"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke

London: Jonathan Cape, 1978. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's hardcover in original dust-wrapper priced at £3.95. Very good or better in similar jacket with some discreet restoration to top edge, sunned to spine. Very good. The author's scarce first book, pitting the greatest detective in the..... More
London, Jonathan Cape Ltd. 1978. First Edition, 8vo. Publisher's black cloth, lettered in gilt, top edge tinted blue. Pictorial dust jacket with very atmospheric, all over design by Tom Adams, price clipped. Slight bumping to spine and upper corners with a tiny lean, near fine. Trivial wear to dust jacket..... More
New York: Doubleday 1979. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.214. Publisher's hardcover in original dust-wrapper. No inscriptions or price-clipping. A near fine copy (jacket slightly rubbed). More
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
London: Methuen and Co. 1929. [Sherlockiana] FIRST EDITION, First Issue. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.viii, 208; [8]. In publisher's pink cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, lower edges untrimmed, printed dust-wrapper priced at 6s. Contents clean, jacket toned to spine, lightly rubbed at joints. Very good indeed..... More
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
Chicago, IL: Privately Printed for the Friends of Walter M. Hill, Christmas 1920. [Crime fiction] FIRST EDITION. Slim octavo (20 x 15cm), pp.39; [1], blank. Bound in publisher's mustard-coloured textured paper over boards with printed title label to spine, Japanese vellum endpapers, edges uncut, original off-white tissue jacket. Internally fine..... More
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
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
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
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
Toronto: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914 [1915]. [Crime Fiction] FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, Canadian Issue. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. With seven dichromatic half-tone plates after drawings by Keller, including a frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. A little shaken. Light rubbing to boards with a...... More
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1914. [Detective fiction] TRUE FIRST EDITION, prior to UK first printing, which was not illustrated. Post octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.320. With seven full-page illustrations by Arthur I. Keller, including the frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth blocked in gilt. Contents clean, cloth lightly handled..... More
London: George Newnes, Ltd., 1905. [Detective mysteries] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[8]; 403; [1]; [4] publisher's advertisements. Publisher's blue cloth, simply titled in gilt to spine and upper. Illustrated with a frontispiece and fifteen further plates by Paget. Half-title foxed, some light occasional spotting within else internally clean..... More
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
New York, NY: Optimus Printing Company, no date [circa 1905]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Duodecimo (17 x 11cm), pp.30 [2]; 30 [2]; 30 [2]; 30 [2]; 30 [2]. Publisher's light blue cloth with blue titles and decoration to spine and upper. Extremely heavily browned and brittle throughout. Advertisement leaf at..... More
London: John Murray, 1924-1931. A finely bound collection of Murray editions, all but one published during the author's lifetime. Ten volumes, octavo (19 x 13 x 35cm). In exquisite half tan calf with full gilt backs, twin title labels, buckram sides, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Mostly clean within (some..... More
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1912. First Edition, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on label. Octavo. pp. vii, 319. With 5 monochrome plates featuring illustrations of dinosaurs and landscapes. Also featuring the clipped signature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle affixed to the front pastedown. In maroon morocco leather binding of W. Perkins..... More
London: John Murray, 1930. [Autobiography] Second Edition, being the FIRST MURRAY PRINTING in the PRIMARY BINDING, revised and enlarged. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.460; [4] advertisements. Publisher's navy blue gilt-titled cloth covers ruled in blind, pale blue-green dust-jacket priced at 7/6. Colour-printed advertising brochure for 'The Edge of The Unknown'..... More
London: George Newnes. 1905. [Detective mysteries] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[8]; 403; [1]; [4] publisher's advertisements. Publisher's blue cloth, simply titled in gilt to spine and upper. Illustrated with a frontispiece and fifteen further plates by Paget. Housed in a modern protective cloth wrapper. Internally nice and clean..... More
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
London: The Chancellor Press, 1987. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST THUS. Octavo (22 x 16cm), pp.[6] 496 [2]. With illustrations to 'The Study in Scarlet' from the 1891 edition by George Hutchinson; to 'The Sign of Four' from the 1903 Souvenir Edition by F.H. Townsend; and to 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'..... More
Chicago, MI: Rand, McNally & Company, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.235 [1]. Publisher's navy cloth with red titles and decoration to spine and upper. Some toning and marking to edges. Light wear to cloth; spine gently toned. An unusually nice pirate edition..... More
New York, NY: Street and Smith, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4] 176 [12]. Publisher's maroon cloth with gilt titles to spine. Browning to endpapers, but surprisingly clean otherwise. A superior pirate edition. Rubbing and bumping to corners, toning to spine, and heavy..... More
Rahway, N.J.: The Mershon Company, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4] 189 [3]. Publisher's light orange cloth with black and green titles and decoration to spine and upper. Heavily browned and brittle throughout. Hinges split with netting showing. Spine sunned and toned, with..... More