Publisher in the spotlight: Herbert Jenkins Ltd

First edition.
London, Herbert Jenkins, 1937.

Signed and inscribed in the year of publication to John Gawsworth on the front endpaper describing Suicide Alibi as ‘’not another little classic but it will serve!’’ Terence Ian Fytton Armstrong, better known as John Gawsworth, was a British writer, poet and compiler of anthologies, both of poetry and of short stories. A very scarce locked room mystery involving the shooting of a publisher in a room under observation (Adey p275) Very desirable especially with such a fabulous association.

First edition.
London, Herbert Jenkins, 1935.

Featuring serial character Gilbert Larose The Poisoned Goblet tells of the efforts by a gang to kidnap the child of Lady Ardane. Fabulous dustwrapper art. A desirable title.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1931

First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket correctly priced at 7/6 on spine.

A 'rollicking yarn' from this very prolific author concerning one Oswald Twining who writes novelettes of the purple passion variety under the name of 'Hugo Blazer' and Geraldine Rhombard, the daughter of a Dean and for whom Oswald has fallen very heavily.

Rare in jacket no copies online at time of listing.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1928

First edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, likely a second issue as it is priced 3'6 on spine.

A tale about a fifteen year old child - Hazel Wood - who has the gift of second sight - of being able to see things taking place far away from her.

Uncommon in jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1926

First edition. 8vo. 2pp. advertisements. Original dark red cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 3/6.

A great first edition, with enticing jacket artwork. The authors had previously collaborated on the The Forbidden Hour.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1932].

First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, with publisher's 3/6 price-sticker on top of original 2/6 price.

A scarce early title by this prolific author, who wrote over forty novels, often with a flair for unusual phrasing that would be lucky to escape the editor's blue pencil these days.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1935.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. 8pp. advertisements. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

A very good first edition, first impression of this uncommon spy novel by G.Davison, part of a series that began in 1931 with The Man with the Twisted Face.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [c.1934].

First edition, second impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 2/6.

A wonderful, bright jacket on this scarce early printing by a prolific author, who wrote over 40 novels, often with a flair for unusual phrasing that would be lucky to escape the editor's blue pencil these days.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1948.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth.

A very good example of this uncommon cricket-related crime novel, which invites the reader to solve the crime by following the clues.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1946].

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 8/6.

A plot of diabolic ingenuity taxes Chief Inspector Stephen Rant of the Yard. Attractive jacket artwork.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1938.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth, lettered in black. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.

Excellent atmospheric jacket artwork and a scarce dust-jacket. A tale of blackmail & murder, from the grandfather of Fay Weldon.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1947].

First edition. 8vo. Original dark orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 8/6.

An attractive first edition by the productive James Corbett, from Jenkins' 'House of the Green Label' series.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1939.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

The name's Bond...Christopher Bond... this Pre-James Bond is also caught up in the murky world of espionage. An attractive dust-jacket to boot.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1949].

First edition. 8vo. Original orange boards, lettered in black. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.

Quite a lovely dust-jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1942].

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

A striking first edition of this romantic, behind-the-scenes thriller of the Secret Service by a prolific author.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1952.

First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 9/-.

A dramatic story of crime and detection featuring series character Inspector Gilbert Larose.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1935.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6 with 'reduced price' sticker to spine.

Cool jacket artwork graces this uncommon oriental thriller.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1922.

First edition. 8vo. Original blue pictorial cloth. Dust-jacket, with publisher's overlaid price 2/6 on spine.

An early title by the author and journalist Valentine Williams, distinctly uncommon in the original dust-jacket. Murder in the library gets the ball rolling.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1939.

First edition. 8vo. Original dark orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

Classic whodunnit murder-mystery by an author often better remembered for his spoonerisms and malapropisms, unfairly perhaps.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1939.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

Attractive jacket artwork by a prolific jacket artist of the period, Eugene Hastain. A tale of a proposal of marriage as a business deal, that leads to jealousy and hate...

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1925.

First edition. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jackets, priced 2/6.

Cool jacket artwork on this uncommon work in the original jacket, inscribed by the author on the half-title.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1942].

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

The first of fourteen 'Tiger Lester' titles, written under the pseudonym "Don Betteridge", in an attractive dust-jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1941.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

Excellent jacket artwork on this the last criminous title by Goodwin; a fugitive tale and a rare book in the jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1956.

First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10/6.

The last of Rohmer's femme fatale novels featuring Sumuru, a beautiful and mysterious woman who is the leader of a secret society of assassins, pitching her against Inspector Milligan of Scotland Yard.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1939.

First edition. 8vo. Original dark orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.

Interesting, and uncommon example of alt-history fiction relating to Hitler and WW2, but in this case actually written and published coeval to the time of the events. Rare in jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1934. First edition, third printing. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6. Early printing of this adventure story which dates to around 1934 based on the author's other titles listed in the rear catalogue; in excellent jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1924.

First edition. 8vo. Original green boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 2/6 with contemporary bookseller's price sticker '1/-' to upper panel.

The novel's title references H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, where Morlocks live underground as the world's workers. In Welsh's book, the Morlocks symbolise covert groups in trade unions aiming to incite revolution, leading to tragic consequences during a major miners' strike. Notably, the author was a miner, trade unionist, and served twenty years as an MP for the Scottish Labour Party.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1951.

First edition in book form. 8vo. Original orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket,

Originally serialised in Collier's magazine from 24 June to 22 July 1950, under the title Phipps to the Rescue, this romantic comedy involving butlers, safecracking, movie moguls and film stars is largely set in Hollywood.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1931.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 3/6.

A difficult Wodehouse first edition to find in good condition, also highly sought after for the W. Heath Robinson jacket artwork, which in this case is very good, the whole copy presenting very well.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1936.

First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

Wodehouse leverages his transatlantic success and lifestyle with this tale of a bratty Hollywood child star and an English aristocrat exchange souls at the dentist... Uncommon in such attractive condition.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1933.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

A great example of the first edition of the third collection of stories featuring Mr. Mulliner, the genial Scheherazade of the Anglers' Rest, a bucolic English pub.

London, Herbert Jenkins, n.d..

'Popular Edition'. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/-.

A lovely early reissue of this classic, "the story of a mother's vengeance".

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1937.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth blocked in black. Second issue dust-jacket, priced 2/6.

Attractive jacket artwork graces this uncommon, posthumously published mystery novel by Marxist writer, literary critic, intellectual and activist St John Sprigg.

London, Herbert Jenkins, n.d. [c.1925].

Early printing. 8vo. Original red cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.

Great jacket artwork on this early printing of one of six titles Goodchild published under the name 'Alan Dare', originally published in 1924. The title was reissued under Goodchild's name by Newnes in 1934.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1953.

First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 9/6.

A very good first edition of this crime thriller by an author who remains somewhat enigmatic.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1935.

First edition, 'Colonial Issue'. 8vo. Original off-white cloth stamped in black. Dust-jacket, with 'Herbert Jenkins' Colonial Library' to spine.

A very good first edition from Wodehouse's most famous non 'Jeeves & Wooster' series, a whimsical romp through the idyllic, yet frequently chaotic, life of the eccentric inhabitants of Blandings Castle. Lord Emsworth, the loveable and scatterbrained master of the castle, deals with a series of comedic mishaps, from his overwhelming obsession with his prize pig, the Empress, to the endless parade of quirky relatives, sly imposters and romantic entanglements.

London, Herbert Jenkins, n.d. [1930s].

"Fifteenth Large Edition". 8vo. Original pictorial green cloth. Dust-jacket.

A lovely little book on cocktails, released by Wodehouse's publisher Jenkins - perfect complement to any Wodehouse collection.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1946.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 8/6.

"This novel has a strong, ingenious plot, sparkling characterisation and, above all, that irresistible sense of humour which has now made Sydney Horler famous as a comedian in print." (jacket blurb)

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1934.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

A great example of this scarce title that blends murder-mystery with weird fiction, revolving around the supernatural influences of a book bound in human skin. The female author preferred male pen-names (in this case Noel, but having also penned the bizarre horror title The New Race of Devils, published in 1921, under the name 'John Bernard'), which given her penchant for wearing men's clothing would have come as little surprise to those who knew her - a group which included fellow Irish writer Samuel Beckett, who became friends with her during his time in Roussillon. Miss Beamish even served as inspiration for the character 'old Mrs McGlome' in his 1958 one-man play Krapp's Last Tape.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1960].

First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 12/6.

An attractive first edition of this important work on colour politics in South Africa.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1930.

First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.

'One hundred questions concerning shot guns answered by one of the greatest living gun experts...' (jacket blurb)

Experiences of a City Detective
London, Herbert Jenkins, n.d. [1920s].

8vo. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.

An attractive edition of this work originally published in 1878. When the stories were first released most readers thought they were genuine accounts of crime-solving, something of a trend at the time and testament perhaps to the author's talents.

Chronicles of a City Detective
London, Herbert Jenkins, [1920s].

8vo. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.

An attractive edition of this work by 'M'Govan' (aka Honeyman(. When the stories were first released most readers thought they were genuine accounts of crime-solving, something of a trend at the time and testament perhaps to the author's talents.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1932.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth ruled and lettered in black. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

Classic Jenkins period-comedy, in attractive Simmonds jacket.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1940.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

The name's Bond...Christopher Bond - great jacket artwork on this spy thriller, complete with villainous Nazis.

London, Herbert Jenkins, [1939].

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

"George Preedy" was one of several pseudonyms used by Marjorie Bowen, whose output spanned historical fiction, supernatural tales, and thrillers. Under this name, she often explored darker, more mature themes than in her historical romances.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1937.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original dark orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

A light comic novel in Thomson's "Reggie" series, following society-bound Reggie as he relocates to the countryside.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1934.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

A crime thriller about a man wrongfully convicted who escapes custody to seek justice against those who framed him - a gripping moral and suspense tale.

London, Herbert Jenkins, 1936.

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original mustard yellow cloth. Dust-jacket.

Memoirs of service in the French Foreign Legion in Algeria, offering first-hand military adventures and survival in North Africa.