Dial 999

WALSH, J. M.

Published by Collins, London, 1938

About this Item

First Edition. -- Condition: Near fine, offsetting to endpapers and light wear to lower edges of cloth, in near fine dust jacket with toning to spine, colour touch-up to spine and front panel, paper restoration to spine ends. -- Details: First edition of the third Oliver Keene spy story, rare in original dust jacket. First edition, copyright page showing date of 1938 with no further impressions noted, and publisher's adverts to rear only promoting Island of Spies (1936), Black DragonÊ(1938), and Spies in Spain (1938). Dial 999 - are these words the vital clue for Oliver Keene? James Morgan Walsh (1897-1952), was an Australian author who moved to England in 1929. The majority of his works were spy related and written under his own name, however he penned a few Science Fiction works and also wrote as H. Haverstock Hill, Stephen Maddock, George M. White and Jack Carew. He was born in Geelong and educated in Melbourne, and is best known as an extremely prolific writer of crime mysteries, mostly located in England. His first novel, Tap-Tap Island (1921), was first serialised in the Melbourne Leader, his second, The Lost Valley (1921), was a prize-winner in the C.J. De Garis competition; his third was Overdue (1925). After experience in auctioneering and book-selling, Walsh visited England in 1925 to negotiate with publishers, returned to Victoria but left for permanent residence in England in 1929. Walsh also wrote in collaboration with E.J. Blythe and Audrey Baldwin. His first three novels, which are adventure romances, are set in New Guinea and Western Victoria and he also wrote two Australian detective stories, The Man behind the Curtain (1927) and The League of Missing Men (1927). -- Octavo (book size 19.1x13cm), pp. 252 [4 (publisher's ads)]. In publisher's purple cloth, spine lettered in silver. Dust jacket priced '7s. 6d. net' to lower corner of front flap, with colour touch-up to spine and front panel, paper restoration to spine ends.

Seller Inventory # 109932

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dial 999
• Publisher: Collins, London
• Publication Date: 1938
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included