Beschreibung:

A group of nine volumes, comprising: STEVENSON, [Janet] Traill (1889-1988). The Nudist Murder. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1937. First edition of Stevenson’s third work chronicling the pragmatistic and thorough investigation of Inspector Slack. Octavo. Four leaves of publisher’s ads at end. Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover with titles, lower cover and spine with publisher’s device, all stamped in black (a couple of tiny marks); original dust-jacket priced at 7/6 (rather creased and worn, chips and tears to ends of backstrip resulting in some textual loss to title and publisher’s name, a further few chips and closed tears to panels, with a single piece of tape repair). HEYER, Georgette (1902-1974). A Blunt Instrument. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1938. First edition of Heyer’s ‘best, wittiest and, for want of a better term, truest detective-story' (‘Torquemada’, The Observer). Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt and black, linear design stamped in black that carries through across the spine to upper cover (slightly lightly rolled, lightest wear to extremities); original dust-jacket priced at 7/6 and printed yellow wrap-around band (slightly creased, backstrip sunned, several short closed tears). BERKELEY, Anthony (1893-1971). Trial and Error. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1937. First edition of Berkeley’s classic mystery. A Haycraft-Queen cornerstone, later adapted by the BBC into a six-part series Leave it to Todhunter. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (cocked, extremities lightly rubbed, some spotting to fore-edge); original dust-jacket (rubbed and soiled, several chips, those to spine and upper cover crudely repaired with tape on verso but still resulting in some minor loss to title, a few further creases and short closed tears to edges). FARJEON, J. Jefferson (1883-1955). Holiday Express. London: Collins, 1935. First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author. Octavo. (Marginal spotting.) Original rose cloth, spine lettered in silver (spine faded, endpapers browned); original dust-jacket (very lightly rubbed, some creasing to spine). Provenance: Miss Eileen Cond (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated December 30th, 1936; loosely inserted card stating ownership). — End of An Author. London: Collins for The Crime Club Ltd., 1938. First edition. Octavo. (Light spotting to title, half-title and foredge.) Original orange cloth, spine lettered in black (head of spine a little stained, endpapers lightly browned); original dust-jacket, publisher’s price sticker showing 4/- pasted over printed price on front flap (lower panel soiled, backstrip lightly sunned with large chip to head resulting in loss to title, a few creases and nicks to edges, backstrip reinforced on verso). CLEMENT, Frank A. (fl. c. 1935). Picture Him Dead! Portrait of a Gentleman who was Murdered. London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1935. First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in dark blue (spine lightly sunned); original dust-jacket priced at 7/6 (backstrip lightly sunned, faint edge wear). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription on front free endpaper. FREEMAN, R. Austin (1862-1943). Mr. Polton Explains. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1940. First edition of a Dr. Thorndyke mystery. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in black (endpapers browned); original dust-jacket priced at 8/3 (backstrip lightly sunned and with restoration to ends). GOODCHILD, George (1888-1969). The Emperor of Hallelujah Island. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1930. First edition. Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (joints lightly rubbed, endpapers partially browned); original price-clipped dust-jacket (some light spotting, edges faintly rubbed). KEVERNE, Richard [Clifford James Wheeler Hosken] (1882-1950). The Black Cripple. London: