London: Cassell and Company, 1889. [Mystery novel] FIRST EDITION, noted in several important crime checklists. Crown octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[iv]; 283; [1], blank; [16], catalogue (dated January 1889). Publisher's red cloth, titled in black and gilt, 'swan' patterned endpapers. Internally clean, armorial bookplate and signature of Wyville Thomson, spine a little cocked, some acceptable rubbing and wear, backstrip sunned/soiled. Very good. Written with his stepson Lloyd Osborne, 'The Wrong Box' is one of Stevenson's strangest works. It is an early and key title in police fiction with Detective-Lawyer Michael Finsbury painstakingly tracing the misadventures of a rapidly decomposing corpse. In this eccentric and brilliantly plotted story, the authors not only extended the boundaries of good taste, but also satirized the popular Railway Novel genre, perplexing many Victorian readers. Item #52504

Price: £60.00