The Murders In Praed Street

Rhode, John (Major Cecil Street)

Published by Geoffrey Bles, London, 1928

This is an unusual copy of a hard-to-find book. This copy is "good" with considerable rub, particularly to somewhat darkened brick-red spine. Will close its own boards and text block, but that feels a bit unnatural -- we suspect hinges have been tightened. Sold to us as a 1928 Geoffrey Bles first edition, and it may well be, as the seven titles "By the Same Author" in box opposite title page include "Dr. Priestley's Quest" (1926) and "The Ellerby Case" (1927) but none later -- no "Tollard Ridge" (1929), no "Davidson Case" (1929.) The problem is that Zempel & Verkler's "First Editions: A Guide to Identification" (page 74 of our 4th edition) cites Geoffrey Bles, Ltd.'s 1937 statement "Our practice is to give the date of the first edition of the book on the title page verso. Subsequent reprints and editions are noted under that e.g. FIRST PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 1933 / REPRINTED MARCH 1933," etc. And this would seem to hold true for the only other Bles edition of this title which we can currently find Online which shows a copyright page, that being the 3rd now offered by the Dutch "MagicWorldBooks," which shows "First Published - - - January 1928 / Reprinted - - - January 1928 / Popular Edition - - - March 1929," as called for. But the verso of title page of the copy in hand is blank, save for the tiny Wyman & Sons printer's credit at bottom. So do the firsts (only) of this hard-to-find mystery actually show no printing or edition, despite the publishers' bold claims? PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION OF REMAINING PANELS OF ORIGINAL DUST JACKET: As to the jacket, both front and rear panels look right, though unfortunately we grade this original jacket "poor" because the front and rear panels are now all there is; a previous owner has trimmed down rear jacket panel and glued it to the front pastedown, then trimmed down the colorful jacket FRONT panel and tipped it in place of the original blank FFE -- jacket spine and flaps long gone.) There's also some unattractive foxing (scattered brown spots) to the five remaining preliminary pages and to the four final pages of text. Not an attractive copy, but original jackets, even in this traumatized condition, are uncommon. Author Rhode is best known for the crime-solving exploits of his Dr. Lancelot Priestley. 312 pp., now reduced from $1,000. Seller Inventory # 011414

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Murders In Praed Street
Publisher: Geoffrey Bles, London
Publication Date: 1928
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Poor
Edition: 1st Edition