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.
![Frank King, The Ghoul, signed first edition, [1926]](https://lycanthiabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/82304-300x400.jpg)
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.
Weird & Supernatural
London, Newnes, 1935.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Beyond the minor chipping a very nice copy of this collection of twelve tales by Australian author Knowles, "tales of the super-real rather than the supernatural, or, if you will, fairy tales for grown-ups." (jacket).
Detective Fiction
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
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.
War, Invasion & Spy
First edition.
London. Herbert Jenkins, 1940
Spectacular front panel artwork typical of Herbert Jenkins wrappers of that era. None of this writer's work was published in America and in my experience all of the
UK first editions are difficult to find in jackets.
Modern Literature
London, Collins and Harvill, 1960.
First English edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 16s.
The famous autobiographical reminiscences of the Sicilian nobleman Giuseppe Tomasi, Duke of Palma and Prince of Lampedusa. Memorably transferred to the big screen in an ambitious bilingual project, starring Burt Lancaster.
Modern Literature
London, Collins and Harvill, 1960.
First English edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 16s.
The famous autobiographical reminiscences of the Sicilian nobleman Giuseppe Tomasi, Duke of Palma and Prince of Lampedusa. Memorably transferred to the big screen in an ambitious bilingual project, starring Burt Lancaster.
War, Invasion & Spy
New York, William Sloane, 1957.
First US edition, first printing, inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original cloth-backed boards. Dust-jacket, priced $3.50.
A great inscribed first US edition of the book that would become one of the most well-loved of the British war films (1958), starring John Mills. The inscription on the title-page reads, 'For "The Principal" To commemorate his 80th birthday and in hopes he will survive to see at least twenty more books published - Kipper - August 5th 1958' ('Kipper' being the author's nickname among friends).
Modern Literature
London, Routledge, 1936.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6d.
Analysis of the socio-political future drawn up during an age of fear and anxiety by the journalist and author Langdon-Davies.
Modern Literature
London, Duckworth, 1913.
First edition, Roberts' second variant with integral title dated. 8vo. Original blue cloth ruled in blind and lettered in gilt.
A lovely first edition of Lawrence's fourth published book. Set in Lawrence's native Nottinghamshire, Sons and Lovers is a highly autobiographical and compelling portrayal of childhood, adolescence and the clash of generations.
Uncategorized
London, Robert Hale, 1951.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 12/6.
...where the fantastic and the possible have their meeting place' (jacket blurb) Cloth spine slightly faded, o/w VG; jacket with minor chipping to corners, but overall VG. Y N Y Weird & Supernatural 2022-02-05 15:52:19 1 ...where the fantastic and the possible have their meeting place' (jacket blurb)
Modern Literature
London, Bodley Head, 1923. First edition. 8vo. 8pp. advertisements. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, without price. Great jacket artwork by Canadian–British illustrator and commercial artist Austin Cooper (not the car).
Weird & Supernatural
London, Eveleigh Nash & Grayson, 1923.
8vo. Original cloth.
A rare imprint of this classic collection of dark & gothic tales by a master of the genre, Sheridan Le Fanu.
Horror & Gothic
London, Tinsley Brothers, 1867.
3 vols. First edition. 8vo. Half-titles all present. Publisher's dark orange blind-tooled cloth, lettered in gilt to spines. Housed in modern morocco-backed cloth solander box.
The best example of this rare, Hubin-listed three decker by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu that we have ever seen, extremely uncommon in the original cloth and in such condition. The story itself features the Gothic tropes and elements one would expect from the author of Uncle Silas (1864) and In a Glass Darkly (1872), a crumbling family pile, hidden romance, suspicious death, a looming inheritance and dangerous ambition.