Detective Fiction
London, Stanley Paul, [1934].
First edition. 8vo. Publisher's compliments stamp to title; advertisements. Original black cloth lettered in red. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
All of the first editions by this author of crime fiction appear to be scarce - despite the wear to the jacket this is an attractive example, with a visually compelling jacket design.
War, Invasion & Spy
Translated from the German by Huntley Paterson.
London, Harrap, 1931.
First UK edition, second impression. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
A superb copy of this gripping first-hand account of the German Zeppelin raids on England during the Second World War.
Detective Fiction
London, The Leisure Library, [c.1936].
First UK edition, '29th thousand'. Small 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket.
An attractive UK edition, not least for the advertisement for 'Kolynos dental cream' on the jacket's lower panel.
Detective Fiction
London, Constable, 1955.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 10s6.
Equestrian murder mystery.
Modern Literature
London, Cassell, 1933.
First edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
A yearning for 'volcanic love' sees Veronica Manners travelling to South America, in this pleasingly jacketed first edition.
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.
Horror & Gothic
London, Jonathan Cape, 1932.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 2s.
Bringing together the ghost stories from the three earlier Philip Allan publications, but also featuring four new stories. Number 35 in Cape's Florin Books series.
Horror & Gothic
London, Philip Allan & Co. Ltd., 1931.
First edition. 8vo. Original grey cloth.
The third of this author's ghost story anthologies.
Horror & Gothic
a Book of Ghost Stories
London, Philip Allan, 1928.
First edition. 8vo. Woodcut device to title. Original black cloth.
A solid first edition of this collection of tales by a well-respected author, including his celebrated black magic yarn 'He cometh and he Passeth by'; Bleiler called these "excellent stories".
![Edgar Wallace, Planetoid 127 [-] The Sweizer Pup, first edition, [1929]](https://lycanthiabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/84582-300x300.jpg)
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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London, Readers Library 'Crime Series', [1929].
First edition. Small 8vo. Original gilt-tooled red cloth. Dust-jacket.
An attractive copy and edition of these two Wallace tales, here published in book-form for the first time. Although attached to the Readers Library Crime Series, the first tale is decidedly Science Fiction. Uncommon thus.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1937.
Reprint. Small 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket.
An attractively jacketed 'yellowback" of this Edgar Wallace work, originally published in 1927.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1932.
Early reprint. Small 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
A lovely copy of this Wallace title. Jesse Trasmere, a wealthy miser, unexpectedly leaves town, yet his body is later found in a locked vault. His nephew Rex has financial motives.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [c.1926]. Early H&S edition. Signed & inscribed by the author. 8vo. Original yellow cloth. Wonderfully inscribed edition of this title, originally published in 1917. Inscribed by the author: 'It is much easier to write books than inscriptions! The chief interest I have in "The Clue of the Twisted Candle" is that I used to think it was the best mystery story I had ever written.'
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
London, Collins Crime Club, 1931
First edition. 8vo. 2pp. advertisements. Original dark orange cloth blocked in black. Dust-jacket spine priced 3/6, with further 1/- sticker.
'The name "Charles Pearce"...to whisper it after dark is to start a horde of wild imagings...all that makes the flesh creep and the hair stand on end...a repulsive creature to look upon; a colossal braggart; a gifted musician; a murderer - a dwarf in stature and a Samson in strength; the perfect burglar; and a man with an irresistible attraction for women...' (publisher's blurb).
A very good first edition in early issue jacket with the sinister artwork by V. Asta bright and clean to upper panel.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [c.1928].
Early printing. Small 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
An attractively jacketed 'yellowback" of this Edgar Wallace work, originally published in 1927.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1928.
First edition. Small 8vo. Original orange cloth. Early reprint dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
A first UK edition in early jacket of this classic Wallace thriller - Li Yoseph, a suspected rich smuggler, lives at Lady's Stairs; when Mark, Tiser, and Ann investigate Ronnie's death linked to Bradly, Yoseph vanishes.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1920s].
Early Printing. Small 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
An attractively jacketed 'yellowback" of this Edgar Wallace work from his Detective Sgt Elk series, originally published in 1926.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1925.
First edition. Small 8vo. Original blue cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 3/6.
A great first edition. At first glance J G Reeder is an ordinary, slightly shabby little man with red hair, weak eyes, whiskers, square-toed boots and a chest protector cravat. However, working for the Public Prosecutor he finds plenty to stretch his extraordinary mind. Here are eight thrilling, highly original tales from one of the greatest talents ever applied to detective fiction.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [1926].
First edition. 8vo. 8pp. advertisements at end. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6.
A rare book in the original first issue dust-jacket, with striking artwork.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1926.
Early printing. Small 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 3/6.
A mysterious stalker is revealed to be a detective protecting the interests of a young orphan from the machinations of a sinister countess...
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, [c.1928].
Early printing. Small 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 3/6.
An attractively jacketed 'yellowback" of this Edgar Wallace work, originally published in 1926. The story provided the basis for the 1963 West German film The Curse of the Yellow Snake directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and starring Joachim Fuchsberger, Brigitte Grothum.
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, Columbine, [1939].
First edition. 8vo. Original red boards. Dust-jacket, overlaid price of 5/- on spine and lower panel.
Aviation thriller about a missing bomber; the jacket extolls the author's virtues enthusiastically, but nevertheless this is the only title we can locate by this author.
War, Invasion & Spy
First edition. A very attractive example with jacket design by Abbey.
London, Collins, 1941
A typical espionage title set in Istanbul by James Morgan Walsh, born 1897 to 1952, also wrote as H. Haverstock Hill, Stephen Maddock, George M. White. He was born in Australia and came to England in 1925. The majority of his work leans towards spy and adventure rather than pure detective fiction
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Collins, 1941.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7s6d.
The continuing adventures of secret service agent Oliver Keene - borderline sci-fi by Australian-born James Morgan Walsh.
Detective Fiction
London, John Hamilton, [1928].
First edition. 8vo. Original dark red cloth. Dust-jacket, price-clipped.
An uncommon first edition, one of Hamilton's Sundial Editions. James Morgan Walsh (1897-1952) wrote crime thrillers with compelling spy and espionage elements.
Weird & Supernatural
and other Fantasies and Stories
London, Francis Griffiths, 1901.
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth.
An uncommon collection of short stories by a relatively obscure imprint, many of a magical or mysterious bent; the title tale is one of a dual existence, topical today perhaps given the talk of an avatar driven metaverse...
Detective Fiction
London, Melrose, 1937.
First UK edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Uncommon edition of this murder-mystery about a string of rubies - the famous 'Blood of Buddha'.
War, Invasion & Spy
First edition, John Long Ltd, [1942]. 'A thrilling spy story of a Nazi conspiracy'
Detective Fiction
First edition, signed presentation copy.
London. Collins, 1941
Author’s first novel. Hubin listed. Set in the murky world of London nightclubs and narrated by Jimmy, a smart young policeman who loses his heart to Anna, a cabaret dancer. James Warren was the pseudonym of Robert Brendon, a British writer. Inscribed on the title-page.
Weird & Supernatural
Second edition. First published in 1924, a Scottish historical novel involving witchcraft. Uncommon.
London, George Harrap, 1931
Modern Literature
New York, Farrar and Rinehart, 1934.
First US edition. 8vo. Original orange cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.50.
First US edition of Waugh's satirical classic.
Modern Literature
London, Chapman & Hall, 1932.
First edition, trade issue. 8vo. Original patterned cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7/6.
Waugh's famous satirical novel set in the fictional African island nation of Azania. The young emperor, Seth, educated in England, endeavors to modernise his kingdom with the assistance of his English friend, Basil Seal.
Modern Literature
New York, Farrar and Rinehart Inc., 1934.
First US edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. Dust-jacket, priced $2.50 (scored through).
The first US edition of Waugh's famous satirical novel set in the fictional African island nation of Azania. The young emperor, Seth, educated in England, endeavors to modernise his kingdom with the assistance of his English friend, Basil Seal.
War, Invasion & Spy
London, Chapman & Hall, 1955.
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 12s.6.
A very good first edition of the second book in Waughs' Sword of Honour trilogy, loosed derived from the author's own wartime experiences.
Modern Literature
the Mexican object-lesson
London, The Catholic Book Club, 1940.
First Edition thus, in dust jacket. 8vo.
Waugh's critique of the socialist and anti-clerical leanings of the Mexican government, reflecting his own conservative and Roman Catholic beliefs.