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Detective Fiction: 9 works

Lot 359
29.09.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 4 410
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 1029010
Lot 359 | Detective Fiction: 9 works
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
A group of nine volumes, comprising:

BENTLEY E C (1875-1956) and H Warren ALLEN (fl. c. 1936). Trent’s Own Case. London: Constable and Company Ltd., 1936.
First edition, signed by the author and other icons of the detective genre, including Dorothy L. Sayers and Freeman Wills Croft. Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in blue, top edge stained blue (edges spotted); original dust-jacket (lightly rubbed and marked). Provenance: a total of 10 signatures to half-title, inscribed ‘Review Dinner 21.6.36’ apparently by the final signatory, Michael Sadler).

COBB, Geoffrey Belton (1892-1971). No Alibi. London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1936.
A lovely copy of the first edition of the author’s first book, in which he introduces the detective Cheviot Burmann. Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (some spots at edges); original dust-jacket (top edge of upper panel with light crease, a few faint marks).

BERKELEY, Anthony (1893-1971). Top Storey Murder. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, [1931].
First edition, the publisher’s file copy. Octavo. (Some spotting.) Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (extremities slightly rubbed, spine lightly sunned and soiled); original dust-jacket (stained and creased). Provenance: annotations from the publisher on dust-jacket – second copy of upper cover of dust-jacket and yellow cloth with emblem of the Royal Airforce loosely inserted.

MASON, A. E. W. (1865-1948). The Witness for the Defence. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1913.
First edition of one of Mason’s finest mysteries. Octavo. (Spotting, small marginal chip.) Original blue cloth, spine with titles in gilt, upper cover lettered in black (slightly cocked and stained, endpapers partially browned). Original dust-jacket, with printed illustration pasted to upper panel (somewhat sunned, lightly rubbed and stained, a few minor chips). Provenance: ownership inscription (front free endpaper).

— Dilemmas. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1934.
First edition of Mason’s final short story collection. Octavo. Original blue cloth, title to spine in gilt and upper cover in black (spine lightly sunned); original dust-jacket (lightly rubbed and marked, a few minor nicks).

LAURENCE, John (1885-1968). Murder in the Stratosphere. London: Samson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd., [1938].
First edition. Octavo. Four leaves of publisher’s ads at end (faint browning). Original black cloth, spine lettered in red (slightly rubbed and cocked); original dust-jacket designed by Narraway (spine sunned, a few chips to corners and spine ends, lightly rubbed).

ESSEX, Richard [Richard Starr] (1878-1968). Lessinger Laughs Last. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1938.
First edition. Octavo. 5 integral leaves of publisher’s ads at end (half-title spotted, final leaf of ads browned). Original orange cloth, titles to upper cover and spine, lower cover and spine with publisher’s device, all in black (slightly cocked, some small white stains to upper cover); original dust-jacket, possible second issue with ?‘2/6’ price sticker on spine, partially obscured by bookseller’s label (rubbed and stained, most noticeably to lower panel, repaired tear to lower flap, several small chips and closed tears, with chip to head of spine causing some loss to one letter). Provenance: Myer Book Shop (bookseller’s label to spine) – gift inscription (front free endpaper).

CONNINGTON, J. J. [Alfred Walter Stewart] (1880-1947). The Two Ticket Puzzle. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1930.
First US edition of a train-murder mystery. 'As a maker of watertight puzzles, Mr Connington has no superior' (Daily Mail). Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (head-and tailcap lightly bruised, spine faded); original dust-jacket (light edge wear, vertical crease to spine).

KYLE, Sefton [Roy Vickers] (1888-1965). The Shadow over Fairholme. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1940.
First edition of this mystery novel. Octavo. (Light partial toning to half-title, some splitting at foot of gutter.) Original orange cloth, upper cover and spine titled, and lower cover and spine with publisher’s device, all stamped in black (front hinge split, spine faded, edges spotted); original dust-jacket, later issue with ‘3/6’ price sticker on spine (rubbed and somewhat soiled, chips and creasing along edges, some textual loss to title on spine, splits and tears expertly repaired on verso).
Place of origin:United Kingdom
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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