New Arrivals
"B" is for Burglar
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985. 229 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial dust jacket in fine condition, with a vibrant cover, original price of $14.95 on the flap, and no fading on the spine. Grey paper over boards with red cloth 1/4 bound, silver lettering stamped crisply on spine, inscribed and signed by the author on the title page, full number line, no visible marks, in fine condition.
Sue Grafton (1940 - 2017) was an American novelist. This is the second book in her well-known "alphabet series" featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton also wrote screenplays and other 7 other novels before the alphabet series, 5 of which she destroyed unpublished.
"A" is for Alibi
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1982. 275 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial dust jacket in near fine condition, with a vibrant cover, a few stains to rear cover, slight creasing, a small enclosed tear near the spine, original price of $12.95 on the flap, and no fading on the spine. Grey paper over boards, red lettering stamped crisply on spine, signed by the author on the title page, full number line, no visible marks, in fine condition.
Sue Grafton (1940 - 2017) was an American novelist. This is the first book in her well-known "alphabet series" featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton also wrote screenplays and other 7 other novels before the alphabet series, 5 of which she destroyed unpublished.
Sonnets to Craig
New York: Albert & Charles Boni, 1928. 120 pp. Approximately 5 x 7 3/4". Dust jacket in very good condition, not price clipped, some chipping, rice paper repair, some wear. Grey cloth over boards with red lettering on cover and spine, tanned pages, overall near fine condition.
George Sterling (1869 - 1926) was an American writer and poet, based mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area, during its Bohemian phase. The "Craig" these sonnets refer to is Mary Craig, a woman he had hoped to marry but whom married Upton Sinclair instead.
For Kicks
London: Michael Joseph, 1965. 256 pp. Approximately 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". 1st Edition, first printing. Illustrated dust jacket in very good condition with some chipping and subtle pen mark on cover, not price-clipped; Green cloth over boards, gilt title on spine very crisp, minor foxing and darkening to the fore-edges, dark shadow on page prior to half-title due to old bookmark, otherwise in near fine condition.
Born Richard Stanley Francis (1920 - 2010), Dick Francis was a British crime writer whose novels were mostly centered on horse racing in England (he was a former steeplechase jockey himself). This book is Dick Francis' 3rd novel, with Daniel Roke, Australian horse breeder temporarily turned UK investigator.
Children of the night
New York: G.P. Punam's Sons, 1992. 382 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". First Edition, first printing. Illustrated dust jacket in near-fine condition; black cloth over boards, crisp gilt lettering on spine, map endpapers, faint spotting on top page edges, inscribed on the title page to Diane Peterson, a well-known ABAA dealer, "To Diane Peterson -- /Greetings from Transylvania/Dan Simmons, accompanied by a unique vampire drawing by the author, in fine condition. (Clute & Nicholls, p 1111.)
Simmons' tenth novel, this is an epic horror novel about an American hematologist who adopts a Romanian boy with a mysterious illness that may hold the key to a cure of cancer and AIDS, who unfortunately has a hidden tie to the vampire family of Vlad Dracula. Scariness and horror ensues. This novel was a Locus Award Winner in 1993. Dan Simmons (1948 - ) was the winner of the 1986 World Fantasy Award for his novel Song of Kali.
Role of Honour
London: Jonathan Cape and Hodder & Stoughton, 1984. Approximately 5 1/4 x ". Illustrated dust jacket by Trevor Scobie with author photo, original price of £7.95 intact, in fine condition; Black paper over boards with crisp, gilt lettering on spine, one flawed page printed by publisher that was not cut properly and folded in, otherwise beautifully bright and unmarked, in fine condition.
Base on the Ian Fleming character, this is Gardner's fourth James Bond book. The plot, from the jacket, involves a computer wizard, a mercenary army, and SPECTRE.
Driving Force
London: Michael Joseph, 1992. 277 pp. Approximately 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". 1st English Edition. Illustrated dust jacket in fine condition; Black cloth over boards, gilt title on spine, signed by the author on the half-title page, in fine condition.
Born Richard Stanley Francis (1920 - 2010), Dick Francis was a British crime writer whose novels were mostly centered on horse racing in England (he was a former steeplechase jockey himself). This book is Dick Francis' 31st book, with jockey, Freddie Croft, trying to deal with a conspiracy involving the seedy underside of horse-racing.
London Almanack for the Year of Christ 1818
(London): (Printed for the Company of Stationers), 1818. Unpaginated. Approximately 1 1/4 x 2 1/4". Original red morocco slipcase with onlays in cream and green, gilt-tooled throughout, in fine condition; Pink outer wraps, most likely replacing a cover that usually matched the slipcase, first page called "Common Notes", all edges gilt, a good copy.
These miniature booklets have been published from the late 17th century until the Victorian era, and give monthly information for eclipses, phases of the moon, saints days, as well as lists of Royals and Lord Mayors, bank transfer days and other banking rates. In this copy, there is a folding view of the Royal Dramatic College.
Star of Ill-Omen
London: Hutchinson & Co., 1952. 320 pp. 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"; First edition; Inscribed by the author on title page, Illustrated dust jacket has really minor edge wear and slight rubbing, price of 12/6 net intact, nice and bright colors, in very good + condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, a few spots on fore edges, two pages with old newspaper imprint discoloring, otherwise a lovely copy in very good + condition.
Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was an English writer who wrote 65 novels from the 1930's through the 1960's, mostly thrillers, science fiction, and occult novels. It is said that one of his main characters, Gregory Sallust, was one of the inspiration's for the James Bond character by Ian Fleming. This book has it all: German scientists, Russian spies, beautiful women, atomic weapons, and flying saucers.
To The Hilt
London: Scorpion Press, 1996. 282 pp. 6 x 9 1/4"; LIMITED EDITION OF 99 COPIES, this being #92. Original clear acetate cover in fine condition; Marbled boards with green leather quarter bound, slightest hint of foxing on page edges, signed on limitation page by the author, green tint to top edge, a crisp copy in near fine condition.
Born Richard Stanley Francis (1920 - 2010), Dick Francis was a British crime writer whose novels were mostly centered on horse racing in England (he was a former steeplechase jockey himself). This book has an appreciation forward by Margaret Yorke, a well-known English crime fiction writer.