New York: Harper & Brothers, 1931. First Printing. Hardcover. First Edition (so stated) of this classic that "Sinclair Lewis thought indispensible to an understanding of the genre." (Catalogue of Crime) 8vo: [8],290pp. Publisher's black cloth, front cover and spine lettered in red, without the scarce dust jacket. About Fine (nearly... more
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1942. First American Edition. Hardcover. First Printing (the true first, published three months before the British edition). Demy 8vo: [6],245,[1]pp. Publisher's orange cloth embossed in black, fore-edge untrimmed. A superior example of this cheaply done wartime production, fine, tight and bright, with barely a hint of... more
New York: Dodd Mead, 1934. First American Edition. Hardcover. First Printing. 8vo: [vi],246pp. Publisher's orange cloth, the spine and upper cover stamped in black, the top edge stained orange, the fore-edge untrimmed, with decorated endpapers; in an illustrated dust jacket priced at $2.00.A Very Fine copy, square, tight and extremely... more
![The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson and the Comedy of Those Extraordinary Twins [First State]. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, , Mark TWAIN.](/pictures/thumb/BB1794.jpg?v=1535668604)
Hartford, Ct. American Publishing Company, 1894. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. An absolutely exceptionally copy of the first state (sheets bulk 1 1/8 inches, title leaf conjugate—not tipped in—Twain's facsimile signature to frontispiece measuring 1 7/16" wide [Variant A]). Tall, thick 8vo: [6],15-432pp, with tissue-guarded portrait frontispiece and numerous marginal illustrations... more
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1868. First Edition thus. Decorative Cloth. First Illustrated Edition (which Collins thought "very picturesque") and First American Edition of "the first and greatest of English detective novels." (T. S. Eliot) "probably the very finest detective story ever written." Dorothy L. Sayers) Tall 8vo: 223,[1]pp (text... more
New York: Random House, 1948. First Edition. Hardcover. First Printing (so stated) of Faulkner's seventeenth novel. 8vo: [4],247,[1]pp. Publisher's black cloth, spine and upper cover stamped in blue and gold, top edge stained blue, title page printed in blue and black; pictorial dust jacket, illustrated by E. McKnight Kauffer, priced... more
![[The Blofeld Trilogy, comprising] Thunderball; [with] On Her Majesty's Secret Service; [and] You Only Live Twice. Ian FLEMING.](/pictures/thumb/BB1531.JPG?v=1499796850)
London: Jonathan Cape [through 1964], 1961. Richard Chopping. First Edition. Hardcover. Three fine first impressions, First Issue or First State, of the author's eighth, tenth, and eleventh novels (Blofeld is absent from the ninth, The Spy Who Loved Me) in the iconic, correct-issue dust jackets illustrated by Richard Chopping. Uniformly... more
London: Michael Joseph, 1964. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression ("First published by . . . " on copyright page). 8vo: 238pp. Publisher's forest green cloth, spine lettered in gilt; in the iconic Trevor Denning dust jacket, priced 16s. A Fine example, square, tight and likely unread, with lightly spotted top... more
![The Labyrinthine Way [The Power and the Glory]. Graham GREENE.](/pictures/thumb/BB1649.jpg?v=1535642476)
New York: Viking Press, 1940. First Edition. Hardcover. First printing ("First Published in March 1940" on copyright page), second state (correctly paginated, but pp. 165-6 and 255-256 are cancels, both stating "Chapter Three"; no author's note, dedication unaltered). 8vo: {8},301,[1]pp. Publisher's yellow cloth, spine and upper cover stamped in black... more
![The Quiet American [wraparound band]. Graham GREENE.](/pictures/thumb/BB1861.jpg?v=1535675526)
London: William Heinemann, 1956. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression, with the scarce, unfaded Book Society wraparound band. 8vo: [8],247,[1]pp. Publisher's Prussian blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, top edge stained navy blue; patterned dust jacket, priced 13s/6d. A superior copy, apparently unread; virtually pristine jacket, vivid and bright. Wobbe 35a... more
London: Cresset Press Ltd, 1956. First Impression. Hardcover. First Edition ("first published 1956" with no other printings noted). 8vo; 284pp. Publisher's scarlet cloth, the spine stamped in gilt, in an illustrated dust jacket priced at 15/-. A just about Fine copy, lightly read if at all, the spine gilt slightly... more
London: William Heinemann, 1964. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression of Highsmith's most elusive title in collectible condition. 8vo: [4],284pp. Publisher's French blue cloth, spine stamped in gold; dust jacket illustrated by John Bance, priced 21s. A spectacular copy, apparently unread, with tight binding (spine ends lightly bumped), crisp gold lettering... more
London: The Readers Library, n.d. [c. 1925]. Early Reprint. Hardcover. A smart 1920's reprint in the handsome dust jacket. Small 8vo: 253,[1]pp. Publisher's maroon linen, spine and upper cover heavily stamped in gold; illustrated wraparound dust jacket, unpriced and unclipped. About Fine (spine tail bumped, small dent to top of... more
London: Collins, 1952. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression (no additional printings noted). 8vo; 287, [1]pp. Publisher's cinnamon-colored cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, the bottom edge untrimmed; in a pictorial dust jacket priced 9s/6d. Just about Fine, with the edges a bit darkened and the spine ends bumped; in a.... more
London: Collins, 1952. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression (no additional printings noted). 8vo; 252, [4]pp. Publisher's French-blue cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, the bottom edge untrimmed; in a pictorial dust jacket priced 10s/6d. Near Fine, with the spine somewhat faded and the gilt dulled; in a just about Fine... more
London: Collins, 1952. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression (no additional printings noted). 8vo; 255, [1]pp. Publisher's scarlet cloth, the spine lettered in black, the bottom edge untrimmed; in a pictorial dust jacket designed by Ruth Atkinson. Just about Fine, with a dust-spotted top edge; in a better than Near Fine... more
![Vivienne: Gently Where She Lay [Inscribed to his wife]. Alan HUNTER.](/pictures/thumb/BB1671.jpg?v=1505268729)
London: Cassell, 1972. First Edition. Hardcover. First Impression (First Published 1972 on copyright page). 8vo: 15,[2]pp. Publisher's bluish-green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, illustrated dust jacket priced £1.60 net. Inscribed by the author (and scarce such) in blue ink on front free end paper: "1972 / For My wife /... more
New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1967. First American Edition. Hardcover. First Printing (with Scribners 'A' on copyright page) of the author's second novel, first published, in Great Britain, in 1963. 8vo: 234pp. Publisher's pea-green cloth, fetish device to front cover and spine lettered in bright blue, first state illustrated dust... more
New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1967. First American Edition. Hardcover. A spectacular copy of the third installment in the classic Adam Dalgliesh mystery series, from the "reigning mistress of murder” (Time). First Printing, with publisher's code A - 8.67 [MC] on copyright page. 8vo: Publisher's coarsely woven French blue cloth... more
![Ashenden. Or the British Agent [Inscribed]. William. Somerset MAUGHAM.](/pictures/thumb/BB1833.jpg?v=1535673723)
London: William Heinemann, 1928. First Edition. Hardcover. Second Impression of this archetype of the espionage novel, a precursor to the works of Ian Fleming, Len Deighton, John le Carre, and Robert Ludlum. Publisher's dark blue linen-grain cloth, spine and front cover lettered in gilt. Wanting the scarce just jacket. Inscribed... more
Boston: Little, Brown, 1930. First Edition. Hardcover. First Printing ("Published August, 1930," with no further printings noted). 8vo: [4],294pp. Publisher's yellow cloth stamped in black, pictorial dust jacket priced $2.00, with the wraparound band announcing "The New Oppenheim—Presenting Tottie Green's Gang." A Fine, virtually pristine copy in an As New... more
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1955. First Impression. Hardcover. First UK Edition (released only as a paperback, entitled Return of Sumuru, in the U.S.). Publisher's red cloth, spine and lower cover stamped in black; price-clipped pictorial dust jacket. Just about Fine, square, tight and unmarked (front hinge seamlessly repaired), but end papers... more
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1884. First Printing. Decorative Cloth. First Edition, one of only 1500 copies, of this collection of original short stories (including "The Transferred Ghost" and "The Spectral Mortgage), excepting the title story, which was published first in the September issue of the magazine The Century, in... more
New York: Random House, 1965. First Edition. Hardcover. First printing (so stated). 8vo: [6],172,[2]pp. Publisher's decorated paper-covered boards, spine stamped in electric red, top edge stained red, in illustrated dust jacket priced $3.95. About Fine (offsetting to end papers), in Fine jacket, bright and fresh. St. James Guide to Crime... more
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1938. First Edition. Hardcover. First Printing (with "A" and publisher's seal on copyright page). 8vo: 227,[7]pp. Publisher's canary yellow cloth, spine and upper cover stamped in black,fore-edge untrimmed, typographic dust jacket priced $2. A Near Fine or better copy, cloth clean and bright, offsetting to... more