Long Goodbye, The by Chandler, Raymond - new

NY: Dick & Fitzgerald (1865). 1st ed., 1865. 8vo. 186 pp. + [2] pp. ads. Original printed orange wrappers, with ads front verso and rear recto and verso. Seminal in the development of modern American detective fiction, John Brampton Williams' Leaves from the Note Book of a New York Detective is considered to be the first instance of American detective fiction. This collection of 29 short stories opens with the title piece which recounts the meeting between a medical doctor, John Babbington Williams (the actual author of the stories), and detective James Brampton. They become acquaintances, and after Brampton has retired after twenty years of service, he sends his case notebooks to Dr. Williams to be edited and published. In each of the stories private investigator Brampton uses his superior powers of deduction and penetrating observation to solve the crimes and anticipates by twenty years 19th century's most famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. The stories include: "The Silver Pin,"… Read More

London: Faber & Faber Limited, [1939], 1939. First edition. First edition. Pseudonym of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. Author's third book. Original black cloth with titles stamped in gold gilt on the spine. A lovely fine, clean and square copy in the near fine, lightly rubbed and with a few tiny nicks bright, pictorial dust jacket. An exceptional example and rare in the dust jacket. Published in the U. S. in 1954 using the title "Murder Revisited." Three amateur detectives try to change a suicide verdict to murder. Inspector Mallett lends a hand and reveals a completely unexpected solution to all. Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark (1900-1958) was called to the bar in 1924, as he joined the chambers of famed lawyer Ronald Oliver and practiced in the civil and criminal courts in and around London. "He married in 1933 and went to live in Cyril Mansions, Battersea. At this time he was employed in Hare Court, Temple. This lucky combination of names -- combined with a far from adequate… Read More

The Woman In White (1860 Harper & Brothers 1st Edition) BY WILKIE COLLINS. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1860.[2], 260, [4, ads] pp. States 1860 on the title page. In-text illustrations by John McLenan. Publisher's dk. brown stamped heavy cardboard boards with elaborate blind-stamped Harper and Brothers cartouche on front and back boards. Ads state B. Miss Mulock spelled correctly. Ads list eleven titles, and verso advertising The Mill on the Floss [Gasson p. 160.]Used. Good- Condition: Our copy lacks its spine, otherwise in good condition and a good candidate for rebinding. Chocolate brown endpapers are in good shape. Please see our photos. Your offers are welcome here.

First UK Edition; A Near Fine book in a Near Fine dust jacket. Typed Letter SIGNED by the author on his stationary laid in. This is the very scarce 1st UK edition; although not the true first (the US was published shortly beforehand), the UK is super rare to find in collectible condition, particularly in the ORIGINAL jacket with no restoration or repair; a truly unique item and a must for the 20th century mystery collector! This novel is on the Modern Library list of 100 greatest novels and is the basis for many film and screen adaptations. This copy is in near fine condition with a square, tight binding, clean yellow boards with bold black lettering, and crisp, off-white to white pages; age spotting is present to the exterior text block and free papers and only light shelf wear to the board edges, else fine. Housed in a near fine dust jacket that is remarkably free of any rubbing or chipping but does show minor discoloration and soiling to the back panel, spine, and flap edges (please see scans for… Read More

New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1965 First printing of the stated first edition. Signed by John Ball directly on the title page, including a unique, pithy inscription from Ball, incorporating the most famous quote from the 1967 film that won five Academy Awards: "'They call me Mr. Tibbs.' / They call me / John Ball."

Book and dust jacket in fine condition, with minimal signs of wear. A beautiful copy of an historically significant work. Scarce thus.

The first appearance of African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs, receiving the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America and made into an Oscar winning film of the same name, starring Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, and Warren Oates.

London: Alfred A. Knopf, 1931. Hardcover. Near Fine. First edition, preceding the American edition, and first issue, with the Knopf imprint (later issues have the Cassell imprint). Attractive engraved bookplate on the front pastedown, slightly cocked, and with a small, not too obtrusive stain on the front board, otherwise near fine, lacking the rare dustwrapper. A very attractive copy of the author's fourth book. This true first, English edition is exceptionally uncommon, and flat out rare in the jacket (which this copy lacks). Knopf published in the U.K. for only a few years, and generally produced very small editions.

LONDON: WARD, LOCK, AND CO. LTD. VERY GOOD WITHOUT D.J.. PUB 1902. FIRST EDITION. HARDCOVER. ISBN: PRINGLE WAS KIND OF A GENTLEMAN THIEF. THIS IS THE QUEEN'S QUORUM TITLE (# 30) OF LEGENDARY RARITY WHICHQUEEN HIMSELF OPINES WAS "DESTINED TO BECOME THE RAREST VOLUME OFDETECTIVE-CRIME SHORT STORIES PUBLISHED IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY." IN1951 QUEEN REPORTED: "BIBLIOPHILES AND BOOKSCOUTS HAVE SCOURED ENGLANDAND AMERICA, SEEKING IN THE MOST LIKELY AND UNLIKELY PLACES; YET AFTERNEARLY FIFTY YEARS OF EAGLE-EYED AND EXPERT EXCAVATING, THE RECORDEDCOPIES TOTAL EXACTLY SIX- NO MORE, NO LESS." THE ADRIAN GOLDSTONE COPYWHICH WAS RESOLD AT SOTHEBY'S IN DECEMBER 2000 HAS BLUE CLOTH COVEREDBOARDS. ONE WONDERS IF THERE WERE INDEED SO FEW COPIES WHY MORE THAN ONECOLOR OF CLOTH WAS USED, BUT AFTER ANOTHER 55 YEARS SINCE QUEEN MADE THEABOVE STATEMENT ONLY A FEW OTHERS SEEMED TO HAVE TURNED UP SO HISORIGINAL INFORMAL CENSUS MAY BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN EXAGERATION WHICHWAS HOW IT WAS CHARACTERIZED IN THE 1981 ADRIAN… Read More

New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1943. First Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Good/Very Good. 1943 Houghton Mifflin TRUE FIRST EDITION of this Ultra-SCARCE classic! This is a more than decent but flawed copy and in Good/VG condition. Most importantly this copy has the elusive title page with "1943" on the title page, the only designation of a true first! It is ex-library with a variant or rebound boards in a dark pebbled blue. Inside the end pages have a spiderweb pattern and there are the usual library marks on these. Since it was war time these books were so very cheaply produced with numerous publication flaws. The text however is very tight with very tiny marks on several pages but overall and very clean copy. **THE INCREDIBLY ELUSIVE FIRST STATE DJ is unclipped DJ is a the TRUE first edition and is just a tad larger than the boards. **BONUS** Laid in is a *SIGNED* note by Capsary, " Love and good wishes for all holidays and all year-VERA." Also receive the First Edition of… Read More

London: Faber & Faber Limited, [1939], 1939. First edition. First edition. Pseudonym of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. Author's third book. Original black cloth with titles stamped in gold gilt on the spine. A lovely fine, clean and square copy in the near fine, lightly rubbed and with a few tiny nicks bright, pictorial dust jacket. An exceptional example and rare in the dust jacket. Published in the U. S. in 1954 using the title "Murder Revisited." Three amateur detectives try to change a suicide verdict to murder. Inspector Mallett lends a hand and reveals a completely unexpected solution to all. Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark (1900-1958) was called to the bar in 1924, as he joined the chambers of famed lawyer Ronald Oliver and practiced in the civil and criminal courts in and around London. "He married in 1933 and went to live in Cyril Mansions, Battersea. At this time he was employed in Hare Court, Temple. This lucky combination of names -- combined with a far from adequate… Read More

London: Strand Magazine, 1901. The true First Printing of the third and arguably best Sherlock Holmes mystery, one which had avid readers queuing up across England with the publication of every new issue. With numerous illustrations by Sidney Paget. Nine complete Strand Magazines, bound without the wrappers, in contemporary brown cloth with red morocco label, gilt rules and lettering, Very Good, cloth sunned at spine, light soiling with small bumps and rubs at corners, light toning at end pages only, interior clean and bright. One section of the novel was published each month for nine months, beginning August 1901 and running to April, 1902, The book edition did not appear until 25 March 1902, towards the end of this serial publication. SCARCE with the complete magazines in contemporary binding. . First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket, As Issued. Thick 8vo.