The Mystery of Edwin Drood. by DICKENS, Charles - 1870

London: Chapman and Hall, 1870. First edition in book form of the author's final novel.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood was projected to be published in twelve monthly parts, but Dickens had only completed six parts when he died of a stroke. The finished parts of the novel were gathered and published in the present book form the month following his death, but Dickens had left no notes or instructions for how the novel was to be completed, and as a result "soon a whole Drood 'industry' (which still flourishes today) grew up, concerned with providing a plausible solution to the mystery" (ODNB). Octavo (210 x 131 mm). Contemporary brown morocco, spine lettered in gilt, gilt ruling and tooling to spine and covers, covers double ruled in blind, board edges and turn-ins tooled in gilt, edges gilt, with final advertisement leaf. Engraved frontispiece by J. H. Baker, vignette title page and 12 plates after S. L. Fildes. Bookseller's ticket to front pastedown, presentation inscription dated 1877 to front free endpaper. Spine lightly sunned, a little rubbing to spine and extremities, minor wear to tips, faint dampstaining to edges of endpapers, light foxing to contents, a couple of plates with faint stains to margins. A very good copy. Smith I.16.