Modern Literature
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1925
First edition, publisher's file copy. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket correctly priced at 7/6.
Collection of short stories and novelettes including one WW1-themed tale 'Out of Darkness' by an author best known for Mrs Wiggins of the Cabbage Patch.
Alice married Cale Young Rice who was a poet and playwright in 1902. They spent most of their life traveling the world and becoming known in the literary scenes of New York and London.
Winners and Losers appears to be the only book they wrote together.
Rare in jacket.
Modern Literature
London, Herbert Jenkins, 1931
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket correctly priced at 7/6 on spine.
A 'rollicking yarn' from this very prolific author concerning one Oswald Twining who writes novelettes of the purple passion variety under the name of 'Hugo Blazer' and Geraldine Rhombard, the daughter of a Dean and for whom Oswald has fallen very heavily.
Rare in jacket no copies online at time of listing.
Modern Literature
London, Mills & Boon, 1925
First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket correctly priced at 7/6 on spine.
Short stories some of them set in Ireland. Thirteen tales six featuring her recurring character Sandy Acland.
Dorothea Conyers was a prolific Irish novelist. Her books are romantic novels set among the Irish sporting gentry. Her output numbered some 40 titles.
A very difficult title to obtain in a wrapper
Detective Fiction
London, Heinemann, 1939
First UK edition. 8vo. Not original publisher's cloth, some sort of library binding. Photographic dust-jacket correctly priced at 7s 6d on front flap.
Published in US as 'Poor, poor Yorick.' A Hubin-listed title involving the dumping of a corpse off the coast of Connecticut and the apparent suicide by poisoning of a hostess on the eve of divorce.
Frederick Clyde Davis (1902-1977) was an American pulp writer. He was educated at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, and became a professional writer at the age of 22. Davis wrote several novels featuring his series detective, Professor Cy Hatch of which this is one.
Detective Fiction
London, Columbine Publishing Company Ltd, 1939
First edition. 8vo. Original boards. Dust-jacket 5/- overprice although original price of 3/6 is still visible on the spine.
From the publisher's blurb: 'Delia Romney was born to sin and she elected to make that the way of her life. She murdered without remorse. She sold herself without hesitation or contrition.'
A typically risqué and sensationalist story from a small publishing house well known for both its racy plot lines and lurid dust-jackets.
Detective Fiction
London, Hurst & Blackett, [1927].
First UK edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket correctly priced at 7/6 on spine.
Basis for a 1931 American Oscar winning pre-code film that tells the story of an alcoholic defence attorney in San Francisco who must defend his daughter's ex-boyfriend on a charge of murdering the mobster she had started a relationship with, whom he had previously achieved an acquittal for on a murder charge. Starred Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, and Clark Gable
A very rare book into film title especially in such exceptional condition. Adela Nora Rogers St. Johns (1894-1988) was an American journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. She wrote a number of screenplays for silent movies but is best remembered for her groundbreaking exploits as "The World's Greatest Girl Reporter" during the 1920s and 1930s.
Modern Literature
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1914
Hodder & Stoughton Sevenpenny library, first edition thus. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
First published in U.K. in 1889, this is the first edition where getting a jacketed example is feasible.
A long 'short' story featuring Allan Quatermain in which following his father's death, Allan fights with Zulus aides by Hans, rescues and marrow who becomes the mother of his son Harry, and eventually loses her because of the jealousy of the Baboon woman.
Modern Literature
London, Cassell, 1920
First edition. 8vo. Original light brown cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 8/6 net on spine.
An Allan Quatermain novel, direct sequel to The Ivory Child. An interesting way of resurrecting the character of Allan away from the period and Africa of his day.
Rare in jacket.
Detective Fiction
London, Faber & Gwyer, 1926
First edition. 8vo. Original brown cloth boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6 on spine.
In this Hubin-listed murder story, the author shows the placid life of Minden Town disturbed by a mysterious tragedy. The mystery remains a mystery almost to the very end of the book. A rare and early Faber crime title.
Detective Fiction
London, John Gifford Ltd, [1938].
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.
A distinctly hard-to-find title by the creator of The Black Pilgrim.
Detective Fiction
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1950
First edition, first impression. 8vo. Original boards, Dust-jacket.
A near fine example of this the first book by the author using this pseudonym. An uncommon classic of crime fiction, revolving around a sudden death at a cocktail party.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
London, Duckworth, 1939
First edition. Large 8vo. Publisher's white cloth. Dust-jacket, correctly priced at 7/6 on front flap, overprinted with 4/6.
The first novel by the writer described by Ronald Bryden as "the most exasperatingly gifted writer in England". Hyams was a translator and author, active in various genres, fiction and non-fiction, from before World War Two. Although not widely known for his speculative work, he published several novels of Sci-Fi interest. The Wings of the Morning is a discussion novel in the style of the scientific romance set as a future war novel whose description does not very accurately anticipate the reality to come. This was his first novel written when he was 28 years old. Rare. No copies of any kind for sale at time of listing.
Detective Fiction
Edinburgh & London, William Hodge & Company, Limited, 1927
First edition, inscribed presentation copy from the author. 8vo. Original red cloth. Dust-jacket.
A very good copy. Inscribed by the author, one presumes, thus: 'To dear Winifred, with much love from an affectionate old friend Winnie, in remembrance of her visit to Station House. June 1927.' An easy to find book, but very uncommon both inscribed and in jacket. Contains a novel and two shorter pieces.
Modern Literature
London, Chapman & Hall, 1927
First edition, second impression. Large 8vo. Tipped-in slip. Plates. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
Inscribed by the author E.H. Bostock, most famous for the Glasgow Zoo and Circus on New City Road, as well as cinema and variety house interests in Paisley, Hamilton and Wishaw; he opened a cinema in the Zoo and Circus. His animals were internationally famous and appeared in such films as The Rajah's Sacrifice (1916).
The foreword notes: "Mr. Bostock has been called the Barnum of Britain. Judged by the magnitude and multitude of his enterprises, he may well claim the title, for he has been a pioneer of modern entertainment as well as a practitioner of older forms."
Weird & Supernatural
London [&c.], Cassell, 1941
First UK edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
A good copy of this title from the popular Fu Manchu series of books by Sax Rohmer.
Detective Fiction
Gunn (Victor, pseud. Edwy Searles Brooks, aka Berkeley Gray) Ironsides Smahes Through.
London, Collins, 1940
First edition. 8vo. 3pp. advertisements. Original cloth. Dust-jacket, priced 7'6.
A very good first edition of this Ironsides title, distinctly uncommon in the original dust-jacket. Victor Gunn was one of several pseudonyms for Edwy Brooks, alongside his perhaps more well-known moniker 'Berkeley Gray'.
Detective Fiction
London, Hamish Hamilton, 1953
First edition (preceding the first US edition by a few months). 8vo. Original burgundy boards. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 10s.6d.
Chandler's hard-boiled noir classic, defined by the author himself as "my best book". In 1955, the novel received the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It was later adapted as a 1973 film of the same name, updated to 1970s Los Angeles and starring Elliott Gould.
![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.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
London, Harrap, 1937,
First edition. 8vo. Original cloth. Dust-jacket.
Brunngraber was a German industrial designer and author. In Radium he speculates about near-contemporary cornering of the radium market causing problems in a hospital using it as a medicine cure cancer.
Rare in jacket. An important sci-fi title.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Cassell, 1917.
A collection of eleven tales, one of which is a locked room mystery and two of which have definite weird content. Not mentioned by Bleiler.“The Mystery of Howard Romaine”
involves the disappearance of a coffin and a body from a locked room (Adey p.300)The Cuckoo Clock" is a tale of delirium involving the transmigration of a soul into a cuckoo clock. "The Fatal Fairy" is about a man who kidnaps a fairy at dawn, whereupon it turns into a monstrous baby vulture -- until he releases it a day later.Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was an English actor and theatre manager. This collection appeared in the year of his death.Very scarce in jacket.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Collins, 1947.
Stephen Maddock was a pseudonym of JM Walsh and used for his more explicitly criminous titles.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1935.
A collection of four criminous short stories listed in Hubin, the eponymous first of which concerns the battle between Sir Harker Bellamy, the famous secret service chief known as ‘The Mole’ and The Priest’ a daring and resourceful foreign spy and plotter.Rare in such a well preserved jacket.
Modern Literature
First edition.
London, Peter Davies, 1930.
The author’s first novel, the bizarre, satirical humour of which shocked many. Listed in Bleiler.
Modern Literature
First edition.
London, Robert Hale, 1936.
A psychological thriller set in colonial India. Rare.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Cassell, 1935.
The Phantom Gunman is the author’s first crime novel and imagines what would happen if Chicago gangsters were to come over to London. Features serial character Mrs Pym.Exceptionally scarce in a jacket
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
First edition.
London, Burke, 1962.
Uncommon in jacket.
Detective Fiction
First edition, ‘7th thousand’.
London, Skeffington, [1932].
Skeffington often used ‘7th thousand’ label on title page to try and show that their titles were in high demand so this is not necessarily a reprint.A Hubin-listed mystery featuring the author’s serial character, detective-crook Jimmy Traynor.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Herbert Jenkins, 1935.
Featuring serial character Gilbert Larose The Poisoned Goblet tells of the efforts by a gang to kidnap the child of Lady Ardane.Fabulous dustwrapper art. A desirable title.
War, Invasion & Spy
First edition
London, Putnam, 1933.
Signed and inscribed by the author one month after publication (March 1933). A Hubin-listed secret service adventure set in London and India.
Detective Fiction
First edition.
London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1933.
When the dignified life of Steven Kester came to an undignified end there were several people with potential motives. Serial character Spike Tracy acts as detective and solves the mystery.Rare in d/w.
Modern Literature
First edition.
London. Neville Spearman, 1957
A well regarded collection of short stories mainly set in the American South and most of them among poor people. The short story that gives the book refers to statues popular in the Jim Crow-era Southern United States, depicting grotesque minstrel-like characters.
Weird & Supernatural
First edition.
London. Grant Richards, 1923
A lost race novel in which a lost heiress takes over an African tribe. Very scarce in wrapper.
Weird & Supernatural
First edition.
London. Dent, 1910
The author’s first short story collection containing some fine examples of ghost and horror stories including the much anthologised tale, ‘August Heat’ (Shadows in the Attic p.247).
Modern Literature
First edition.
London. Philip Allan, 1925
Anthology covering amongst other things murders, mutinies, maroonings and other tales of horror on the high seas. Scarce in jacket.
Detective Fiction
First edition. London. Collins, 1927 ‘[a] swift-moving thriller...gives a vivid picture of life in New York’s underworld.’ (jacket blurb)A very good, unsophisticated example of this title by prolific Canadian author [William] Hulbert Footner, listed in Hubin but wrongly dated as 1929 (the date of the first US edition) therein. We could find no copies of this the true first edition on WorldCat’s database for institutional holdings. Exceedingly scarce in the original dust-jacket.From the collection of Adrian Homer Goldstone, 1897-1977 (bookplate). Goldstone was a renowned Californian book-collector, particularly well know for his bibliographies of Arthur Machen and John Steinbeck, both of which were published through the University of Texas.
Detective Fiction
First edition, second impression first month as first state April 1935.
London. Collins, 1935
Stephen Maddock was a pseudonym used by prolific adventure and crime fiction writer JT Walsh born 1897 to 1952. He had two main series characters under this name: Inspector Slane and Timothy Terrel, the latter of whom appears in Conspirators in Capri. Very scarce in a jacket.
Weird & Supernatural
First edition.
London. Hutchinson, [1926]
The continuing adventures of Allan Quatermain, set in the middle of the Dark Continent ruled by a huge, pale man with a strange knowledge of future events. One of two works published posthumously.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
First edition, first issue binding.
London. Charles Griffin & Co, [1909]
Early Sci-Fi with a fin de siècle perspective on interplanetary voyaging across the solar system. A companion volume to his The Stolen Planet novel. In Bleiler.
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.
War, Invasion & Spy
First edition.
London. Hutchinson, [1940]
Part of the ‘First Novel’ series. Hutchinson’s First Novel Library would go on to publish a total of 139 titles in the series before ending in 1951, comprising first novels, often by authors using a pseudonym.
Modern Literature
First edition.
London, Putnam, 1936
A very elusive political satire in which a Scottish shirt maker - Andrew McAndrew - corners the market for political shirts. In the novel the author satirises the symbolic power of the shirt with garments whose actual colour imbue the wearer with a political attitude. What’s not to like about a novel that pokes fun at Oswald Mosley’s Fascist Blackshirt movement.
Detective Fiction
First edition. London, Methuen 1922 A Hubin listed mystery in the very elusive jacket which has some visual similarity to the jacket design of ‘Mysterious Affair at Styles’, Agatha Christie’s first novel, published two years earlier. John Moroso was a New York based writer who contributed to various publications in the 1910s and 1920s and also wrote a story about life in an east side New York City ghetto titled The Stumbling Herd, which was made into a silent film in 1926