Detective Fiction
Jerome (Owen Fox, pseud. Oscar Jerome Friend) The Red Kite Clue
London, Skeffington, [1929].
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, with publisher's 3/6 price-sticker to spine.
An attractive first edition and an uncommon book in the jacket. Detective Philip MacCray is on the case to solve the murder of an archaeologist recently returned from the Orient.
Children's Books
A "Biggles Squadron" Story of the Second Great War
London, OUP, 1943.
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Frontispiece, illustrations. Original cloth with illustration stamped in black to upper cover. Dust-jacket priced at 5/-.
A rare Biggles first edition, with no jacketed copies in commerce that we could find at time of cataloguing. Biggles and his ominously named 666 squadron set up camp in the mountains of Borneo and embark on a campaign of terror strikes on the Japanese forces.
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.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Latimer House, [1953].
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
"Here are tales for all moods, blending adventure with sentiment and revealing once again that Captain Johns knows how to cater for the older reader as well as for boys and girls." (jacket blurb)
Detective Fiction
London, Longmans, Green and Co., 1932.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
A scarce detective fiction title, one of only three titles by this author recorded in Hubin.
Detective Fiction
London, John Hamilton, 1929.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
A pleasing example of this first edition, seemingly one of only two titles by this author. A conspiracy to murder a leading art expert unravels... Scarce.
Detective Fiction
London, T.V. Boardman, 1958.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original orange boards. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
Three more capers for Peter Chambers, Kane's most prolific character. Kane also wrote the movie adaptations for Ed McBain's 87th Precinct's Cop Hater and The Mugger.
War, Invasion & Spy
Kauffer (E. McKnight, jacket artist); Onions ([George] Oliver) Peace in Our Time
London, Chapman & Hall, 1923.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Stunning jacket artwork by one of the greatest 20th century jacket artists, E. McKnight Kauffer. Given the condition of the book compared to the jacket we have to presume this is either a marriage or a case of the book and the jacket being kept apart, with the jacket filed away safely...
Detective Fiction
London, Ward, Lock, 1938. First UK edition, first impression. 8vo. 2pp. advertisements. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6. A very good first UK edition by a prolific, somewhat bonkers crime writer, a foray into the "locked room" subgenre, revolving around a mysterious manuscript (possibly derived from a short story penned by the author's wife, herself a writer[?]). Scarce in the first issue jacket.
Detective Fiction
London, Ward Lock, 1930
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket (the 3 digit number (245) on spine indicates it is an early reprint).
As the Pretty Sinister blog asks: how can anyone resist the subtitle? "In Which a New and Quite Different Type of Detective Unravels a Mystery Staged in Chicago, Bagdad of the Lakes, London of the West!"
Casimer Jech, crooked curio dealer, is approached by millionaire Amos Carrington and together they hatch a scheme to acquire a rare manuscript mistakenly labeled as something fairly worthless to be auctioned off at an Evanston estate.
Detective Fiction
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?
Detective Fiction
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.
Modern Literature
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1913.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red cloth lettered in gilt. Dust-jacket.
First UK edition this key canonical title from the pen of visual impaired author and activist Helen Keller - despite the title, this is in fact a series of essays on socialism. Distinctly uncommon in the dust-jacket.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Robert Hale, 1943.
First edition, second printing, signed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket.
The first reprint of the author's second novel, inscribed by the author: "To R J Minney with my best wishes Pamela Kellino". A nice association copy, presented by the author & actor Pamela Kellino to a prominent film-maker and film-producer. Kellino was married to the actor James Mason, and they developed a screen treatment from this novel together, both going on to also act in the actual film (1952). The book was subsequently published in America under the title Del Palma.
Detective Fiction
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.
Travel
London, William Heinemann, 1922.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth lettered in black. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
This tale of diplomatic and social life on the Bosphorus, a certain number of years ago, has the exciting elements of the 'spy' story... (jacket blurb). Seemingly scarce in the jacket.
Modern Literature
London, Methuen, 1962.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original red boards with decoration to spine. Dust-jacket, with price 18s net and code '2/251/2' to inside front flap.
The first UK edition of Kesey's famous novel that explores the rebellion of psychiatric patients against an oppressive mental institution, led by the charismatic Randle McMurphy.
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.
Sports & Pastimes
Calcutta, Thacker, Spink, 1897.
First edition. 8vo. Blind-stamped 'with the author's compliments' to title-page. Original green cloth, gilt.
Seemingly scarce book on horses and horse-training from the Punjab.
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.
Detective Fiction
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.
Detective Fiction
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.
Detective Fiction
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.
Weird & Supernatural
First edition thus.
London. Reader's Library, [1934 according to COPAC but could be earlier]
Death by poisoning in a locked bedroom at Staups, an isolated manor house on the Yorkshire Moors. Weird elements, a supposedly cursed jewel and sacrificial knives looted from the temple of Aztec descendants living in Central America, Author’s first crime novel, published in the UK by Bles in 1927.
Horror & Gothic
London, Nimmo, n.d. [1940s].
Popular reprint edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket.
An attractive and collectable edition of King's classic of modern horror, memorably transferred to the big screen in 1933 starring Boris Karloff.
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.
Horror & Gothic
London, Geoffrey Bles, [1926],
First edition. Signed & inscribed by the author. 8vo. Original cloth.
Signed and inscribed by the author on front endpaper with this distinctive, flourishing signature.
The basis for the movie of the same name starring Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Ernest Thesiger and Ralph Richardson (making his movie debut)
Extremely scarce signed and inscribed by the author.
Detective Fiction
First UK edition, Robert Hale Ltd, 1942. A 'Dormouse' thriller.
Detective Fiction
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.
Detective Fiction
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.
Detective Fiction
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.
Modern Literature
Knight (Alanna, pseud. Gladys Allan Cleet) The Legend of the Loch
London, Hurst & Blackett, 1969.
First edition. 8vo. Original red boards, gilt number '09 099480 9' stamped to lower board. Dust-jacket, priced 20s/£1.
The author's first book, weird & supernatural overtones. Winner of the 1968 Netta Muskett award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. An excellent copy.
Children's Books
London, Cassell, 1941.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original brown cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 8/6.
The original Lassie novel, which led to numerous films and TV series, first published in Chicago in 1940. Uncommon in such nice condition.
Detective Fiction
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.
Detective Fiction
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.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Robert Holden, 1926.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
A second collection of weird tales by the author of The Street of Queer Houses. Uncommon, especially in the original dust-jacket.