MURDER BY EXPERTS - SIGNED BY 11 CONTRIBUTORS

Chicago & New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1947. First Edition. The second Mystery Writers of America anthology, originally published by Ziff-Davis in 1947, in which 18 short stories are selected by MWA members, with each of them offering an introduction to their selection. Here, Clayton Rawson selects "The Locked Room" by John Dickson Carr; Mabel Seeley selects "The Witness for the Prosecution" by Agatha Christie; Margaret and Ken Millar on "The Hound" by William Faulkner; Anthony Boucher introduces "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole" by Thomas Burke; Leslie Charteris on G.K. Chesterton; August Derleth on R. Austin Freeman; Vincent Starrett introduces Frederick Irving Anderson; et al. A round-robin copy of an important anthology, with an exceptional collection of signatures from distinguished contributors. First Printing. Octavo (24.5cm); dark blue cloth, with titling and decorative elements stamped in gilt on spine and front cover; blue topstain; dustjacket; [xii],387,[1]pp. Signed on the front endpaper by the following 11 contributors: Thornton Wilder, Clayton Rawson, Hugh Pentecost, Edward D. Radin, Lawrence Treat, Helen McCloy, Brett Halliday, "Ellery Queen" (signed by Frederic Dannay), Lawrence G. Blochman, Leslie Charteris (beside which he has added a tiny Saint drawing), and Robert Bloch. Gentle sunning to spine, light wear to spine ends and extremities, with some subtle fading to lower front cover, and the front hinge very slightly over-opened; contents clean; Very Good+. In a supplied dustjacket, unclipped (priced $3.50), gently spine-sunned, with moderate wear along the upper edge and front flap, with several losses (none affecting lettering), and numerous tears, many of which have been neatly and archivally strengthened on verso; Very Good.