Detective Fiction

Showing 289–324 of 485 results

£175



London, Ward Lock, 1939

First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket (the 3 digits - 902 - indicate an early reprint).

A man claimed that with his artifical ear-drums he could detect sounds inaudible to ordinary people. This acute listening would allow him to manipulate any combination lock and open any safe. Was he the one that opened Mrs. King's safe and stole all of her precious diamonds and jewels?

£125



London, Ward, Lock & Co., 1943.

First UK edition. 8vo. Original pale blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 5/-.

A very good first UK edition of this non-series title by the often under-appreciated Harry Stephen Keeler, deviser of the "webwork" plot concept.

Detective Fiction

Kemp (Harold) Murder Humane

£95



London, Hammond, Hammond, 1947 [1948].

First edition. 8vo. Original turquoise cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 8s6d.

The first book to feature series character Detective Inspector Jimmy Brent, investigating the murder of a successful auctioneer and estate agent.

£325



London, Constable, 1931.

First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth lettered in white. Dust-jacket, priced 2s.6d.

A first-class mystery... a story of dark doings, with a pleasant background of East coast life... (Daily Telegraph). Attractive jacket artwork, and a scarce first edition, here in a slightly later issue jacket.

£975



New York, Wilfred Funk, 1940.

First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00.

The last of seven crime thrillers by psychologist C. Daly King; this time the protagonist Walter Lord is all at sea, in several senses, as he tries to resolve a double murder, kidnap and matters of the heart simultaneously, bewildering even his stalwart companion Dr L. Rees Pons.

£2,250



New York, Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, 1935.

First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00.

Aeronautical crime-thriller featuring King's series character Michael Lord, investigating murder aboard a transcontinental flight. An intricate plot combined with "locked room" element, the mystery was praised by The New York Times as "a very thrilling story." Very much in the S.S. Dine vein, and one of only seven genre titles recorded by this author.

£100



London, Robert Hale, 1948.

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

An attractive first edition of one of the 'Dormouse' titles, by the author of The Ghoul.

£110

First UK edition, Robert Hale Ltd, 1942. A 'Dormouse' thriller.

Detective Fiction

King (Rufus) Murder de Luxe.

£1,500

First UK edition of author's first book.
London. Leonard Parsons, 1927
Very scarce. Many of King’s books were not published in the UK.

£295



Garden City, NY, The Crime Club, Inc.,, 1931.

First edition. 8vo. Title page printed in red and black. Original black cloth blocked in red. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.

An early whodunit by American author Rufus King, in the original, striking jacket with design by renowned illustrator E. McKnight Kauffer. Distinctly uncommon in such good order.

£95


and other stories of the Principality
London, Grant Richards, [1931].

First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth lettered in black to spine. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6.

A very good first edition of this compilation of thrilling tales set in Monte Carlo.

£125



London, Hammond, Hammond, 1953.

First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth stamped in gilt to spine. Dust-jacket, priced 9s6d.

A superb UK edition of an elusive title, featuring series character Elisha Macomber, a chairman of the Board of Selectmen and an amateur detective on Penberthy Island (reminiscent of Martha's Vineyard). The plot involves a murder during a fishing competition called the Bass Derby.

£395



London, Sampson Low, [c.1931].

Early issue. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, referencing this title and Knight's 'The Pawn' [1931] on lower panel, with official price-sticker '5/-' on spine and lower panel.

The author's first book, inscribed by the author to 'Miss Digger', thanking her for help and support. The adventures of Jerry Scant, a gipsy, who unwittingly becomes involved with an international gang of smugglers.

£65



London, Sheed & Ward, 1946.

First edition. 8vo. Original grey boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10s 6d.

A religious reflection on the Old Testament, from priest & crime writer Knox, who previously attempted to codify the detective fiction genre through his own ten commandments, Knox's 'Ten Rules for Detective Fiction'. Knox was also the subject of Evelyn Waugh's The Life of Ronald Knox (1959).

Detective Fiction

Krymov (Vladimir) Count Azar

£225


A Cracksman Novel
London, John Lane The Bodley Head, 1938.

First edition. 8vo. Original yellow cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 3s 6d.

Russian aristocrat exile turns to crime in America, and elsewhere.

£250



London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1926.

First edtion, 'file copy'. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

"The Alps - an ex-spy - and Edris!"

An uncommon 'twenties title to find in the original jacket, this the publisher's file copy.

£350



London, Hurst & Blackett, 1925.

First edition. Clipped autograph inscription from the author laid onto title-page. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

Note from the author pasted onto title-page, wishing warmest greetings to a friend.

£425



London, Hurst & Blackett, [1926].

First edition. Signed presentation copy from the author to a family friend. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.

A very good, inscribed first edition of this classic spy story; a mysterious man known as 'X' with a disfigured face who is blackmailing the British government to sabotage the British war effort.

£475



London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1926].

First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

A lovely first UK edition of this twenties tale of suspense by Anglo-French author Le Queux.

£65



London, The Literary Press, n.d..

First edition thus. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket.

What was the secret of Chesterton Square?

£1,250



New York, Macaulay Company, 1922.

First US edition. 8vo. Original dark chocolate pictorial cloth blocked in orange. Dust-jacket.

A lovely first edition in English of this title featuring Arséne Lupin, Leblanc's famous counterpoint to Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. This the issue with the 'Smoke of the.45' at the top of the lower panel advertisements.

£150



London, Jonathan Cape, 1956.

First edition. 8vo. Original green boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 13s.6d.

A very good first edition of this murder mystery, featuring series character Miss Hogg and her faithful chum Milly Brown, and a lost manuscript by Emily Brontë... Austin Lee was a prolific author, also writing under the pseudonyms John Austwick and Julian Callender.

£75



London, John Murray, 1944.

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

Psychological elements in a murder mystery involving a six-year-old child... basis for the 1950 film Shadow on the Wall.

£35



London, Rupert Hart-Davis, 1967.

First edition. 8vo. Original purple boards. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.

A very good first edition of the first book by Lemarchand, introducing CDI Tom Pollard and his assistant Sergeant Toye of Scotland Yard.

£225

First Crime Circle Edition.
London. Thornton Butterworth, 1935
Fabulous stylistic dustjacket art by Bip Pares.

£95



London, Museum Press, 1951.

First edition. 8vo. Original black cloth with silver lettering and red skull motif to spine. Dust-jacket, priced 9/6.

When a doctor's wife suspects that her husband's supposed suicide is actually murder, Paul Kilgerrin finds his plans for leaving Belem, Brazil, suddenly cancelled. He also believes that it is murder...

£75



London, W.H. Allen, 1983.

First UK edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket.

We are kept off balance throughout this icy, understand thriller...brilliant (Newsweek review).

£60



London, Readers Library Crime Series, n.d. [c.1930].

Readers Library edition. Small 8vo. Original gilt-tooled burgundy cloth. Dust-jacket.

A really nice copy of this edition of The Floating Prison by Phantom of the Opera author Leroux, first published in English in 1922.

£125


First edition, ‘7th thousand’.
London, Skeffington, [1932].

Skeffington often used ‘7th thousand’ label on title page to try and show that their titles were in high demand so this is not necessarily a reprint. A Hubin-listed mystery featuring the author’s serial character, detective-crook Jimmy Traynor.

£95



London, Collins Crime Club, 1946.

First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.

A fascinating mystery set against a backdrop of the beautiful Fell country of Lunesdale in Lancashire.

£110



London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1950

First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original boards, Dust-jacket.

A near fine example of this the first book by the author using this pseudonym. An uncommon classic of crime fiction, revolving around a sudden death at a cocktail party.

£350



London, Hutchinson, 1939.

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

Apparently derived from a theatrical anecdote given to the author by George du Maurier, building upon the author's literary reputation for combining exciting incidents with psychological interest.

£150



London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1947.

First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 9/-.

A superior example of the courtroom drama subgenre.

£350



London, Harrap, 1929.

First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket.

The first crime fiction work by this prolific author, published as part of Harrap's 'Sealed Mysteries' series. Each member of a small party at a cabaret on the night a murder is committed is suspected and then eliminated through evidence.

£175



London, Robert Hale, 1970.

First UK edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.

Two headlong tales of intrigue, suspense and murder, by a master storyteller. Uncommon.

£60



London, Robert Hale, 1972.

First UK edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket.

Travis McGee experiences the rough side of Southern hospitality...