"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
Georges Simenon | First Editions
1903 - 1989
See below our stock of Georges Simenon First Editions, fine bindings, sets and other collectible material.
Maigret And The Old Lady.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1958. [Detective fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. In publisher's cloth with gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Robert Micklewright, priced at 11/6. Page edges and rear panel spotted, some minor chips to spine ends, lightly sunned. A very good copy indeed. More about Maigret And The Old Lady
Maigret In Society.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1962. [Detective fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's red cloth, titles in silver to spine, pictorial dust-jacket designed by P. Youngman-Carter, with the printed price of 12s.6d. net. Edges a little dusty and spotted, jacket lightly used and toned to spine. An attractive... More about Maigret In Society
Maigret and the Madwoman.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1972. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4]; 184; [4]. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Bernard Higton. Some spotting to top edge. Jacket price-clipped. A near fine copy. First published in French as 'La Folle... More about Maigret and the Madwoman
Maigret and the Spinster.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1977. [Crime Fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4] 155 [1]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Sally Davies, clipped and re-priced at £4.95. Light spotting to edges, and light browning to endpapers. Jacket price-clipped, with some light... More about Maigret and the Spinster
Maigret in Exile.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1978. [Detective fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.155; [1]. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt lettering to spine in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Beverly Lebarrow. Binding is tight and clean, with minor spotting to edges, small bump to bottom edge. Dust-wrapper is price-clipped, bright. Internally... More about Maigret in Exile
Maigret in Exile.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1978. [Mystery novel] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.156. Translated from the French by Eileen Ellenbogen. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Beverley LeBarrow, priced at £3.95. Top edge dusty else a fine copy. Maigret is forced out... More about Maigret in Exile
Maigret In New York.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1979. FIRST U.K. EDITION. Octavo, pp.155. In publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Ken Reilly. Book is spotted to edges and endpapers; jacket price-clipped, sunned to spine. A very good copy. Featuring the most famous detective of French literature. More about Maigret In New York
Maigret in New York.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1979. [Crime Fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (21 x 13cm), pp.[4] 155 [1]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Ken Reilly. Light spotting to edges. Jacket price-clipped. Very good. First published in French as 'Maigret a New-York' (1947). More about Maigret in New York
Maigret and the Ghost.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1976. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.157; [3], blank. Publisher's blue cloth with silver titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Beverley LeBarrow, priced at £2.95. Trivial dustiness. Near fine. First published in France in 1962. More about Maigret and the Ghost
The Others.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1975. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.124. Publisher's blue cloth with silver titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Beverley LeBarrow, clipped and repriced by the publisher at £4.95. A lovely fine copy which appears to be unread. First published in France in 1962. More about The Others
Maigret and the Hotel Majestic.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1977. [Detective fiction] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.155; [1]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-wrapper designed by Beverley Lebarrow, priced at £3.50. Edges a little dusty; near fine. More about Maigret and the Hotel Majestic
Maigret and The Burglar's Wife.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1955. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Blue cloth stamped in gilt to spine, dust-jacket illustrated by Robin Jacques, priced at 9/6. A little offsetting to endpapers and spotting to edges. Small green Foyles sticker to front pastedown. Jacket spine lightly toned... More about Maigret and The Burglar's Wife
My Friend Maigret.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1956. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.159; [1]. Publisher's burgundy cloth with silver titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by David Knight. Some offsetting to endpapers, spotting to edges. Price-clipped jacket sunned to spine, with rubbing to folds and chips from... More about My Friend Maigret
The Bottom of the Bottle.
London: Hamish Hamilton. 1977. A novel by the prolific Belgian crime writer. The dark past of P. M. Ashbridge comes back to haunt him as he attempts to settle into prosperous family life on a ranch in New Mexico. First UK Edition; first published in France, 1949. Translated from the... More about The Bottom of the Bottle
The Magician.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1974. [Mystery novel] FIRST UK EDITION, translated by Helen Sebba. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.188. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Beverley LeBarrow, priced at £2.25. Faint mark to top edge else fine. Haining; The Classic Era of Crime Fiction... More about The Magician
Maigret and the Black Sheep
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1976. [Detective fiction] FIRST U.K. EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.187. In publisher's burgundy cloth with gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-wrapper designed by Beverley Lebarrow, priced at £2.75. Some edge-spotting, jacket sunned to spine otherwise very good indeed. More about Maigret and the Black Sheep
Maigret's Rival.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1979. [Detective fiction] FIRST U.K. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.154. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Ken Reilly, priced at £4.95. Edges a little dusty otherwise fine. More about Maigret's Rival
Aunt Jeanne. Translated from the French by Geoffrey Sainsbury.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1953. [Thriller] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.186. Publisher's blue cloth (the second of two known states) with red lettering to spine, with monochrome photographic paper dust-jacket. Slight lean to the textblock, covers show some fading to the top and bottom of the... More about Aunt Jeanne. Translated from the French by Geoffrey Sainsbury
Aunt Jeanne. Translated from the French by Geoffrey Sainsbury.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1953. [Thriller] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.186. Publisher's primary blue cloth (one of two known states) with red lettering to spine, with monochrome photographic paper dustjacket. A clean, bright copy in slightly rubbed, price-clipped jacket. Shows well. More about Aunt Jeanne. Translated from the French by Geoffrey Sainsbury
Danger Ahead. Comprising: Red Lights, and The Watchmaker of Everton. Translated from the French by Norman Denny.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1955. First UK Edition. Publisher's blue cloth with titles in gilt to spine; slight fading to extremities, edges foxed. In its original pictorial dust wrapper, rubbed and frayed to extremities with chips to corners; back panel dusty. Very Good indeed. More about Danger Ahead. Comprising: Red Lights, and The Watchmaker of Everton. Translated from the French...
The Fate Of The Malous.
London, Hamish Hamilton. 1962. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. Octavo. Publisher's hardback cloth binding in pictorial dustjacket, superbly drawn by Youngman Carter. A lightly used copy showing some dustiness and a couple of nicks, price-clipped; very good indeed. Haining; The Classic Era of Crime Fiction p167 (2002), Steinbrunner & Penzler; Ency.of Mystery... More about The Fate Of The Malous
The Glass Cage. Translated from the French by Antonia White.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1973. [Mystery] ADVANCE PROOF COPY of the FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.156. Publisher's pale yellow softcovers with details printed in black to upper. A clean, fine copy. More about The Glass Cage. Translated from the French by Antonia White
The Innocents. Translated from the French by Eileen Ellenbogen.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1973. [Mystery] ADVANCE PROOF COPY of the FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.188. Publisher's pale yellow softcovers with printed title label. A lightly handled copy in near fine condition. More about The Innocents. Translated from the French by Eileen Ellenbogen
La Cage de Verre (Text is in french).
Paris, Presses De La Cite. 1971. FIRST EDITION, 8vo. Publisher's midnight blue cloth in simple white photographic dust jacket, small price sticker on the lower back. Very slight bumping to top of spine and lower front corner with just a hint of a lean. Light browning to text, slightly darker... More about La Cage de Verre (Text is in french
Magnet of Doom.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul 1955. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. Crown octavo, pp.279. Publisher's hardcover in original dust-wrapper. No inscriptions or price-clipping. Quite simply a crisp, fresh, fine copy. Outstanding. 'A story of murder and scandal by a master of criminal psychology' (from the blurb of the Pan paperback edition). Haining;... More about Magnet of Doom