Detective Fiction
Cumberland (Gerald, pseud. Charles Frederick Kenyon) The Cypress Chest
London, John Hamilton, 1927.
First edition. 8vo. Origial blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
From Hamilton's Sundial Mystery Library series. "An experiment in sensational fiction in which careful and detailed character drawing comes second to an absorbing plot." (jacket blurb)
Detective Fiction
London, Constable, 1935.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
Suitably ominous jacket artwork on this uncommon first edition; one of at least three works by Scottish author Curle, better known today for his friendship with and works about Joseph Conrad.
Detective Fiction
London, Hutchinson & Co., 1933.
'25th thousand'. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
The novel of Edgar Wallace's famous play, told by Robert Curtis. Compelling jacket artwork.
Detective Fiction
London, Faber & Gwyer, 1926
First edition. 8vo. Original brown cloth boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6 on spine.
In this Hubin-listed murder story, the author shows the placid life of Minden Town disturbed by a mysterious tragedy. The mystery remains a mystery almost to the very end of the book. A rare and early Faber crime title.
Detective Fiction
Dalton (Moray) [pseud. Katherine M. Renoir]. The Belgrave Manor Crime
London, Sampson Low, Marston, [1935].
First edition. 8vo. Original dark pink cloth. Dust-jacket, with worn 5/ price-sticker over original 2/6 price.
A fun blend of murder mystery and the paranormal, with series character Detective-Inspector Hugh Collier teaming up with psychic Cosmo Thor to solve the crime. Striking jacket artwork, this an early issue of the jacket, correctly listing Dalton's The Black Death (1934) as her previous title.
London, Sampson Low, Marston, [1936].
First edition. 8vo. 8pp. advertisements at end. Original black cloth. Dust-jacket, early issue with 2/9 price-sticker on top of original 2/6 price.
A scarce classic of Golden Age detective fiction, in an attractive dust-jacket. The book is accompanied by a letter from publishing bureau Curtis Brown to the author Moray Dalton, date 1947, returning three of her titles due to a lack of take-up for reprint by various publishers.
Detective Fiction
New York, Farrar & Rinehart, 1940.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
An excellent first edition of this the second work by Daly, an often under-appreciated author these days; her serial character Henry Gamadge is a bibliophile and expert on rare books & manuscripts, no less!
Detective Fiction
London, Heinemann, 1939
First UK edition. 8vo. Not original publisher's cloth, some sort of library binding. Photographic dust-jacket correctly priced at 7s 6d on front flap.
Published in US as 'Poor, poor Yorick.' A Hubin-listed title involving the dumping of a corpse off the coast of Connecticut and the apparent suicide by poisoning of a hostess on the eve of divorce.
Frederick Clyde Davis (1902-1977) was an American pulp writer. He was educated at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, and became a professional writer at the age of 22. Davis wrote several novels featuring his series detective, Professor Cy Hatch of which this is one.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Cassell, 1939
The story centres on the murder of Mr Norwitch found stabbed in an antiques shop. The author worked in an antiques store and clearly draws heavily on this experience. According to authoritative website www.classiccrimefiction.com, UK first editions in original jackets are rare especially this title.
Detective Fiction
London, Gerald Swan, [1943].
First UK edition, published for the 'Ace American Thrillers' series. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 5/-.
An uncommon first UK edition, originally published in the US in 1940. The second of three well-regarded murder mysteries by Dean, set amongst the world of antique dealing.
Detective Fiction
Dean (Spencer, pseud. Prentice Winchell) Dishonour Among Thieves
London & New York, T. V. Boardman, 1959.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
A good example of the first UK edition of this work, issued as number 242 in the 'American Bloodhound Mystery' series.
Detective Fiction
London, Thornton Butterworth, 1930.
First edition. 8vo. 1p. advertisements. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6.
A tale of espionage, romance and Eastern exoticism, set just before the outbreak of WWI. An excellent copy.
Detective Fiction
Translated from the French by Maverick Terrell. First English edition, London, T. Werner Laurie, 1936. One of the prolific French author's whodunits. Dekobra (real name Maurice Tessier) was one of France's best-known authors during the interwar period, and several of his books were made into films.
Detective Fiction
A Judge Peck Mystery Story
London, George Newnes, [1936]..
First UK edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 2/6.
A stunning jacket on this first UK edition of Arkham House stalwart Derleth's second Judge Peck mystery, in which not one but three sons-in-law meet an unknown death. First published in the US in 1934. The splendid jacket artwork features a naked man on all fours, of course, holding a smoking gun.
Detective Fiction
London, Macmillan, 1975.
First edition. 8vo. Original brown boards. Dust-jacket.
A distinctly uncommon example of the first edition of the first Inspector Morse novel, notoriously hard to find in such good order, the text-block terribly prone to browning, and the book often turning up after being through the public library system, something this copy has thankfully been spared!
Detective Fiction
London, John Hamilton, 1928.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
From Hamilton's Sundial Mystery Library series; a departure from Hamilton's more usual aeronautical vibe, and a seemingly scarce first edition in the original dust-jacket. A chance encounter with a sinister Chinese Secret Society sees the protagonist tossed into a world of intrigue, with a dash of romantic peril for good measure.
Detective Fiction
London, John Hamilton, 1928.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
From Hamilton's Sundial Mystery Library series; a departure from Hamilton's more usual aeronautical vibe, and a seemingly scarce first edition in the original dust-jacket. A chance encounter with a sinister Chinese Secret Society sees the protagonist tossed into a world of intrigue, with a dash of romantic peril for good measure.
Detective Fiction
London, Bles, 1935.
'Popular Edition', second printing. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 2/6.
Originally published in 1926, this attractive early edition in the Abbey jacket is a hard find; Dilnot was a journalist associated with true crime stories, in particular through his editorship of the Famous Trials series also published by Geoffrey Bles.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London. Robert Hale, 1945
Dorothy Cameron Disney (1903-1992) was an American writer who wrote 9 mystery novels.
Detective Fiction
London, Robert Hale, 1989.
First edition. 8vo. Original black boards lettered in silver. Dust-jacket, correctly priced £10.95.
A near fine first edition of the fourth title in Doherty's popular Hugh Corbett series.
Detective Fiction
London, Robert Hale, 1988.
First edition. Signed by the author on title-page. 8vo. Original black boards lettered in silver. Dust-jacket, correctly priced £11.50.
A near fine, signed first edition of Doherty's first book in his Matthew Jankyn series.
Detective Fiction
Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes.
London, John Murray, 1917
First edition. 8vo. 6pp. advertisements. Original cloth.
A collection of previously published Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, including the titular short story, 'His Last Bow: The War Service of Sherlock Holmes'.
Detective Fiction
Detective Stories
New York, Murray Book Corporation, 1930.
'New Edition'. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket.
An intriguingly supernatural themed jacket elevates this omnibus of Holmes stories.
Detective Fiction
[pp.210-224 in The Strand Magazine, vol.LXV
London, Newnes, January - June 1923].
First edition. 4to. Publisher's bevelled pale blue pictorial cloth blocked in black & gilt.
An unsettling, cautionary Sherlock Holmes tale about drug-fuelled lust...and a certain amount of monkey business. Included in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927). Other authors present in this volume include P.G. Wodehouse (including 'Jeeves Takes Charge'), Aldous Huxley and E. Phillips Oppenheim.
Detective Fiction
London, Newnes, 1902.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth blocked in elaborate gilt to upper cover and spine, with inset black silhouette of the Hound to upper cover. With custom made morocco-backed cloth drop back box.
Without doubt one of the most thrilling and atmospheric adventures of everybody's favourite consulting detective, a glorious blend of goth pseudo supernatural and definitive Holmesian deductive scene stealing, The Hound of the Baskervilles exists very much in a realm of its own.
The novel, the third of four featuring Holmes, was the first tale to be published after Doyle threw his most notable creation off a waterfall, and its considerable commercial success was really the catalyst for Holmes' triumphal return to life. With more plots than Varney the Vampire (actually five in all, including red herrings...so we're exaggerating, because everyone knows Varney has about 750), it seems very much a harking back to the Victorian style of creeper, very Le Fanu or Wilkie Collins, with its diary entries, and letters, unearthed manuscript and doom laden portents uttered by gloomy locals staring out of windows overlooking marsh land. It's glorious and deeply enjoyable, and pretty scarce in this bright, sublime condition. Easily the best copy we have ever handled.
Detective Fiction
London, Newnes, 1905.
First edition. 8vo. Plates. Advertisements. Original blue cloth.
A collection of thirteen Sherlock Holmes stories originally published in the Strand Magazine and Collier's. Sherlock Holmes was resurrected after apparently meeting his end at the Reichenbach Falls nearly a decade earlier. The collection features the detective's signature deductive reasoning and showcases some of his most intricate and thrilling cases.
Detective Fiction
London, John Murray, 1929,
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
Rare in dust-jacket.
Detective Fiction
London, John Murray, 1940.
Cheap Edition reprint. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/- with 2/6 price sticker overlaid.
A neat edition of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tale The Sign of Four, with the iconic dust-jacket.
Detective Fiction
London, Newnes, 1893.
Third edition. 8vo. Original brown pictorial cloth decorated in various colours.
A decent example of the rare third edition of Doyle's second novel to feature the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Detective Fiction
Edinburgh & London, William Hodge & Company, Limited, 1927
First edition, inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket.
A very good copy. Inscribed by the author, one presumes, thus: 'To dear Winifred, with much love from an affectionate old friend Winnie, in remembrance of her visit to Station House. June 1927.' An easy to find book, but very uncommon both inscribed and in jacket. Contains a novel and two shorter pieces.
Detective Fiction
London, John Crowther, 1946
First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth stamped in silver. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6.
A superior copy of this uncommon first edition by the enigmatic Mary Durham, present in the correct first issue dust-jacket. The story features the author's serial character Chief Inspector York.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1942.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, neatly price-clipped.
A compelling murder mystery set amongst the old sugar plantations of Louisiana. Uncommon.
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1936.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red cloth lettered in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
Quite cool woodcut-style artwork adorns this first UK edition's jacket. Eberhart is an interesting author of detective fiction, not least for her ability to extend the same basic premise over nearly forty volumes!
Detective Fiction
London, Robert Hale, 1952.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket.
An attractive first UK edition, packed with thrills, romance, mystery, and suspense.
Detective Fiction
London &c., Cassell, 1913.
First edition. 8vo. 4pp. advertisements. Original brown cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 6/-.
The first chapter of Mr. Edge's story is enough to indicate the mystery which is to be unravelled, and every succeeding chapter makes the mystery deeper until the final elucidation... (The Bookseller, Vol. 60, 1914).
An early detective fiction title, in a remarkably excellent pre WW1 dust-jacket. Exceptionally scarce, with only six copies recorded by WorldCat, and no copies in trade or at auction that we could trace.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London. Arthur Baker, 1949
Curt Prentice drives across more than half a continent to kill Judd Mason in revenge for the deaths of his wife and brother-in-law. An uncommon pulp title by an author who became a Hollywood scriptwriter. Among the works for which Edgley became known are the scripts for many episodes of Perry Mason.