"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde

London: Grant Richards, 1900. First Edition. 8vo. Publisher's dark blue cloth titled and decorated in gilt to spine and front board. A used copy with some shelfwear,rubbed to extremities, gilt illustration rubbed to upper, discreet owner stamp to flyleaf, inside paper joint cracked. Very good. Illustrated throughout by Gordon Browne. 'Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen (February 24, 1848 - October 25, 1899) was a science writer, author and novelist; an able upholder of the theory of evolution.' An early female detective (described elsewhere as 'A woman of tenacity...' novel, the final chapter of which: 'The Dead Man Who Spoke' was dictated to and completed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a friend of Allen's and by no means averse to writing a bit of detective fiction himself apparently. Item #39153
Price: £325.00