Beschreibung:

A group of eight volumes and one typed letter signed, comprising: CHANDLER, Raymond (1888-1959). Farewell My Lovely. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1930. First edition of Chandler’s second novel. A Haycraft-Queen cornerstone. Bruccoli A2.1.a. Octavo. Original salmon cloth, spine and upper cover decorated and lettered in blue, top edge stained blue (spine ends a touch bruised); original dust-jacket (lightly rubbed and tanned, a few short tears at folds and minor nicks to corners); housed in a custom red morocco-backed box. Provenance: DGD (bookplate to front pastedown). – The Long Good-Bye. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1953. First edition, first printing. Bruccoli A10.1.a. Octavo. Original burgundy boards, spine lettered in silver (faint mark to upper board, hinges slightly tender); original dust-jacket (minor edge wear, faint marks to lower panel); housed in custom red morocco-backed box. – Smart-Aleck Kill [and] Pears are a Nuisance. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1953. First editions thus. Bruccoli AA7 and AA8.1. Two volumes, octavo. (Light browning.) Original pictorial wrappers (lightly rubbed and creased, spine ends just nicked); housed in a modern red cloth box. Provenance: ownership inscription on front free endpaper of Pearls are a Nuisance. – The Smell of Fear. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1965. First edition. Bruccoli AA11.1a. Octavo. (Light spotting to first and final few leaves.) Original grey boards, spine lettered in gilt (spotting to endpapers); original dust-jacket designed by Youngman Carter (light spotting, tanning to spine panel and edges of lower flap). – Spanish Blood. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1946. First edition. Bruccoli AA3. Octavo. (Light browning.) Original black boards, spine and upper cover decorated in red, top edge stained red (faint wear, spine ends and corners just bumped); original dust-jacket (lightly rubbed, minor nicks at spine ends). – Smart-Aleck Kill. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1958. First hardcover edition. See Bruccoli AA7.1. Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in white (minor bumps at edges); original price-clipped dust-jacket (lightly rubbed and soiled, small tear at foot of spine, spine sunned with minor nicks at head). – Killer in the Rain. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1964. First edition, first printing. Bruccoli A14.1.a. Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in gilt; original dust-jacket designed by Andrew (spine and edges tanned, lower panel lightly marked). – Typed letter signed to his agent Harold Norling Swanson, 6005 Camino de la Costa, La Jolla, California, 27 January 1953. Chandler writes to his literary agent, describing a list of 'cannibalized' stories and advising he write Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. One page on Chandler’s personalised stationery, 279 x 215 mm. Housed in red cloth and leather slipcase.