Search Results: Mystery & Detective from Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts, ABAA

Franklin Center, PA: The Franklin Library, 1988. Hardcover. Illustrations by William Cone. Small 4to. Dark green leatherette with gilt lettering and gilt and silver decorations. xix, 453pp. All edges gilt. Illustrations, decorative endpapers. Very good. Almost rates "Near fine," but spine gilt a bit rubbed. "The Franklin Library of Mystery Masterpieces" edition of this 1958 blockbuster, with illustrations done for this edition only.

New York: Macmillan Publishing Co, 1976. Hardcover. 8vo. Grey paper over boards, pictorial dust jacket. 201pp. Near fine/near fine. First U.S. edition, tight and handsome. A George Gently mystery.

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960. Hardcover. 8vo. Brown cloth spine and blue paper over boards, dust jacket. 215pp. Near fine/very good. Jacket slightly rubbed and edgeworn; minor abrasion on inner flyleaf. Tight, attractive first edition.

New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988. Hardcover. Small 4to. Green cloth spine and grey paper over boards, pictorial dust jacket. 354pp. Near fine/near fine. A tight and handsome first edition of this espionage thriller set in Orange County, California, signed boldly in full by Parker on the half-title page.

New York: Crown Publishers, 1996. Hardcover. Small 4to. Black cloth spine and grey paper over boards, dust jacket. 288pp. Fine/fine. First edition of this murder mystery set in Sarajevo.

New York: Random House, 1992. Hardcover. Small 4to. Green cloth spine and green paper over boards, dust jacket. 291pp. Near fine/near fine. First edition of this First Daughter's umpteenth "Capital Crimes Series" mystery.

New York: Avon Books, 1996. Paperback. 16mo. Stiff glazed pictorial wrappers. 392pp, (2pp ads). Very good. Tight, clean, handsome later (6th) printing of this J.P. Beaumont mystery, signed boldly in red fineline by Jance with her inimitable scrawl on the title page.

Chicago: Ozanam Press, 1992. Hardcover. Small 4to. Black cloth, dust jacket. 521pp. Fine/fine. First edition of this Chicago mystery by a "Chicago Tribune" crime reporter, bearing not one but TWO huge and handsome presentation inscriptions from the author. Front pastedown reads: "To Chuck Berman / a great shortstop, / a great photographer / and one of the / leading literary / experts at the / Chicago Tribune. / I await your / verdict. / Jerry C." And opposite this, on the front flyleaf: "And to Barbara / Brotman, / Who led me by / the hand to the / Beck Awards when / I won but didn't / know it -- & she / won, too! / Jerry Crimmins / 10/5/92." A superb and unusual copy.

New York: Harper & Row, 1987. Hardcover. 8vo. Black cloth spine and red paper over boards, pictorial dust jacket. 210pp. Near fine/near fine. First edition of this third John Francis Cuddy private eye tale, attractively signed and inscribed by the author in blue fineline on the title page: "To Mary Joe & Jenny, / with thanks / for your support, / Jerry / March 28,

New York: William Morrow and Company, 1957. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Red cloth with black spine lettering, pictorial dust jacket. 189pp. Near fine/very good. Jacket mildly edgeworn, though bright and quite nice. A tight and handsome first edition of this Bertha Cool/Donald Lam mystery. Rear jacket panel features nifty dos-a-dos biographies of Gardner and his alter-ego. Especially bright and sharp.

New York: E.P. Dutton & Co, 1930. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Lavender blind-embossed cloth with gilt lettering. 287pp. Very good. Mild edgewear, with spine and top edge sunned. Tight and decent first edition of the first stand-along mystery bt this Canadian writer (1902-77) best known for ghostwriting ("Franklin W. Dixon") many of the "Hardy Boys" mysteries. Scarce.

Port Townsend, WA: Engage Publishing, 2000. Paperback. 8vo. Stiff glazed pictorial wrappers. 244pp. Near fine. Second printing, tight and handsome, of this thriller about an archaeologist who unearths the remains of Jesus Christ -- signed large and sloppy by Bowen in black fineline on the title page.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988. Hardcover. Introduction by Robert B. Parker. 8vo. Orange cloth spine with gilt lettering and grey paper over boards, pictorial dust jacket. x, 76pp. Very good/very good. Small abrasion at lower right of rear jacket panel. Just a book club edition of this modern reprint of this 1933 magazine appearance, but tight and attractive.