Category: gangster

May 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

May 1930 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “The Crime Crusher”, 32th Ed Jenkins & his wife Helen Chadwick, 1st of a 3-part story, 49th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Dagger Point”, Ned Beaumont, 3rd of 4 stories that will go together to make up The Glass Key (published 1931), 43rd of 45 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Slowdown Hands”, 14th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 18th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Street Wolf”, ’Napoleon Damiani, gangster’, 23 of 67 stories in BM

~ Reuben Jennings Shay, “Backfire”, 1st of 2 in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

1931 Stokes hardcover, advanced reader copy

RUNYON, Damon (1880-1946). Guys and Dolls. Introduction by Heywoud Broun. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1931.

8o. Original pictorial wrappers of the dust jacket by Arthur Hawkins (some light soiling to back cover, corner of front flap clipped); cloth folding case.

ADVANCED COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION, with ink stamp “Pub’n Date Aug 20 1931” on front blank. “The great modern interpreter of The Main Stem [Broadway]… leavened his tales of passion and violence with a unique type of humor which can only be described as New York Runyonese” (Queen’s Quorum). Runyon was the archetypal tough, cynical reporter who mingled with the underworld. Queen’s Quorum 84.

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1929 Jonathan Cape hardcover

Burnett, W[illiam] R[iley]. LITTLE CAESAR. London: Jonathan Cape, [1929]. Octavo, pp. [1-6] 7-283 [284: blank] 285-288: glossary, publisher’s red cloth, spine panel stamped in gold, rear panel stamped in blind with publisher’s symbol. First British edition. Classic crime novel that chronicles the rise and fall of a Chicago gangster. Made into a memorable feature film (1930) starring Edward G. Robinson. Pronzini and Muller, 1001 Midnights, The Aficionado’s Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction, pp. 101-102. A review copy sent to the DAILY HERALD, with publisher’s review slip laid in and a clipping of the review affixed to the front paste-down. The reviewer’s copy, with “A.L.B.,” in ink at the upper fore-edge corner of the front free end paper dated 29.6.29. Inked name on the front free end paper. Spine age-darkened, a very good copy in good dust jacket illustrated by Lee Elliott with overall toning to the white background, light abrasions to lower front panel and spine panel, vertical crease to the rear panel, abrasion with loss along rear flap fold. A presentable copy of the scarce UK edition. From the library of a well-known mystery writer with his library stamp on the front paste-down.