"There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favourite book."
— Marcel Proust
Crime & Thrillers
The Ipcress File.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1962. [Cold-War thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.224. Publisher's orange cloth in original dust-wrapper (without reviews) designed by Raymond Hawkey. A couple of laminate creases, minor edge wear, some vintage tape and file number to reverse side; a bright near fine copy. Author's debut..... More
Len Deighton's Continental Dossier. A collection of cultural, culinary, historical, spooky, grim and preposterous fact compiled by Victor and Margaret Pettitt.
London: Michael Joseph, 1968. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm). Publisher's glazed photographic boards with all-over design in colour. Printed on glossy paper stock, folding cloth map at rear. A particularly fine example of an unusual 'sixties reference book, without the heavy fading to the spine that affects this title..... More
Mamista.
London: Century, 1991. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 15cm), pp.[vi]; 360; [2], blank. Publisher's red hardcover cloth blocked in gilt to backstrip, black endpapers, illustrated dust-jacket priced at £14.99. Top edge slightly dusty else a clean, fine copy. Guerilla warfare story set in 1980s South America... More
Spy Sinker.
New York: Harper and Row / Harper Collins, 1990. [Espionage novel] ADVANCE READING COPY of the FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.332. Bound from uncorrected proofs in photographic softcovers with publication date shown as September 1990. Edges a little spotted else a very good copy. More
SS-GB. Nazi Occupied Britain 1941.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1978. [Spy thriller] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY of the FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.250; [2], blank. Bound in salmon-coloured printed wraps, with oversize proof-only dust-wrapper. The jacket artwork is by Raymond Hawkey, who designed the classic 1960s James Bond paperbacks for Pan Books. Rather curiously and..... More
Twinkle Twinkle Little Spy.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1976. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.240. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. Top edge blue; photographic endpapers depicting the sky at night. With the photographic dust-jacket designed by Raymond Hawkey, priced at £3.25. Slight browning to edges. Light bruising to jacket edges..... More
Violent Ward.
London: Harper Collins, 1993. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 15cm), pp.[x]; 305; [5], blank. Publisher's red hardcover cloth blocked in gilt to the backstrip, illustrated dust-jacket priced at £14.99. A crisp, clean, fine copy. A picaresque legal thriller set in riot-torn South Central Los Angeles. More
Winter. A Berlin Family 1899-1945.
London: Hutchinson, 1987. [Espionage thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[vi]; 536; [2], blank. Publisher's blue cloth hardcovers lettered in silver to spine, floral-patterned red endpapers, dust-wrapper designed by Raymond Hawkey priced at £11.95. Lightly used, discreet date '28/9' in ink, faint mark to fore-edge. A near fine copy..... More
Yesterday's Spy.
New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975. [Spy thriller] FIRST US EDITION, BIOGRAPHER'S COPY. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.282. Publisher's hardback cloth binding in pictorial dust-jacket with artwork is by Raymond Hawkey, priced at $7.95. Slight toning to rear panel; near fine. From the library of the writer, media and..... More
Yesterday's Spy.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1975. [Spy thriller] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY of the FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.224. Bound in salmon-coloured printed wraps, with oversize proof-only dust-wrapper, which curiously lists the provisional publication date as June 12th 1973. The actual release date was January 1975 (this date being printed on..... More
Vol. IX, No. 5, May 1954. 'Mad Morgan's Murder Sanctum'.
London: Atlas Publishing and Distributing Co., Ltd., 1954. STREET AND SMITH'S DETECTIVE STORY MAGAZINE. Magazine format, stapled. A truly exceptional copy of this illustrated detective fiction magazine, with contributions from William R. Cox, Day Keene, Don James, and others. Spotlessly clean, with paper covers in glorious, vivid colour. Small chip..... More
Vol. III, No. 10, August 1955. 'A Slight Case of Murder'.
London: Atlas Publishing and Distributing Co., 1955. DETECTIVE TALES. Magazine format, stapled. A truly exceptional copy of this illustrated detective fiction magazine, with contributions from William Vance, Arthur J. Burks, Joe Graham, and more. Spotlessly clean, with paper covers in glorious, vivid colour. Appears as new. This gripping collection of..... More
Vol. III, No. 6, April 1955. 'Home Sweet Homicide'.
London: Atlas Publishing and Distributing Co., Ltd., 1955. DETECTIVE TALES. Magazine format, stapled. A truly exceptional copy of this illustrated detective fiction magazine, with contributions from William Campbell Gault, Charles Beckman Jr., Margaret Manners, Frank Gruber, and others. Spotlessly clean, with paper covers in glorious, vivid colour. Appears as new..... More
The Jewel that was Ours. An Inspector Morse Novel
London: Macmillan, 1991. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.[8]; 275; [3], blank. Publisher's black cloth, titles in gilt to spine, dust-jacket photographed by Red Saunders with printed price of £14.99. Slight (usual) toning to edges of text block otherwise a near fine copy. The ninth of the the..... More
Bleak House.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1853. First Edition, first issue text, half-title present. Octavo, pp.624. Has all three typographical errors present in the first issue: p.19, line 6: "elgble"; p. 209, line 23: "chair" instead of "hair"; and p. 275, line 22: "counsinship" instead of "cousinship." Illustrations by H.K. Browne. In..... More
Behind the Crimson Blind. Another Adventure of Sir Henry Merrivale.
London: William Heinemann, 1952. [Crime Mystery] FIRST UK EDITION, EX LIBRIS ANTHONY LEJEUNE. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[4] 283 [1]. With a bookplate detailing provenance to flyleaf. Publisher's black cloth with titles now oxidised to a light green colour. Cream endpapers. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Stein, priced at 10/6..... More
Mail Train.
London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1946. [Detective fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.240. Publisher's red cloth, titles in white to spine and upper, dust-jacket with printed price of 8/6 net. handwritten date and some tape to flyleaf, spotting to edges. Cloth with some faded areas. Wrapper edgeworn with..... More
![Romances from a Detective's Casebook [in] The Strand Magazine. 'The Jewelled Skull'; 'The Story...](/pictures/thumb/50847.jpg?v=1523717622)
Romances from a Detective's Casebook [in] The Strand Magazine. 'The Jewelled Skull'; 'The Story of the Great Cat's-Eye'; 'The Secrets of the Black Brotherhood'; and 'The Chamber of Shadows'
London: George Newnes, July 1892 - November 1892. [Literary Magazine]. FIRST APPEARANCES. Four magazines in their original paper covers. Large Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.xvi; 112; xvii-xx; pp.xvi; 113-220; xvii-xx; pp.xvi; 221-328; xvii-xx; pp.xvi; 441-548 ; xvii-xxiv. Not including the October issue, which did not contain a Detective's Casebook story..... More
The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1954. [Detective fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.x; 313. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dustjacket. No inscriptions or price-clipping. Jacket with a few chips and tears. A very good copy. A new series of cases for the consulting detective, including..... More
Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack The Ripper.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1966. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.157; [3], blank. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, in an unmistakably restrained yellow Gollancz dust-jacket priced at 18s. Fine in near fine jacket. How Holmes might have solved the infamous Whitehall murders. More
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No.1922, [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Naval Treaty pt. 2].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, 21st October 1893. FIRST APPEARANCE. The second of two parts, folio. Illustrated by W. H. Hyde. A story later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. In publisher's illustrated paper covers, sewn. Hinges very weak; front nearly loose. Large tear to front cover mended..... More
![A Study In Scarlet [and] The Return. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Guy DE MAUPASSANT, Sir](/pictures/thumb/57831.jpg?v=1599843611)
A Study In Scarlet [and] The Return.
Chicago, MI: W.B. Conkey Company, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.175 [1]; 14 [2]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, and black decoration to spine and upper. Extremely heavily browned and brittle. Fly-leaf very delicate; nearly detached. Light wear to cloth..... More
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1895. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Reigate Puzzle (Squires)].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, June 17, 1893. FIRST AMERICAN APPEARANCE of this adventure, illustrated by W.H. Hyde, which was later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. Single newspaper issue in pictorial wraps (41 x 29cm). Disbound or extracted from a hardcover with associated wear to the spine..... More
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1917. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Greek Interpreter].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, September 16, 1893. FIRST AMERICAN APPEARANCE of this adventure, illustrated by W.H. Hyde, which was later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. Single newspaper issue in pictorial wraps (40 x 28cm). Disbound or extracted from a hardcover with associated sewing holes to spine..... More
![Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1917. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Yellow Face]....](/pictures/thumb/50174DoyleHarper'sWeekly.jpg?v=1547505472)
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1917. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Yellow Face].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, February 11, 1893. FIRST AMERICAN APPEARANCE of this adventure, illustrated by W.H. Hyde, which was later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. Single newspaper issue in pictorial wraps (41 x 29cm). Disbound or extracted from a hardcover with associated wear to the spine..... More