Illustrated Books
London, Macmillan, 1897.
Illustrated edition. 8vo. Original gilt decorative cloth.
An attractive illustrated edition of Austen's most underrated work, with an introduction by Austin Dobson.
Non-Fiction
London, Methuen, 1928.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue clot. Dust-jacket, priced 6/-.
A nice copy of this work on conjuring, one of several titles in this field by Blyth.
Modern Literature
London, Andre Deutsch, 1964.
First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, priced 25s.
The Nigerian author Clark's travelogue, covering his time in America. Clark's evisceration of much of American culture generated sizable controversy at the time but has since become a key work of Nigerian literature, often featuring in discussions about African perspectives on the United States. The book was also republished in 1968 as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Frederick Muller, 1938.
First edition. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
Blessedly not the Ash-Tree Press edition that is normally the only way one finds this rare title these days, and with a nice personal inscription from the author, but unfortunately it looks like someone tried to suppress this weird & supernatural compilation through drowning! The slightly damaged inscription reads 'To Mrs Hindes w[ith] the [author]'s compliments and very pleasant memories [of] a happy evening. Frederick Cowles 21st January 1941'.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Bell & Daldy, 1863.
First edition. 8vo. Original tooled brown cloth.
A compilation of imaginative representations of folk- & later tales. Uncommon.
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
Frome (David, pseud. Zenith Jones Brown) The Body in Bedford Square
London, Longmans, 1945.
Third edition. 8vo. Original grey/green cloth. Dust-jacket, with 5/- price-sticker to inside front flap.
An attractive reissue of this classic London-based murder mystery.
Detective Fiction
Goodchild (George) and C.E. Bechhofer Roberts. The Jury Disagree
London, Jarrolds, 1936.
'First cheap edition' (i.e. second edition). 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
A compelling 'true crime' collaboration between prolific crime fiction author George Goodchild and the biographer and critic Bechhofer Roberts, a.k.a. 'Ephesian'. First published in 1934.
London, Becks, 1950.
Sole edition. Signed by the author. 4to. Original cloth-backed boards.
Historian Fea's homage to Lewis Carroll's classics for children, replacing Alice with 'Little Lu'. An attractive copy.
Detective Fiction
Johns (Foster, pseud. Gilbert Vivian Selders) The Victory Murders
London, Harrap, 1927.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.
'Armistice Night Murders in Paris, London, and New York' (jacket). An uncommon title in the jacket, from the pen of a prolific American author and cultural critic.
Modern Literature
London, J. & R. Maxwell, [1887].
First edition. 8vo. Original olive cloth with orange lettering and ruled in blind.
An uncommon first edition; the author lost her sight at the age of seven, but went on to become a prolific writer for magazines and author of several novels.
Horror & Gothic
New York, G. Howard Watt, 1929.
First US edition, first printing. 8vo. Original grey cloth lettered in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced $2.00.
A rare edition of this classic of ghoulish horror, especially in the correct first issue dust-jacket with correct number of reviews and price.
Detective Fiction
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.
Modern Literature
London, Faber & Faber, 1938.
First edition. 8vo. Original brown cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 25s.
The second collection of poetry by Irish poet MacNeice, with the correct blurb to the jacket's front inside panel: 'Mr. MacNeice's position as a poet was incontestably established in 1935 by his first volume of Poems. He is one of the few poets to-day none of whose poems could have been written by anyone else. His second volume has been awaited for some time: now that it has arrived, it needs no advertisement.'
Detective Fiction
London, Collins Crime Club, 1940.
First edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
An uncommon first edition, featuring Marsh's series character Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard.
Detective Fiction
London, Hutchinson, [1925].
First edition. 8vo. Original dark red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Seemingly a bizarrely scarce edition of this crime fiction title, with the BL and WorldCat only recording the Tauchnitz edition. It first appeared in serial form in Hutchinson's Magazine, 1924.
![Bram Stoker, The Snake's Pass, inscribed first edition, [1890]](https://lycanthiabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/84735-300x300.jpg)
Bram Stoker Birthday
London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1891 [but 1890].
First edition. Inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original red cloth stamped in gilt and bordered in blind.
A rare beast, Stoker's first novel, published on the 18th of November 1890, with the title post-dated 1891. Preceding Stoker's most famous work Dracula by 6-7 years, this adventure novel concerning the discovery of lost treasure and the crown of the legendary king of the snakes is set in Western Ireland, and contains some interesting subtle gothic notes foreshadowing the author's later works.
Inscribed on the half-title, 'G. Biggs from Bram Stoker 20.11.90', under which someone, probably G.Biggs, has helpfully also noted in pencil, '2 days after publication'.
Detective Fiction
London, Rich & Cowan, [1948].
First edition. 8vo. Original blue boards. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
Stephen Conway keeps a promise to a dead army buddy to show Alexander Dean, the renowned playwright and mystery writer the manuscript of his play.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
London, Sampson Low, 1878.
First UK edition. Publisher's catalogue at end. 8vo. Original brown cloth decorated in gilt & black.
The first edition in English of Verne's sci-fi classic of a comet's collision with the earth which bears away part of the planet, and its inhabitants. This translation alters the text considerably with additions and emendations, paraphrases dialogue, and rearranges material, although the general thread of the story is followed. The translation was made from the serial version of the novel, published January to December 1877.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [c.1930]. Early reprint. 8vo. Original yellow cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 3/6. A very good early printing of this key title by Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace, aka The King of Mystery Fiction.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hutchinson, 1941.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 9/6.
The second of three novels by Wheatley featuring Julian Day.