Vintage & Collectible Mystery Books

Hardcover. Cleveland, World Publishing, 1st thus, 1946, Hardcover in black cloth. "Deadline at Dawn", a "Tower Mystery", was made into a film by RKO Radio Pictures, starring Susan Hayward, Bill Williams and Paul Lukas. Book is illustrated with black and white photographs from film. Black cloth with green titling on spine, green illustration on front, end papers and title page illustrated with black and white photographs, four pages of black and white photographs in text, as well as several black and white line drawings of clocks. 220 pages. Text pages have tanning due to the cheap paper. Lacks dust jacket.

Hardcover. NY, Simon & Schuster, 1st, 1976, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright unclipped dust jacket. Remainder stamp on bottom edge. Lieberman's fifth novel features Dr. Paul Konig, New York City Chief Medical Examiner, studying the grisly remains of two -- or is it three -- people pulled out of the East River even as he learns his daughter has been kidnapped and he is thrust into a situation beyond all his considerable experience.

Hardcover. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1st, 1919, Book: Very Good, Hardcover, pictorial green cloth with large, striking design of a dragon in yellow on front; lettered in yellow on front and spine; 380 pages. Color frontispiece by Gayle Hoskins (Originally published in Munsey's Magazine). Scarce copy of a mystery pulp writers' first book. Clean.

Hardcover. NY, Farrar & Rinehart, 1st, 1930, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, black cloth with red lettering. The acclaimed crime writer's last book (he died in 1930), a collection of courtroom stories featuring Colonel Braxton, "great lawyer, great detective, and gallant gentleman ", and set in Virginia in the 1850's. Both Howard Haycraft and Ellery Queen considered Post second only to Poe as an American writer of detective fiction. Clean, square copy.

Softcover. London, Hard Case Crime, 1st thus, 2015, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, colorful wraps with a retro-style illustration by Robert McGinnis. Now retired and happily married, Quarry turns down a million-dollar contract to assassinate a presidential candidate. It's not the sort of assignment you can just walk away from without consequences--but coming after Quarry has consequences, too. Like new.

Softcover. London, Hard Case Crime, 1st thus, 2008, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, colorful wraps with a retro-style illustration by Glen Orbik. First publication ever! By the Edgar award-winning author of SONGS OF INNOCENCE and LITTLE GIRL LOST (written as "Richard Aleas")Told in 50 chapters, each chapter named after one of the first 50 books in the series.Featuring a full-color insert section containing images of the first 50 Hard Case Crime covers! Publishers Weekly on FIFTY-TO-ONE: "High-speed action and nonstop thrills highlight the 50th novel from Hard Case Crime...Ardai sets an impressive standard for the new wave of pulp crime fiction...Breathless action and entertaining characters make this a page-turner from start to finish. " Like new.

Softcover. London, Hard Case Crime, 1st thus, 2009, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, colorful wraps with a retro-style illustration by Chuck Pyle. Once an art smuggler, now a respectable art dealer, Ovid Wiley awoke to find his former partner stabbed to death on his gallery floor. That was strange enough--but when a CIA agent showed up to spring him from NYPD custody, things got a lot stranger. Now the CIA is offering to clear up the murder charge, but only in return for a favor: They want Ovid to fly to Vatican City and trace the trail of a renegade priest who has gone missing with millions in church funds. What's the connection? The priest's lover, a woman Ovid knew in his smuggling days. Like new.

Softcover. London, Hard Case Crime, 1st thus, 2015, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, colorful wraps with a retro-style illustration by Gregory Manchess. He'd been a promising piano prodigy, once. Now he was just an addict, barely scraping by, letting his hunger for drugs consume him. But a man's life can always get worse--as Ray Stone discovers when he wakes up beside a beautiful nightclub singer only to find her dead...and 16 ounces of pure heroin missing. On the run from the law, desperate to prove his innocence, Ray also faces another foe, merciless and unforgiving: his fierce and growing craving for a fix. Ed McBain was one of the most popular mystery writers of all time, creator of the 87th Precinct series and recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. SO NUDE, SO DEAD was his very first crime novel--and this is its first appearance in print in more than half a century. Remainder line on bottom edge, otherwise very good.

Softcover. London, Hard Case Crime, 1st thus, 2009, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, colorful wraps with a retro-style illustration by Ricky Mujica. THE ONLY THING HARDER THAN GETTING INTO THE MOB...IS GETTING OUT. For Anthony Russo, an Atlantic City mobster's son, the chances of escaping a life of crime are slim. They hinge on his plan to back a washed-up boxer's comeback bid, and that, in turn, hinges on winning the help of a sexy round card girl who's gone toe-to-toe with the current champion--in the bedroom. New York Times best-selling author of Slipping Into Darkness, Slow-Motion Riot, and The Intruder. Winner of the Edgar Award for best first novel. Like new.

Softcover. NY, Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, reprint, 1991, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 245 pages. Eight months after being horribly disfigured in a car accident, Dan Marriott has his face rebuilt by plastic surgery, but he must still struggle with an amnesia that could mean his death as he is stalked by an unknown killer. Originally titled "The Plastic Nightmare". Clean copy.

Softcover. NY, Ballantine Books, 1st pbk, 1983, Book: Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, mass market paperback, 210 pages. A young man desperately tries to prove himself innocent of a charge of murder and searches through New York City for the real killer. Bookstore stamp to inside front cover, light wear to covers.

Hardcover. Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1st, 1976, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. $8.95 on front flap; Higgins 5th novel; minor shelf rubbing at extremities of dust jacket. Deke Hunter is a Massachusetts State Police plainclothesman. He proves that through hard work, bumbling and pure luck, he can sometimes, surprisingly, produce justice. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, St. Martin's Press, 1st, 1992, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. This copy has been signed on the half title page, with an inkstamped monkey. A Nick Magaracz detective story by the author (AKA Irene Fleming) of the Mother Lavinia Grey series and and 'Girl on the Run'. Clean, like new.

Hardcover. NY/London, Overlook Duckworth, 1st, 2013, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. Sven Norberg searches for his mezzo-soprano wife in the midwestern town of Trude. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Bloomsbury USA, 1st, 2009, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. The third installment to Downie's Roman Empire series--the second-century saga of a witty and courageous army surgeon, Gaius Ruso, and his smart and loyal lover, Tilla, a barbarian woman from Britannia--continues in gripping fashion. Ruso returns to his family home in southern Gaul, summoned by a forged letter pleading for his immediate return. Once Ruso and Tilla return, Ruso is thrust into a dangerous quagmire involving a missing ship, huge family debts and, before long, the murder of the family's principal creditor--a crafty phony named Severus--who is poisoned in Ruso's home. While Ruso and his family are quickly suspected of the murder, Ruso and Tilla's attempts to solve the crime are hampered by interfering family members, a lying politician, a greedy banker and a pair of too-eager investigators sent from Rome. Ruso and Tilla must also deal with prejudice, envy and a new religion, Christianity. The plotting is clever and suspenseful, with subtle clues and lots of action, while the setting and supporting cast are vividly drawn. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Berkley Prime Crime, 1st, 1995, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on title page. Driving out to Rosemary's house on an errand, China discovers her accountant has been murdered. With one abusive ex-husband and plenty of former clients in the picture, there's no shortage of suspects. And with a vengeful ex-convict on the loose, there's plenty for China to worry about. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, William Morrow, 1st, 2020, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. In six intense short novels connected by the themes of crime, corruption, vengeance, justice, loss, betrayal, guilt and redemption, Broken is #1 international bestseller Don Winslow at his nerve-shattering, pulse-pounding, heartbreaking best. In Broken, he creates a world of high-level thieves and low-life crooks, obsessed cops struggling with life on and off the job, private detectives, dope dealers, bounty hunters and fugitives, the lost souls driving without headlights through the dark night on the American criminal highway. With his trademark blend of insight, humanity, humor, action, and the highest level of literary craftsmanship, Winslow delivers a collection of tales that will become classics of crime fiction. Clean copy.

Hardcover. London, Atlantic Books, 1st, 2006, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. SIGNED BY ORFORD and dated 2009 on title page. When a beautiful young woman is found murdered on Cape Town's Seapoint promenade, journalist and part-time police profiler Dr Clare Hart is drawn into the web of a brutal serial killer. As more bodies are discovered, Clare is forced to re-visit memories of the brutal rape of her twin sister and the gang ties that bind Cape Town's crime rings. Is her investigation into human trafficking linked to the murders or is the killer just playing a sick game with her? Like Clockwork is a dark and compelling crime story which exposes the underbelly of porn and prostitution in today's South Africa.

Softcover. London, The Hogarth Press Ltd, reprint, 1987, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 192 pages. A mystery featuring Sir Henry Merrivale and a pricless bronze lamp from Egypt. First published in 1949. Clean, like new.

Hardcover. NY, Random House, 1st, 2016, Book: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. 1941. The City of Light is dark and silent at night. But in Paris and in the farmhouses, barns, and churches of the French countryside, small groups of ordinary men and women are determined to take down the occupying forces of Adolf Hitler. Mathieu, a leader of the French Resistance, leads one such cell, helping downed British airmen escape back to England. Alan Furst's suspenseful, fast-paced thriller captures this dangerous time as no one ever has before. He brings Paris and occupied France to life, along with courageous citizens who outmaneuver collaborators, informers, blackmailers, and spies, risking everything to fulfill perilous clandestine missions.

Hardcover. Roslyn NY, Walter J. Black, Book Club Ed., 1982, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, pictorial boards. Three mystery novels in one volume. Detective Book Club Series. Clean, bright copy. No markings.

Hardcover. NY, St. Martin's Press, 1st, 1997, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. As Gone With the Wind approaches release, all the stars but Clark Gable prepare to head to Atlanta for the big premiere. Clark and his wife, Carole Lombard, are too distressed to celebrate the opening of the biggest movie of his career because Lydia Austin, a young actress and protege of Carole's, is missing. Clean copy.

Hardcover. Roslyn NY, Walter J. Black, reprint, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, illustrated boards. Three complete unabridged mysteries in one volume. Detective Book Club Edition. Clean, bright copy.

Hardcover. NY, William Morrow & Company, 1st, 1938, Book: Good, Hardcover, Black boards with green lettering, no dust jacket, 310 pages. Mild shelf wear, no markings. Clean, tight copy.

Hardcover. NY, St. Martin's Press, 1st, 1990, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. Trixie Dolan, ex-movie star, is back in London sharing quarters with her actress friend Evangeline Sinclair. Evangeline is writing her memoirs and when she discovers that an old rival is writing hers as well, trouble begins. Clean copy.

Hardcover. Carbondale IL, Southern Illinois University Press, 1st, 1983, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a very good dust jacket with fading to spine, 307 pages. Edited by Francis M. Nevins, Jr. and Martin H. Greenberg. Collects twenty-two stories. Introduction and checklist of Boucher's fiction by Nevins. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Henry Holt, 1st, 1992, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, price-clipped dust jacket. Author's fourth novel, set in the steamy bayou town of St. Bruno. Woodrell reunites the three Shade brothers with their dissolute father. Aged rake and reprobate John X. Shade returns to his native Louisiana bayous, where he reviews his checkered past. Vengeful sociopath Lunch Pumphrey is hot on his trail, bent on recovering $47,000 stored in John X.'s safe, but Shade's young wife has absconded with the money in order to launch her singing career, leaving their daughter, toughly precocious Etta, in her father's care. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY/Boston, Little Brown , 1st, 2016, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. Sherlock Holmes comes to South Central Los Angeles. Only he's black, never finished high school, and can't seem to hold on to a regular job. Instead Isaiah Quintabe- or IQ, as he is known - spends his time and uses his formidable intelligence to help others. He's a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he's forced to take on clients that can pay. This time, it's a rap mogul whose life is in danger. The first book by this Japanese-American writer who grew up in the same kind of neighborhood as IQ, this was nominated for the Edgar for best first novel, for the Anthony Award, selected as one of the best books of the year by the NY Times and more. Clean copy.

Softcover. NY, Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, reprint, 2005, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 263 pages. Larry Dolman is a rather literal minded ex-cop who now works private security. Eddie Miller is an airline pilot who's studying to get his real estate license. Don Luchessi is a silver salesman who's separated from his wife but too Catholic to get a divorce. Hank Norton is a drug company rep who gets four times as many dames as any of the other guys. They are all regular guys who like to drink, play cards, meet broads, and shoot a little pool. But when a friendly bet goes horribly awry, they find themselves with two dead bodies on their hands and a homicidal husband in the wings--and acting more like hardened criminals than upstanding citizens. Mild shelf wear, clean copy.

Hardcover. New York, Crown, 1st, 1985, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 389 pages, very good in a bright, unclipped jacket.

Hardcover. New York, Frederick A. Stokes, 1st, 1940, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, red cloth stamped in silver gilt, 289 pages. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Mysterious Press, 1st, March 1988, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 244 pages. SIGNED BY AUTHOR ON TITLE PAGE. Light wear to pictorial dust jacket, else a very nice, tight copy in clear mylar cover.

Hardcover. New York, Atlantic Monthly, 1st, 1999, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, 224 pages. Hardcover with dust jacket. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on title page. Beautiful copy in clear mylar sleeve.

Hardcover. St. Lucia, Qld ; New York, University of Queensland Pr, reprint, 1985, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Good, Hardcover, 246 pages. Tan cloth cover, very little wear. Dust jacket has light wear to edges. With an introduction by Bronwen Levy. A bright, clean copy.

hardcover. New York, Mysterious Press, 1st, 1993, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, 247 pages. Hardcover. SIGNED BY AUTHOR on title page. Clean, unmarked copy with only minor wear to dust jacket. A blood-encrusted ceramic figure is at the center of private investigator C. W. Sughrue's search through the American West for the missing mother of his Vietnam buddy. By the author of The Wrong Case.

Hardcover. New York, Viking Press, 1st, 1982, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 500 pages. Beige cloth spine with red-colored lettering. Dust jacket with clear plastic cover. Binding slightly wrinkled at top. First edition of this large adventure novel by the author of the Dortmunder series of humorous crime stories.

Hardcover. New York, Walker, 1st, 1999, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a dust jacket, 260 pages. SIGNED BY AUTHOR ON TITLE PAGE. Clean, bright copy.

Hardcover. New York , Viking Press, 1st, 1988, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 261 pages. Ivory covers with green band on spine. Minor flaw on front of cover. Dust jacket pristine. Comes with an acrylic cover for jacket. Very good condition.

Hardcover. Salem, MA, Marine Research Society, 1st, 1930, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Good, Hardcover, 399 pages. B&W portraits of sea captains and ships throughout. Tissue-covered frontispiece. Top edge colored blue. Green pictorial dust jacket with taping and edgewear. Blue boards with gilt title to spine and stain to front cover. Otherwise, a clean, tight copy.

Hardcover. NY, Mysterious Press, 1st, 1987, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 314 pages. In a bright, unclipped dust jacket.

Hardcover. NY, Arbor House, 1st, 1988, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacke with mild wrinkle.

Hardcover. NY, Scribners, 1st US, 1986, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Very good in a bright, unclipped dust jacket.

Hardcover. NY, Mysterious Press, 1st US, 1995, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket.1st published in the UK 1994. Remainder line top edge.

Hardcover. NY, Harcourt Brace World, 1st US, 1968, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, 148 pages. Hardcover with dust jacket. Clean, tight copy. With minor wear to covers and dust jacket edges.

Hardcover. New York, Viking, 1st, 1985, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, 208 pages. SIGNED BY DOBYNS ON TITLE PAGE. Blue covers with black spine, color illustrated dust jacket with mylar-protective covering. Dust jacket lightly chipped, though still very neat and tight with mylar, unmarked boards, crisp pages; a very clean, tight copy in great condition.

Hardcover. NY, Morrow, 1st, 1987, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, previous owner's inscription on front fly leaf, dj price clipped , small abrasion to front panel otherwise very good.

Hardcover. NY, Holt Rinehart Winston, 1st, 1980, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, 226 pages. Slight wear to dust jacket, light foxing to top edge, else a very nice, tight copy.

Hardcover. NY, Berkley Prime Crime, 1st, 2000, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Very good in a bright, unclipped dust jacket.

Hardcover. NY, Walker, 1st US, 1991, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket.

Hardcover. NY, Soho, 1st US, 2000, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket.