
January 15, 1934 British edition
cover art by James Nivison McArdle – same as the US edition
contains all but two of the US edition’s stories

January 15, 1934 British edition
cover art by James Nivison McArdle – same as the US edition
contains all but two of the US edition’s stories

1958 Hamish Hamilton, true 1st edition

1958 Houghton Mifflin hardcover


1959 Brazilian edition in Portuguese

1960 Cardinal reissue – cover art by William Rose
better image than previously posted




1961 Australian edition from Horwitz – cover art by Theo Batten

1965 British edition – cover design by Alan Spain

1968 Pyramid reissue – cover art by Joseph Lombardero



1975 Penguin edition – cover design by James Tormey

1977 Ballantine reissue, 1st print (owner’s copy) – cover art by Richard Waldrep

later 1977 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Richard Waldrep


1979 Pan/Macmillan reissue – cover photo by Peter Williams


late 8os UK Penguin reissue






1999 Scandinavian edition (unsure of country)


2004 French graphic novel edition

[updated 3/8/26]

1953 Hammish Hamilton UK hardcover, the true first edition of this novel

1954 Houghton Mifflin hardcover, first US edition – (owner’s copy)
cover illustration by Lorraine
final Marlowe novel, an American classic and winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel

1954 Hammish Hamilton book club edition

August 1955 Pocket reissue, 2nd printing – (owner’s copy)
cover art by Tom Dunn


1964 Pocket reissue – cover art by Harry Bennett


1971 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Richard Waldrep

1971 Penguin UK reissue – cover design by James Tormey

1972 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Tom Adams (owner’s copy)

1973 Ballantine movie tie-in reissue (owner’s copy)

1979 Pan/Macmillan reissue – cover photo by Richard Williams



1988 UK Vintage/Black Lizard reissue

1988 Vintage/Black Lizard reissue

1988 Vintage/Black Lizard reissue




1949 Hamish Hamilton UK hardcover, the true first by three months – cover art by C.W. Bacon

1949 Houghton Mifflin hc, 1st edition – cover art by Boris Artzybasheff (owner’s copy)

1949 Pocket reissue – cover art by James Neil Boyle

1950 Pocket reissue – cover art by William Shoyer (owner’s copy)


1957 Pocket reissue – cover art by Charles Binger



1971 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Tom Adams (owner’s copy)

1976 Ballantine reissue, 3rd print – cover art by Richard Waldrep (owner’s copy)


1979 Pan/Macmillan reissue – cover photo by Colin Thomas

1988 Vintage/ Black Lizard reissue




1946 Pocket reissue – cover art by Tom Dunn


1959 Cardinal reissue – cover art by Morgan Kane

1971 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Tom Adams (owner’s copy)

1976 Vintage reissue – cover art by Richard Waldrep (owner’s copy)

1979 Penguin UK reissue – cover by James Tormey

1979 Pan/Macmillan reissue – cover photo by Peter Williams

1988 Vintage/Black Lizard reissue



2010 Penguin Classics UK reissue



1940 Knopf hardcover, 1st edition


1943 Hamish Hamilton UK 1st ed.

1956 Pocket reissue, 2nd printing – cover art by James Meese (owner’s copy)

1945 Pocket reissue – cover by E. McKnight Kauffer

The Brasher Doubloon (20th Century Fox, 1946). Very Fine- on Linen. Three Sheet (41″ X 78.5″).
adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s The High Window – noted in tiny print on the poster



1961 Horwitz reissue from Australia – cover art by Theo Batten


1967 Hamish Hamilton reissue, Fingerprint Edition


1971 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Tom Adams (owner’s copy)

1976 Vintage reissue – cover art by Richard Waldrep (owner’s copy)

1979 Pan/Macmillan reissue – cover photo by Peter Williams

1988 Penguin/Random House reissue


1992 Vintage/Black Lizard reissue

1993 Thorndike large print edition




2011 Penguin Classics UK reissue


1939 Knopf advanced reading copy


1939 Hammish Hamilton UK hardcover

1942 Avon digest, Murder Mystery Monthly No.7, first softcover release of this American classic/ cover art by William Frost

1943 Avon paperback – cover art by Paul Stahr

1945 Knopf hardcover reissue – inscribed to director John Houseman



1948 Pocket reissue – cover art by Darcy (Ernest Chiriacka)
better image than previously posted

1950 Pocket reissue, 3rd print – cover art by Harvey Kidder (owner’s copy)


1962 Penguin UK reissue – cover art by John Sewell
better image than previously posted


1971 Penguin UK reissue – cover designed by James Tormey

1973 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Tom Adams (owner’s copy)

1976 Ballantine reissue – cover art by Richard Amsel

watercolor cover art by Richard Waldrep, 13.75″ x 9.50″

1976 Vintage reissue (owner’s copy)

1976 Vintage trace paperback reissue

1979 Pan Macmillan reissue – cover photo by Peter Williams






2009 Hammish Hamilton hardcover



⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎⚙︎
note ~ there are many, many more covers for this book, both in English and foreign languages… but I had to stop somewhere

first published in 1926 by Hodder & Stoughton
1960 Great Pan reissue
3rd with Detective Sergeant (later Inspector) Elk