"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
Crime & Thrillers
Hilda Wade.
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... More about Hilda Wade
The Ability to Kill.....And Other Pieces.
London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1963. [Murder/true crime] FIRST EDITION, corrected state. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.222. Publisher's light red cloth in a rather chilling pictorial dust jacket, illustrated by Don Higgins. Usual laminate shrinkage at joint else a fine copy. Not exactly bed-time reading! Ambler's examination of what kind... More about The Ability to Kill.....And Other Pieces
The Ability to Kill.....And Other Pieces.
London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1963. [Murder/true crime] FIRST EDITION, corrected state. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.222. Publisher's light red cloth in a rather chilling pictorial dust-jacket, illustrated by Don Higgins. Illustrated bookplate to flyleaf. Usual laminate shrinkage at joint, some soiling, spine and extremities toned. Very good. More about The Ability to Kill.....And Other Pieces
The Care of Time.
New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1981. [Spy Thriller] INSCRIBED FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[10] 277 [1]. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: 'With best wishes from | an ever-grateful patient | Eric Ambler | London 14 May 82'. Publisher's purple quarter cloth... More about The Care of Time
The Dark Frontier.
London, Hodder and Stoughton. 1936. First Edition of the author's first novel. 8vo, pp.320. Association copy, belonging to a leading British Army lawyer. Bound in contemporary native red oasis over marbled sides, spine titled and ruled in gilt, with speckled edges. Bumped to lower corners. Internally very clean. Some dustiness... More about The Dark Frontier
Epitaph For A Spy.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1938. [Haycraft-Queen cornerstone novel]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.287; [1], advertisement. Bound by the W.H. Smith and Son bindery in green cloth, titled in gilt to the spine. Some spotting and toning to page edges, cloth a little rubbed and darkened to extremities. Very... More about Epitaph For A Spy
The Mask Of Dimitrios.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1939. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR. A Haycraft-Queen cornerstone novel. Octavo, pp.320. Publisher's cloth, lightly worn with a few small marks, spine sunned. A very good copy. With an important presentation note to the title-page; Roy Baker / from Eric Ambler / 16 August 46... More about The Mask Of Dimitrios
The Mask Of Dimitrios.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1939. FIRST EDITION. A Haycraft-Queen cornerstone novel. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.320. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. Internally very clean with no ownership marks, bookplates or inscriptions. Covers are fresh but for a little sunning to spine, a few small marks and the... More about The Mask Of Dimitrios
The Night-Comers.
London: William Heinemann, 1956. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.[6]; 233. Publisher's orange cloth with gilt titles to spine, in decorative dust-jacket designed by Judith Bledsoe. Small area of toning to the bottom right corner of a few of the early pages, price clipped dust-jacket shows well with a couple of small... More about The Night-Comers
Passage of Arms.
London: Heinemann, 1959. [Gun-running thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.250. Publisher's hardback cloth binding in pictorial dust-jacket priced at 16s. Lightly toned and spotted to edges. Jacket a touch toned to spine, lightly rubbed to edges. Near fine. A modern day pirate adventure, set in the South-Seas. This... More about Passage of Arms
The Schirmer Inheritance.
London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1953. [Post-war spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.[vi]; 270. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, pictorial dust-wrapper by Biro priced at 12/6. A lovely fine copy of the book in a lightly used jacket with one neat tear to upper. Most attractive. Eric Ambler... More about The Schirmer Inheritance
Uncommon Danger.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1937. [Intrigue] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.314; [6], advertisements. Publisher's pale blue cloth lettered in black, mid-blue endpapers, pictorial jacket by Gibbs, priced 7/6. Trivial toning to edge of text block, jacket with very light rubbing/wear to extremities. Overall a lovely fine copy of... More about Uncommon Danger
The Man Who Killed Hitler.
London: T. Werner Laurie, 1939. [Anti-Nazi Novel] UK FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.113, [1]; [14] publisher's advertisements. Publisher's black cloth with titles in yellow, in yellow typographic dust-jacket showing printed price of 3/6 net to the spine. Binding is tight, printing crisp with no spotting. Dust-wrapper is bright... More about The Man Who Killed Hitler
![Murder too Late [A Patrick Dawlish Thriller]. Gordon ASHE, Pseud. of John Creasey](/pictures/thumb/31318.jpg?v=1493310829)
Murder too Late [A Patrick Dawlish Thriller].
London: John Long Limited, 1947. First Edition. Publisher's light blue cloth with black titles to spine; in its bright, atmospheric dustwrapper by Alex Jardine, lightly rubbed, a little creased at corners and spine extremities. A very attractive copy. More about Murder too Late [A Patrick Dawlish Thriller
Flyaway.
London: Collins, 1978. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.318. With a map. Publisher's tan cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by David Leeming, not priced. Light shelf-wear. Some minor bruising and a couple of small closed tear to top edge of jacket. Near fine. More about Flyaway
Mr. Fortune's Case Book. An H.C. Bailey Omnibus containing Call Mr Fortune, Mr Fortune's Practice, Mr Fortune's Trials and Mr Fortune Please.
London: Methuen 1936. Mystery collection. First Edition thus. Crown octavo, pp.809; [1], imprint. Publisher's red cloth with black titles in original dust-wrapper. Book is fine, jacket near fine with a couple of minor rubs and tears. A most attractive copy. More about Mr. Fortune's Case Book. An H.C. Bailey Omnibus containing Call Mr Fortune, Mr Fortune's...
The Ten Holy Horrors.
London; Hodder and Stoughton. 1939. First edition. 8vo. Near fine in publisher's black cloth titled in red to spine and front board, clean and sharp, minor edgewear and bumping to spine ends. In a near fine dustwrapper, clean and bright with very slight edgewear to extremities and some very light... More about The Ten Holy Horrors
The Decoy.
London: William Collins Ltd., 1927. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[ii]; 251; [1], imprint. Publisher's burgundy cloth in illustrated jacket. Some trivial dustiness handling and toning but essentially a fine copy in jacket. A bank robbery intrigue, from an author better known for his strange tales and fantasies. More about The Decoy
The Whisper In The Gloom.
London: for the Crime Club by Collins, 1954. [Detective novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.254; [2], blank. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine, typographic dust-jacket. Extremities toned, jacket with some chips and a couple of repaired tears to upper with old tape to reverse. Very good... More about The Whisper In The Gloom
The Mystery of Belvoir Mansions.
London: Ward, Lock and Co., 1929. Octavo, pp.128. Bound in publisher's pictorial white paper wraps, with illustration by Abbey to front panel. Advertisements to inner of wraps. In remarkable condition, considering age and format. Wraps appear clean and bright, with no visible marks. Textblock age toned. Tight, strong binding. Very... More about The Mystery of Belvoir Mansions
The Red Rat's Daughter. Illustrated by Henry Austin.
London: Ward, Lock and Co., 1899. First Edition. Octavo, (20 x 14cm), pp.384. With occasional half-tone plates by Austin, including a frontispiece. Publisher's dark blue cloth with titles and elaborate decoration in gilt to spine and upper. Light rubbing to cloth; front endpapers browned. Very good. More about The Red Rat's Daughter. Illustrated by Henry Austin
My Strangest Case.
London: Ward, Lock and Co., 1902. [Crime Fiction] First Edition. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.315 [5]. Publisher's gilt titled dark blue cloth, decorated in green and gilt with a striking (pardon the pun) design of a rather irate looking rattlesnake. Ink ownership to half title. Bumping to the head and... More about My Strangest Case
Doctor Nikola.
London: Ward, Lock and Co., 1896. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.viii; 322 [6]. With a number of half-tone plates, including a frontispiece, by Stanley L. Wood. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, and coloured illustrations laid over spine and upper board. All edges untrimmed... More about Doctor Nikola
The Kidnapped President.
London: Ward, Lock and Co., 1902. [Adventure Fiction] First Edition. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.308 [12]. Publisher's dark blue cloth over bevelled boards, boldly titled in gilt and lavishly decorated in what appears to be six pairs of orange Y-fronts. Ink name to flyleaf, cloth showing some acceptable wear, and... More about The Kidnapped President
The Dead Side of the Mike.
London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1980. [Crime thriller] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.176. Publisher's red cloth, titles in gilt to spine, dust-jacket with printed price of £4.95 net. Inscribed by the author to the copyright page: "with love | from | Simon | 11th June 1980". Cloth sunned... More about The Dead Side of the Mike