Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1936.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original grey cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A sinister organisation conspires against British rule in India...
London, Newnes, [1935].
First edition thus. 8vo. Original grey cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2/6.
This is a first thus and the first to use the author's preferred pen name. The very rare first edition was published in 1924, under his less used pseudonym 'David Durham'. The Newnes edition is itself rare, particularly in the jacket. Vickers was known for his Department of Dead Ends stories, which were early examples of inverted detective stories.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1933.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
The second novel in the Mr. Malcolm series, following Shot in the Dark (1932). Fairlie was known for continuing the Bulldog Drummond series after the death of H.C. McNeile (Sapper).
Detective Fiction
London, Hutchinson, [1939].
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Drax's works are noted for their authentic depiction of naval life and have contributed to the maritime crime fiction subgenre.
Detective Fiction
Ironside (John, pseud. Euphemia Margaret Tait) Jack of Clubs
London, Thomas Nelson, 1931.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original brown cloth, lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Euphemia Margaret Tait was a British author who wrote under the pseudonym John Ironside, producing several novels in the mystery genre during the early 20th century.
Detective Fiction
London, Arthur Barker, 1939.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped but with official 4/- price sticker to inside front flap.
Hatch is best known for his novel 1101 Park Avenue, which was adapted into the acclaimed film My Man Godfrey (1936). His works often blend humour with social critique.
Detective Fiction
London, C. Arthur Pearson, [1936].
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Another murder mystery thriller featuring the crime genius 'The Vulture' and a series of murders.
Detective Fiction
London, Jarrolds, 1932.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A Christmas party on the Yorkshire moors leads to murder...
Detective Fiction
London, Geoffrey Bles, 1925.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Elliot Bailey (1887–1977) was a British author who wrote several mystery novels in the 1920s and 1930s.
Detective Fiction
London, Jarrolds, [1927].
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Advertisements, dated Spring 1927. Original black cloth stamped in red. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A walking tour of Switzerland leads to high adventure and peril for an Englishman and his new French friend.
Detective Fiction
A Tale of Mystery and Millions
New York, Lincoln MacVeagh The Dial Press, 1931.
First edition, first printing. 8vo. Original purple cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00.
An intriguing tale about bored millionaires faced with cunningly orchestrated challenges to break their ennui.
Detective Fiction
McRoyd (Allan, pseud. Esther McCoy & Allan Read) Death in Costume
New York, Greystone Press, 1940.
First edition, first printing. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in red. Dust-jacket, priced $2.00.
Esther McCoy was an American author and architectural historian, best known for her work on modernist architecture. Allan Read's biography is less documented.
Detective Fiction
London, Jonathan Cape, 1936.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original brown cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
The novel follows William "Gilt Kid" Kennedy, a London housebreaker just released from prison. Disillusioned by honest work – "only saps work," he believes – Kennedy is a burglar and a Communist sympathizer who justifies theft as reclaiming surplus value from capitalists. Returning to Soho's seedy underworld, he reconnects with old criminal associates in smoky cafes, dingy pubs, and late-night coffee stalls. Kennedy carouses with prostitutes and petty crooks, eventually joining a daring robbery that forms the novel's centrepiece. The ending is bleak: the Gilt Kid's return to crime proves futile, underscoring the inevitability of his defeat in a society offering him little chance for redemption.
Detective Fiction
London, Hammond Hammond, 1948.
First UK edition, first impression. Publisher's file copy, stamped to front free endpaper. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 8/6.
Coxe was a prominent figure in American crime fiction, contributing significantly to the genre with his unique blend of journalism and detective work.
Detective Fiction
London, Hutchinson, n.d..
First UK edition, '2nd Thousand'. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Native American detective Falcon and his indefatigable secretary take on faithless kidnappers. Attractive jacket artwork.
Detective Fiction
London, Robert Hale, 1959.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10/6.
Nigel Morland was a British author and editor, known for his detective novels and for editing crime fiction magazines.
War, Invasion & Spy
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.
Detective Fiction
Southampton & London, C. Arthur Pearson, [1937].
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket.
A murder mystery thriller featuring the crime genius 'The Vulture' and a series of murders.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Jarrolds, 1939.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Marthe Mathilde Cnockaert (1892–1966) was a Belgian nurse who became a spy for the United Kingdom during WWI. She was awarded the Iron Cross by the Germans for her medical service and later wrote several novels based on her experiences.
African literature
London, Heinemann, 1969.
First edition, first impression; review copy with publisher's printed slip. 8vo. Original green boards. Dust-jacket, priced £1.50.
The novel centers on a dispute between two villages over ownership of a pond, leading to escalating tensions and conflict. It explores themes of tradition, community, and the consequences of pride and stubbornness.
Horror & Gothic
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1937.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original pale blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
The idyllic life of a Devonshire village is violently interrupted by the arrival of two visitors.
Detective Fiction
etc.
London, Chatto & Windus, 1906.
'A New Impression'. 8vo. Original pictorial boards.
A collection of maritime-themed stories blending adventure with supernatural elements, reflecting Russell's seafaring background. Russell was a prominent writer of nautical fiction in the late 19th century, influencing the genre significantly.
American Literature
and other stories
London, Heinemann, 1927.
First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A collection of short stories from the author of Giant, focusing on ordinary working-class Americans, exploring themes of ambition, family dynamics and societal expectations. Uncommon.
![H. Douglas Thomson, The Mystery Book, [1930s]](https://lycanthiabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/86856-300x300.jpg)
Detective Fiction
London, Collins, [1930s].
8vo. Original black cloth, gilt. Dust-jacket.
An anthology comprising classic stories of mystery, detective fiction, adventure, suspense, and supernatural tales. The anthology includes works from notable authors, reflecting the popularity and diversity of early 20th-century genre fiction.