Detective Fiction
London, Herbert Jenkins, [1932].
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, with publisher's 3/6 price-sticker on top of original 2/6 price.
A scarce early title by this prolific author, who wrote over forty novels, often with a flair for unusual phrasing that would be lucky to escape the editor's blue pencil these days.
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.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Herbert Jenkins, 1935.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. 8pp. advertisements. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
A very good first edition, first impression of this uncommon spy novel by G.Davison, part of a series that began in 1931 with The Man with the Twisted Face.
Weird & Supernatural
and other Naval Stories. As originally Told to the Marines by one of themselves.
Portsmouth, Charpentier, 1896.
True first edition. 8vo. Original purple cloth stamped in gilt.
A rare collection of nautical tales, many of a weird and supernatural bent. The collection is referenced in Bleiler's Guide to Supernatural Fiction, the main entry given to the 1899 Simpkin, Marshall edition, but noting 'There is an earlier edition of this book (Charpentier; Portsmouth, England 1896), which has not been seen.'
William Price Drury (1861-1949) was himself in the Royal Marines, as was the previous owner of this copy, General Sir Lewis Stratford Tollemache Halliday.
Weird & Supernatural
and Other Weird Tales
London, Cassell, 1947.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped and with publisher's '4/6 Cheap Edition' sticker to upper panel.
A collection of mysterious and weird tales, by an author who numbered among his close friends Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood, and whose work was compared favourably to that of H.G. Wells and Conan Doyle: "He plays as daringly with the test tubes of science as did the early H.G. Wells...Mr. Heard is a new master in this field..." (New York Times).
Modern Literature
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1929].
First edition. 8vo. 8pp. advertisements. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket.
Golden Harvest is a particularly good yarn of gold discovery in Australia's wild, uninhabited Northern Territory...There is a mysterious Chinaman, abduction, rescue, a dramatic chase across the desert to the mine... (jacket blurb)
Detective Fiction
London, Hamish Hamilton, 1940.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original tan cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
An early title by this American author, featuring her popular serial character, the psychiatric sleuth Basil Willing.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Hutchinson, [1932].
First edition. 8vo. 40pp. publisher's catalogue at end dated Autumn 1932. Original claret cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6.
The danger of a demoniacally loving woman, as suggested by the somewhat startling jacket artwork.
Detective Fiction
London, Evans Brothers, 1951.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 9/6.
An accomplished police procedural, the first of only two novels featuring Detective Inspector Luccan of Scotland Yard.
Detective Fiction
London, Sampson Low, Marston, 1949.
First edition. 8vo. 1p. advertisement. Original faux-morocco red cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 8s. 6d.
Vintage Morland, packed with thrills and told with easy humour.
Detective Fiction
London, Robert Hale, 1957.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 10/6.
A very good first UK edition of this Inspector McKee novel by the American author Helen Reilly, who derived much of her work from her research into the New York Homicide squad.
Detective Fiction
A Story of the Baccarat Club
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1929].
First edition. 8vo. Blind-stamped presentation copy to front free endpaper. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6.
One of the more decidedly criminous titles by Irish author Jessie Louisa Rickard, one of the founders of the Detection Club in 1930. Moody artwork by the artist John Morton-Sale.
Modern Literature
London, Hurst & Blackett, 1918.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 5/ and stating '20th thousand'.
A later title, but a characteristically passionate & emotive novel by the author of the notorious The Quick or the Dead? (1888). Scarce in such an early issue dust-jacket.
Detective Fiction
London, W. Foulsham, 1955.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original black boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 9/6.
Throught Redheads and a Funeral, taking in San Francisco and Kansas City, "Yes, it's Johnny April again and the fastest, slickest story you'll read in a long, long time." (jacket blurb). An uncommon 'Mask Mystery' by publishers Foulsham.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1933.
First edition. 8vo. Original pale blue cloth. Dust-jacket, price ablated from spine.
A pleasing first edition of this collection of short stories by 'Sapper', featuring the character Ronald Standish as chief protagonist (appearing previously only in 'The Saving Clause' (1927) and 'Tiny Carteret' (1930)). Sapper of course most well-known for creating Bulldog Drummond.
Children's Books
Wain (Louis) The Story of Tabbykin Town in School and at Play.
Told by Kitty Cat
London, C.W. Faulkner, [1920].
First edition. Small folio (280 x 180 mm.). Original stapled wrappers with onlaid colour illustration.
A nice copy of this uncommon Louis Wain title, following Mother Tabby's kittens as they go to school and return home, and the games they play.