"There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favourite book."
— Marcel Proust
Crime & Thrillers
![Rogue Male [aka Man Hunt]. Geoffrey HOUSEHOLD](/pictures/thumb/49232.jpg?v=1574440566)
Rogue Male [aka Man Hunt].
London: Chatto and Windus, 1939. [Classic man-hunt adventure] FIRST EDITION, PROOF COPY, with an original 4-page advert/order form. Octavo, pp.[vii]; 271; [1], imprint. Publisher's brown card softcovers, with printed label to upper, handwritten details to spine. Contents clean, some wrinkling and lean to spine, covers lightly handled. A very good..... More
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
The Riddle of the Sands.
London: Smith Elder and Co., 1903. [Espionage novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[xii]; 336; [4], advertisements. Illustrated with fold out maps and charts. Publisher's pictorial black cloth, blocked in white to the spine and upper cover. Edges of text block toned, vintage repair to torn leaf at pp.217-8..... More
The Murder at the Vicarage.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1930. [Murder mystery] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[vi]; 319; [1], blank. Publisher's mid-green cloth blocked in dark green, top edge tinted brown, 'village map' endpapers, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. A fine copy in a lovely fine jacket which is..... More
![The Secret Families. [Inscribed Typescript with Associated Correspondence]. John GARDNER](/pictures/thumb/57544.jpg?v=1597078428)
The Secret Families. [Inscribed Typescript with Associated Correspondence].
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1989. [Spy Thriller] INSCRIBED ORIGINAL TYPESCRIPT. 437 sheets of type-written A4 paper, with the title leaf INSCRIBED by the author in black ink: 'To Gary, | With all good wishes — | yours | John Gardner.' Also with a separate Compliments leaf on US..... More
Mr. Standfast.
London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1919. Advance proof copy. 8vo. Publisher's original plain brown wraps, slightly spotted with minor edgewear. Internally clean, unifom light toning to page block. A most unusual and scarce advance proof copy of Mr. Standfast, one of Buchan's scarcer Richard Hannay stories. Protected by a tailor-made brown..... More
The Murder on the Links.
London: John Lane / The Bodley Head, 1923. Mystery novel. FIRST EDITION, octavo, pp.319; [1], blank. Printed on thick paper. Bound in a 'Times' or W.H.Smith' binding of brown cloth titled and trimmed in black. Some expected foxing to paperstock, text block a little toned to edges, some acceptable wear..... More
Poirot and the Regatta Mystery.
London: Vallancey Press Limted, no date [1945]. [Detective Mystery] FIRST SEPARATE EDITION. Slim octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.16. Illustrated stiff card covers designed by 'Jeffrey', original price 6d. A little dustiness and handling, lightly rubbed; near fine. The first stand-alone printing of this famous short story which had only previously..... More
The Seven Dials Mystery.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1929. [Murder Mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[viii]; 310; [2], blank. Publisher's orange cloth blocked in black, top edge orange, fore-edge untrimmed, decorative red endpapers, illustrated dust-wrapper. A near fine copy of the book (with sunned spine) in a splendid..... More
![The Quest For Karla trilogy] Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, [together with] The Honourable...](/pictures/thumb/55736.jpg?v=1587052804)
[The Quest For Karla trilogy] Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, [together with] The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974, 1977, 1980 [November 1979]. [Thrillers] ALL FIRST EDITIONS, ALL SIGNED. Three volumes complete, uniform octavos (22 x 14 x 11cm). With fine, uniform, printed 'John le Carré' bookplates to each volume, signed by the author. Publisher's blue and black hardcovers lettered in gilt, purple topstain..... More
![The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps], John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/50730.jpg?v=1584533210)
The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps],
London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. [Espionage thriller]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.253; [1]; [2], publisher's advertisements. Publisher's blue cloth boards with dark blue embossed lettering to spine and upper. Browning to page edges, though less than would normally be expected. Reading lean; spine sunned. Very good, in..... More
The Looking-Glass War.
London: Heinemann, 1965. [Cold War thriller] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Post-octavo (20 x14cm), pp.[x]; 246. Publisher's hardcover in dust-wrapper. With autograph in ballpoint to flyleaf. A fine copy of the book in rich red jacket, entirely free of fading. Price-clipped with minor laminate shrink else a crisp fine example. Simply stunning-..... More
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1905. [Detective fiction] First Colonial Edition. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[viii]; 403; [1], imprint; [8], advertisements. With a frontispiece illustration by Sidney Paget. Publisher's pictorial light blue-green cloth titled and decorated in gilt and black to the spine and front board, 'swan' patterned endpapers. Some..... More
The Best Man to Die.
London: John Long, 1969. [Crime Mystery] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.184. SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page. A ticket to the Soho Theatre event 'Ruth Rendell and PD James, Head to Head' September 2012, attended by a well-known bookseller, suggests provenance for the..... More
The Secret Agent.
London: Methuen and Co., 1907. [Landmark Spy novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[viii]; 442; [1], imprint; [1], blank; [40], advertisement catalogue dated September 1907. Bound in publisher's burgundy coloured cloth with gilt titles to the spine. Edges of text block toned/browned, binding a little sunned to the spine..... More
The Godfather.
New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. [Epic crime saga] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.446; [2], blank. Publisher's black cloth spine with titles in gilt; cream-coloured cloth boards with puppet string decoration in gilt to the centre of upper, red endpapers, fore-edge untrimmed, black dust-wrapper priced $6.95..... More
Appointment with Death.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1938. [Murder mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[vi]; 301; [5], blank. Publisher's bright orange cloth blocked in black, fore-edge untrimmed, top edge red, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. Some very light toning/browning to reverse side and some exquisite light repair;..... More
The Sittaford Mystery.
London: The Crime Club, 1931. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.250; [6], advertisements for new 7/6 detective novels. PUBLISHER'S UNRECORDED VARIANT BINDING of plum cloth blocked in black to spine and upper. Although the typeface used is the same, the brasses are a different size to those used on the..... More
The Valley of Fear.
London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1915. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[8] 306 [6]. With a black and white frontispiece illustrated by Wiles. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper. Quite heavy spotting throughout, with toned edges and a strong tobacco scent. An..... More
The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil and Lethal White.
London: Sphere, 2013. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.449; [7], blank. Black cloth lettered in gilt to backstrip, photographic dust-wrapper priced at £16.99 with Val McDermid quote to upper and quotes to rear from Mark Billingham and Alex Grey. A fine, unread copy. First of the Cormoran..... More
![The Little Drummer Girl [Proof copy and published book]. John LE CARRÉ, born 1931, David...](/pictures/thumb/55737.jpg?v=1584533289)
The Little Drummer Girl [Proof copy and published book]
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1983. [Thriller] UNCORRECTED PROOF IN PROOF-ONLY WRAPPER, together with the FIRST EDITION. Two volumes, octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.429; 430. Publisher's pale blue softcovers in bronze-effect dust-jacket, and publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to spine, in the trade dust-jacket. Both copies in very good condition..... More
![The Thirty-Nine [39] Steps, John BUCHAN, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir](/pictures/thumb/49608.jpg?v=1552663310)
The Thirty-Nine [39] Steps,
London, William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. [Espionage classic]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.253; [1]; [2], publisher's advertisements. Elegantly hand-bound in full blue oasis, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, gilt titles to upper cover, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. A little of the usual edge toning to the cheap..... More
The Boomerang Clue.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1935. [Murder mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[viii]; 290; [1], adverts; [5], blank. Publisher's light grey cloth blocked in red, top edge bright red, fore-edge untrimmed, 'red badge detective' design endpapers, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. A lovely fine copy..... More
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
The Stoneware Monkey.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1938. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.288. Publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt, blue endpapers, pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 7/6. Contents very clean, neat ownership to flyleaf, jacket with trivial rubbing and wear, some discreet (frankly unnecessary) touch-up (no paper repair); a lovely..... More