Rare and collectable Detective Fiction titles, including first editions and other significant editions, often with striking dust-jackets. Authors ranging from the obscure, the pseudonymous and the classic, such as Agatha Christie, with titles from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and beyond.
Detective Fiction
London, Heritage, 1935.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth ruled and lettered in red to spine. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Attractive jacket artwork complements this pseudonymous title, which apparently "hides the identity of a retired naval commander, a noted authority on ancient piracy[...]" (jacket blurb)
Detective Fiction
London, Hamish Hamilton, 1962.
First UK edition. Inscribed presentation copy from Chandler's literary agent and lover, Helga Greene, to one of the contributors. 8vo. Original black cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 21s.
Tough-minded and typically idiosyncratic, here is Chandler on Chandler, the mystery novel, writing, Hollywood, TV, publishing, cats and famous crimes. Attractive presentation copy from his agent and lover.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1952.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
A decent first UK edition of this famous village 'whodunit', playfully placing Poirot in the scene rather than Miss Marple.
Detective Fiction
London, Frederick Muller, 1938.
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth lettered in red to the spine. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
Inspector Maddock of Scotland Yard is first introduced to fans of crime fiction in this now uncommon first edition.
Detective Fiction
London, Andrew Melrose, n.d..
First edition, third impression. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, '4/-' price sticker to spine.
One of the best 'Department "Z"' titles by this prolific author.
Detective Fiction
Edinburgh, Grant & Murray, 1933.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Striking jacket artwork on this Jacobite era murder mystery. Uncommon.
Detective Fiction
London, Faber & Faber, 1956.
First edition. 8vo. Original red boards lettered in yellow. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
A Professor Daly title by prolific Irish author Eilís Dillon.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1930.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth.
Hubin listed crime thriller.
Detective Fiction
London, Jonathan Cape, 1933.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
"The story of a strange chase across the South American continent." (jacket blurb)
Detective Fiction
New York, Simon & Schuster, 1947.
First edition, 'Inner Sanctum Suspense Special'. 8vo. Original brick cloth. Dust-jacket.
A 1947 thriller about a mother who shields her daughter from a blackmailer.
Detective Fiction
From the Play by Maurice Leblanc and Francis De Croisset
London, Mills & Boon, 1909.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original cloth with inset vignette portrait, lettered in red to upper cover, gilt lettering to spine.
The book to tie-in with the four-act play first performed on October 28, 1908, at the Athenée in Paris. In 1909 it had successful runs in New York and London, with the London production running for 199 shows. The gentleman-thief was first introduced in serial form in 1905.
Detective Fiction
London, Boardman, 1961.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original orange boards. Dust-jacket, priced 12s6d.
An attractive first UK edition of this Peter Chambers title by Kane, no. 362 in the American Bloodhound Mystery series.
Detective Fiction
London, Michael Joseph, 1964. First edition. 8vo. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket, priced by 16s. A very good copy of this murder mystery first edition.
London, Constable, 1934.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Uncommon title in jacket, from the pen of the creator of Inspector Artifex of Scotland Yard.
Detective Fiction
London, Houghton, 1932.
First edition. 8vo. Original yellow cloth lettered & blocked in black. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A very attractive example of this Hubin-listed title.
Detective Fiction
London, Eveleigh Nash & Grayson, [1926].
?Third UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.
The Mystery of the Yellow Room is a mystery novel which blends elements of detective fiction with a touch of Gothic atmosphere. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical L'Illustration from September 1907 to November 1907, then in its own right in 1908, with the first UK edition published by Arnold in 1909. Early jacketed editions such as this are distinctly uncommon.
Detective Fiction
London, Eveleigh Nash & Grayson, [1926].
?Third UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.
The Mystery of the Yellow Room is a mystery novel which blends elements of detective fiction with a touch of Gothic atmosphere. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical L'Illustration from September 1907 to November 1907, then in its own right in 1908, with the first UK edition published by Arnold in 1909. Early jacketed editions such as this are distinctly uncommon.
Detective Fiction
London, Ward, Lock & Bowden, 1894.
First edition. 8vo. Original pictorial cloth.
A very good first edition of this collection of detective stories by Arthur Morrison, featuring the titular Martin Hewitt, a private detective who uses his powers of observation and deduction to solve crimes. A Queen's Quorum Cornerstone.
Detective Fiction
London, Cassell, 1951.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue boards lettered in white to spine. Dust-jacket, priced 9s 6d.
The last crime title written under the pseudonym 'Q. Patrick' by a small team of writers better known under the collective pseudonym 'Patrick Quentin'.
Detective Fiction
London, John Long, 1966.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced 15s.
An attractive first edition of one of the author's non-series suspense novels.
Detective Fiction
London, Geoffrey Bles, 1960.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original pale blue boards. Dust-jacket, priced 13s6d.
One of the last Lancelot Priestley novels by this prolific writer.
Detective Fiction
Rohmer (Sax, pseud. Arthur Henry “Sarsfield” Ward) The Golden Scorpion
London, Methuen, 1920.
Second edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/-.
Four brilliant men have died mysteriously - and the only clue is the carved tail of a golden scorpion, left beside their bodies. Classic stuff from the creator of Fu Manchu. First published in 1919.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1951.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original dark orange cloth. Dust-jacket.
The Cape Code town of Quanomet us in fervent due to a stupendous pageant of American history taking place. Attractive jacket artwork.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1936.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
An attractive mid-period Clubfoot novel by the author and journalist Valentine Williams. Distinctly uncommon in the original dust-jacket.
Detective Fiction
London, Skeffington, 1952.
First edition. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10s.
Uncommon first edition by Australian author Aldous; a plausible suicide fails to convince all parties, leading to the chivalrous involvement of a comic-strip artist friend and potentially deadly consequences. Locked room mystery (Adey p43).
Detective Fiction
New York, Dodd, Mead, 1938.
First US edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00
The first US edition of this Poirot novel, reflecting Christie's experiences travelling in the Middle East with her husband, the archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan. The main settings are Jerusalem and Petra.
Detective Fiction
London [&c.], Hutchinson, 1957.
First edition. Signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original black boards. Dust-jacket, priced 11/6.
One of the later Inspector Saturnin Dax titles by this prolific author, with contemporary gift inscription from the author to 'Bill' Bayliss.
Detective Fiction
Dalton (Moray, pseud. Katherine M. Renoir) The Longbridge Murders
London, Sampson Low, 1945.
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A surprisingly tough Dalton first edition to locate, in English at least.
Detective Fiction
Eustace (Robert, pseud. Eustace Robert Barton) A Human Bacillus
London, John Long, 1907.
First edition. 8vo. Advertisements. Original red pictorial cloth.
An attractive example of this rare first edition, a medical detective thriller.
London, The Bodley Head, 1924.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red blind-tooled cloth lettered in gilt to spine. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Attractive English edition of this uncommon title by Swedish author Heller, translated by Pauline de Chary.
Detective Fiction
New York, Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1942.
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth lettered in blue to spine. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00.
The first edition of this title by William Anthony Parker White, aka Anthony Boucher, writing under the pseudonym he adopted from a 19th century serial killer. The jacket is stylistically similar to the contemporary Knopf editions of Chandler.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1944.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 8s6d.
Jocular Ellie McKay, of the Yard, and his book-selling friend Gilkison, happen in on the murder of a cussed old codger, bibliomaniac Hatt Baildon.
Detective Fiction
London, Geoffrey Bles, 1932.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original pale blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
The first UK edition of this work by prolific Austrian author Baum.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins, 1953.
First edition. 8vo. Original mauve boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
The author's first book; a classic murder mystery which will keep you guessing until the final pages.
Detective Fiction
Bellairs (George, pseud. Harold Blundell) Close All Roads to Sospel
London, John Gifford, 1976.
First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced £2.50.
A British travel group is stranded in France when the tour conductor is shot, and the bus driver is accused of murder. Luckily, Inspector Littlejohn is holidaying nearby and is on hand, both to interpret the annoyed tourists and to solve a baffling double crime.
Detective Fiction
Bellairs (George, pseud. Harold Blundell) Death of a Busybody
London, Thrilling Book Club, 1942.
First book club edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth.
The second Littlejohn title, published the same year as the first edition by John Gifford. Scarce.
London, John Gifford, [1949].
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 6/-.
An Inspector Littlejohn story.
Detective Fiction
London, Frederick Muller, 1934.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Attractive jacket artwork on this uncommon, and untypical, detective fiction title.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1968.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 21s.
The first UK edition of the author's third "cat" murder-mysteries.
Detective Fiction
London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1956.
First UK edition, first hardcover edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
Irish writer Moore's first pulp fiction foray under this pseudonym, one of seven such titles he subsequently disowned. Adapted into a 1958 film noir of the same name, directed by Jack Cardiff. Rare.
Detective Fiction
London, Geoffrey Bles, 1956.
First edition. 8vo. Original green boards lettered in red. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
The author's first novel, introducing her series character John Coffin, albeit in a less primary role than that he took on from the fourth book.
Detective Fiction
New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1934.
First edition (stated on copyright page). 8vo. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
The first edition of this classic of US crime literature, widely recognised as an outstanding novel of the 20th century. The jacket is price-clipped, but the titles listed on the back panel conform to the first printing, and the inside front flap includes the disclaimer about no cheaper printings being issued before Spring 1935.