BLUE CITY

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1947. First printing. Very good plus in very good dust jacket.. Signed first edition of this hardboiled thriller, one of only four titles author Ross Macdonald published under his real name. Before Ross Macdonald's enormously popular Lew Archer mystery series there was BLUE CITY, a hardboiled tale of a WWII veteran who returns home to murder and corruption. Reviewers called it "a whacking good thriller," noting that it is "written without the pell-mell haste with which this sort of thriller is so commonly turned out" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER). When Millar found success writing under the name Macdonald, BLUE CITY was reissued under his more recognizable pen name; this copy, signed by Millar with his real name, is particularly desirable. 7.5'' x 5''. Original red cloth binding with blue lettering. Original unclipped ($2.50) dust jacket designed by Philip Grushkin. Blue topstain, fore-edge deckle. 276 pages. In custom black and red clamshell with embossed city skyline. Jacket with light edgewear, small chip to top edge of front panel; spine lightly toned. Binding with corners and spine ends lightly bumped, a touch of discoloration to edges; topstain somewhat faded. Leaves with a hint of a ripple to lower corners. Bright.