1942 Morrow hardcover as Rough on Rats

1942 Larkin, Roosevelt and Larkin digest # 1

better image than previously posted

cover art by Rudy Nappi
better image than previously posted
1942 Morrow hardcover as Rough on Rats

1942 Larkin, Roosevelt and Larkin digest # 1

better image than previously posted

cover art by Rudy Nappi
better image than previously posted

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

1943 Mystery House original
pseudonym of Ewart Adamson – only book under this pen name

1941 Holt hardcover – cover art by Charles Lofgren
5th Michael Shayne

1944 Detective Novel Classic digest

1949 Popular Library reissue – cover art by Rudolph Belarski
better image than previously posted

1953 Dell reissue – cover art by Robert Stanley

1959 Dell reissue – cover art by Robert McGinnis

1966 Dell reissue – cover art by Robert McGinnis