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Book has moderate toning, else extremely clean, tight unmarked. copy. Jacket has dampstain evident on lower portion of front panel, spine and rear panel; else clean and intact, 7/6 price present on front flap. Presents quite nicely overall, despite stain. In the manner of LIMEHOUSE NIGHTS, a collection of stories set in London's Limehouse district. Contains THE HANDS OF MR. OTTERMOLE, a Queen's Quorum title.
The Pleasantries of Old Quong
Burke, Thomas
London: Constable, 1931.
Price: $250.00
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Slight toning of textblcok and jacket, small closed tear at base of jacket spine else a clean, flawless copy. Uncommon hard-boiled Chinatown mystery.
Laughing Death
Brown, Walter C.
New York: Lippincott, 1932.
Price: $250.00
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Some staining on spine and gutters which appears to be offsetting from binding glue, else an extremely fresh, clean, tight, square copy. Jacket as two long closed tears on rear panel with tape reinforement on the verso, rubbing on rear panel, slight sloss at spine ends else clean an intact. Very pleasing overall. First novel by Goldsmith, author of the cult classic DETOUR. Story of a man framed for the murder of his wife. Upon his release from prison he discovers she isn't dead after all. Reasoning he can't be convicted of the same crime twice, he plots his revenge. Plot premise used in 1999 movie DOUBLE JEOPARDY starring Ashely Judd and Tommy Lee Jones.
Double Jeopardy
Goldsmith, Martin M
New York: Macaulay, 1938.
Price: $650.00
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Fragile paper covered boards have wear on edges, fraying on spine ends; else book is clean, square, tight and unmarked. Yellow jacket has mild spine fade fraying and slight loss at spine ends and corners, some creasing to front panel; else intact. A Haycraft Queen cornerstone, featuring the sluething couple Jake and Helene Justus, along with their sidekick attorney John J Malone. Great fun, Rice was known as the "Queen of the Screwball Mystery."
Trial By Fury
Rice, Craig
New York: Simon and Schuster (Inner Sanctum), 1941.
Price: $350.00
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Wear on boards, abrasions to pastedowns, small tape ghost on endpapers, mild toning: else clean square and unmarked. Jacket has tape reinforcements on edges, general wear and fraying. slight loss at spine ends and corners; else intact, $2,50 price present on front flap.
One Lonely Night
Spillane, Mickey
New York: Dutton, 1951.
Price: $350.00
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Ownership stamp on pastedown, spine ends crimped, one corner bumped else clean and unmarked. Jacket has fraying on spine ends and corners, several small closed tears, mild edgewear else intact. Third hard-boiled novel by the author of Criss-Cross. Suspense story set in remote snow bound cabin. Scarce in jacket
Last Year's Snow
Tracy, Don
New York: M. S. Mill Company, Inc., 1937.
Price: $350.00
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Moderate foxing on edges, slight fade at head of spine else clean square and unmarked. Jacket has 1/4" loss at head of spine, light soiling and rubbing; else intact, 8/6 price on front flap. More interesting jacket art than the US First Edtion. Perhaps Hughes best work, a Haycraft Queen cornerstone and subject for excellent Film Noir of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart
In a Lonely Place
Hughes, Dorothy B
London: Nicholson and Watson, 1950.
Price: $195.00
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Book is clean, tight and unmarked, textblock bright. Jacket has wear at extremities, slight loss at head of spine soiling on rear panel; else intact, $2.95 price present on front flap. The first novel to feature Toussaint Moore, a Black postal worker turned PI. Lacy was a very underrated mystery writer who provided sympathetic portrayals of Black protaganists, very unusual for the period. Edgar Award Winner. Extremely hard to find in collecatble condition
Room to Swing
Lacy, Ed
New York: Harper, 1957.
Price: $195.00
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Number (1) on lthe last page indicating First Edition. A touch of toning to textblock, else clean and umarked. Boards especially clean and bright. Jacket has very slight spine fade, wear and small nicks at extremities. Most famous for his Black dialect fiction, Cohen also wrote mysteries and created Jim Hanvey a 300 lb PI. Some, including Anthony Boucher, considered Cohen's early work a precursor to the Hard-boiled school. Scarce in condition
Scrambled Yeggs
Cohen, Octavus Roy
New York: Appleton Century Crofts, 1934.
Price: $175.00
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Original published in 1913, this Macaulay issue is undated, though other titles blurbed on the jacket would place publication c. 1928. Lightly toned textblock and light wear to boards; else clean and unmarked--a solid copy. Jacket is near perfect--clean, bright and intact. Jacket art by Politzer. Features legendary gentleman burglar Arsene Lupin, cracksman, quick change artist and hero to the Common Man. This volume concerns pursuit of a The List of 27, names of associates in his criminal organization. Cited in A Catalogue of Crime by Barzun and Taylor
The Crystal Stopper (Bouchon De Cristal)
Le Blanc, Maurice (LeBlanc
New York: Macaulay, 1928.
Price: $175.00
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Ownership signature, light toning; else clean, tight, square and unmarked. Jacket has unobtrusive tape reinforcement on edge of verso, slight loss at spine ends, closed tear on front flap fold, else intact. Replicates iconic First Edition jacket art. Early high quality Grosset and NOT a wartime Madison Square edition. Murder at the Hollywood Bowl. Whitfield was a charter member of the Black Mask school of hard-boiled crime fiction. Very attractive copy
Death in a Bowl
Whitfield, Raoul
New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1931.
Price: $150.00
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Mild textblock toning, else a very nice copy. Jacket has mild spine fade and author's photo clipped from rear flap; else clean, bright and intact. Nielsen's second and scarcest novel, subject for 1954 film noir Murder by Proxy. An excellent and somewhat overlooked writer, Nielson was one of the few women who wrote for magazines such as Manhunt in the early 50's.
Gold Coast Nocturne
Nielsen, Helen
New York: Ives Washburn, 1952.
Price: $195.00
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Light textblock toning else clean flawless copy. Jacket has some toning, slight loss on spine ends and top edge of rear panel and several chips on rear flap; else clean and intact. Very nice copy of highly sought after edition, reportedly Hemingway's persona favorite.
The Sun Also Rises
Hemingway, Ernest
New York: Grosset and Dunlap,
Price: $195.00
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Farrar Rinehart First Edition colophon on Copyright page. Heavy offsetting on endpapers, 1/4" tear at base of front hinge (else binding very solid, foxing on edges, light toning of textblock; else clean, square, tight and unmarked. Jacket has slight loss at spine ends and corners, foxing on rear panel, several small tears; else intact, $2.00 price on front flap. Presents very nicely overall. Contains two novellas, Black Orchids and Cordially Invited to Meet Death. The title story concerns Wolfe's endeavors to obitain Black Orchids from a rival grower, but a murder ensues. Both are excellent early Wolfe's and highly recommended
Black Orchids
Stout, Rex
New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1942.
Price: $675.00
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Number 226 of 271 hardbound Limited Edition copies. Light flaking of lettering on spine; else a flawless copy, apparently unread. Jacket clean, bright and intact. One of the most elusive Wolfe titles. Contains the Bitter End, originally written as a Tecumseh Fox story for The American Magazine. Stout rewrote it to feature Nero Wolfe when the magazine indicate they would pay double for a Wolfe story. Though Stout subsequently published the original Fox version in The Second Mystery Book, this is the first book publication of the Wolfe version, issued shortly after his death. Also includes an interview with Wolfe by the editor, an essay entitled Why Nero Wolfe Likes Orchids by Archie Goodwin (really Rex Stout), and Stout checklist.
Corsage
Stout, Rex (Michael Bourne, ed)
James Rock, 1977.
Price: $450.00
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Scribners "A" and seal on copyright page. Light offsetting of endpapers and mild toning of textblock; else book is clean, square and unmarked, boards very clean and bright. Jacket has 1/8" loss at head of spine and corners and light restoration on rear panel; else intact. By far the most interesting of the Van Dine jackets, with bold dragon and Bride and Groom on front panel. The seventh Philo Vance, with tropical fish and deep sea monster themes. Van Dine was one of the first important American Golden Age authors, credited as being an influence for Ellery Queen and Rex Stout, amongst others (1001 MIDNIGHTS Pronzini and Muller). Subject of 1934 movie of the same name
The Dragon Murder Case
Van Dine, S. S.
New York: Scribner's (Scribners), 1933.
Price: $165.00
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Lightly toned textblock, small bookstore stamp on pastedown; else clean, tight, square and unmarked. Price clipped jacket has 1/16th" loss at spine ends and corners, whites of jacket uniformly toned, lightly soiled rear panel, else intact. Published only in the UK, collects fourteen of Chandler's early short stories, first hardcover printing of THE PENCIL. Spectacular jacket art by Youngman Carter. Solid copy
The Smell of Fear
Chandler, Raymond
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1965.
Price: $295.00
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Book spine lightly creased, light wear on jacket extremeties and light soiling of rear panel, else a very nice copy. Terrific pult style period art with ghostlike figure with knife menacing a woman. Verner was popular and prolific British thriller writer
The Ghost Man
Verner, Gerald
New York: Macaulay, 1936.
Price: $195.00
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Boards fraying at spine ends and a top of rear gutter. Textblock age toned with several dog earred pages, glue remnants on pastedowns where jacket flaps pasted down; else a clean, solid copy. Jacket has markings on edge from storage in old style jacket protector, crease on spine; else clean and intact. Early Grosset, not cheaply produced Madison Square Edition. Replicates First Edition jacket art Set in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a rare foray by Wolfe out of his Brownstone lair. Called a "masterpiece" by Barzun and Taylor in A CATALOGUE OF CRIME. Affordable copy of one of the most sought after early Wolfe's.
Too Many Cooks
Stout, Rex
New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1938.
Price: $125.00
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Bruccoli A 3 1. Faint residue of old style jacket protector on book (none jacket however. Tape offset on Free Endpapers, stain on FFE, corners slightly rounded; else clean, tight, square and unmarked. Jacket is age toned, slight loss at ends and corners ( 1/8" or less), else intact. Bookplate of noted Collector Adrian Homer Goldstone on front pastedown Millar's final novel before adopting pen name of Ross MacDonald. Returning from WWII, ex-GI takes on corruption in his home town. Solid copy
Blue City
Millar, Kenneth (Ross MacDonald)
New York: Knopf, 1947.
Price: $175.00
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Front corners bumped, light foxing of textblock; else clean square and unmarked. Jacket has benefitted from professional restoration, and is now in beautiful, flawless condition. The first Mike Hammer, not commonly seen in this condition. Filmed twice, once in 1953 and again in 1982, the later starring Ammand Asante as Mike Hammer.
I, the Jury
Spillane, Mickey
New York: Dutton, 1947.
Price: $1,500.00
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Faint staining on boards, offset endpapers, ownership signature, ding on top rear board edge; else clean, square and unmarked. Jacket has small chip at head of spine, soiling on rear panel, mild edgewear; else intact. A non series work by a charter member of the Black Mask School of Hard-Boiled crime ficiton. Uncommon in collectable condition.
Mr. Strang
Daly, Carroll John
New York: Stokes, 1936.
Price: $750.00
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Townsend A5. Advance publisher's copy with "Discussion Copy" stamped on front boards and printed across front panel of the dustjacket. Rear panel has an explanation titled "Why a discussion copy". This apparently is a form of Advance Review copy designed to assess critical interest in the yet unproven Stout. Purple boards are faded (common with this title), a slight touch of fraying at base of spine, two ownership signatures; else clean, tight square and unmarked. Professionally restored jacket has light toning, light rubbing on rear panel; else intact, very nice period art by Leffertz. Stout's first book, a noirish psychlogical suspense story, some feel is overlooked and underrated. A very special item, particularly in this condition.Advance Review Copy.
How Like a God
Stout, Rex
New York: Vanguard, 1929.
Price: $1,950.00
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Bruccoli 10.2. First issue red orange boards clean and bright, textblock clean, square and unmarked. Jacket has tape reinforcement on verso, slight spine fade, 1/4" loss at base of spine, sticker pull on front panel, general wear; else clean and intact, not price clipped. Overall, a respectable copy. Though preceded by the UK edition, many favor the US edition with the Artzybasheff jacket art. Philip Marlowe.
The Little Sister
Chandler, Raymond
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1949.
Price: $195.00
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Very slight wear to board edges; light foxing on edges and prelims; else clean square and unmarked. Jacket has small chip on base of spine, mild soiling spine and real panel else clean and intact. A nonseries work, Daly's second to last novel, not published in the US (Hubin), this being the true First Edition. Uncommon in collectable condition
Murder at Our House
Daly, Carroll John
London: Museum Press, 1950.
Price: $375.00
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Ownership signature, bookstore sticker, textblock heavliy toned, binding a bit loose but structurally sound. Jacket is toned slight loss at spine ends and corners, moderate soiling of rear panel, else intact. Atmospheric jacket art by Maurice Freed. Espionage novel wherein American Agent Anthony Hamilton intervenes in Japanese plot to incite rebellion in Russia, Uncommon, particularly in jacket. Faust is best known for writing under the Max Brand pseudonym
Secret Agent Number 1 (One)
Faust, Frederick (Max Brand) Writing as Frederick Frost
New York: Macrae Smith, 1936.
Price: $395.00
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Endpapers offset, ownership signature, small bookstore sticker, mild toning; else clean, square and unmarked. Jacket has small chips on spine ends, mild edgewear, soiled rear panel; else clean and intact. Striking jacket art by Anacona. One of two mysteries Faust wrote under this name. Reformed criminal is enlisted by Bank owner to investigate a robbery and is drawn back into the underworld. Faust is best know for writings under the Max Brand pseudonym
The Night Flower
Faust, Frederick (Max Brand) Writing as Walter C. Butler
New York: Macaulay, 1936.
Price: $250.00
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Boards are faded and slightly mottled, apparently offsetting from the binding process, lightly toned textblock; else clean, square and unmarked. Jacket has light edgeware and a slight loss at corners; lese intact. Chase's second novel with the original, terribly politically incorrect, title and text. Negative racial stereotyping typical of the period. Chase was an Englisman who wrote in the American Hard-Boiled style, best known for NO ORCHIDS FOR MISS BLANDISH. Features Dave Fenner. Solid copy.
Twelve Chinks and a Woman
Chase, James Hadley
New York: Howell Soskins, 1941.
Price: $375.00
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Wear, but no fraying on boards, mildly toned; else clean, square and unmarked. Jacket has wear at head of spine, old style jacket protector tape residue on flaps, notched corners; else clean and intact. Solid copy of the fourth MIke Hammer.
The Big Kill
Spillane, Mickey
New York: Dutton, 1951.
Price: $375.00
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Scbriber's Seal and "A" on copyright page. Very mild textblock toning, small ink stamp to RFE; else a extremely nice copy--boards clean and bright, binding square and tight, textlbock fresh. Jacket has mild edgewear, several small closed tears with creasing; else clean and intact, $2.00 price on front flap. A Philo Vance novel, concerns the disappearance of Kaspar Kenting, ne'er do well playboy who disappears from his Upper East Side residence. Very pleasing copy of this Golden Age mystery.
The Kidnap Murder Case
Van Dine, S. S.
New York: Scribner's (Scribners), 1936.
Price: $295.00
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