is one of several Warhol completed as a study for the cover of a crime novel by Leslie Edgley called ‘The Runaway Pigeon’ (titled ‘Diamonds Spell Death’ outside America). The story involves a heist in a diamond merchants followed by a chase across several American states. This illustration combines marbleised paper, which Warhol was experimenting with at this time, and his blotted-line technique. He has also included a cut-out shape of a figure that appears to be running, although it also resembles the line drawn around dead bodies at crime scenes. The dark marbleised background adds to the ominous feeling.