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New Year's Eve in Lan-fang -
Robert H. Van Gulik
1958 - By the Author, Printed by &ldquo - One of only 200 printed
An exceptional fine uncut and unopened example of the rarest Van Gulik Judge Dee titles, with fine provenance, being inscribed to the great German sinologist Dr. Wolfgang Franke and signed ‘R. H. van Gulik, Beirut, May ‘59’.
‘One of these beautifully printed booklets happened to come my way, finding my hand on an Amsterdam street stall. It numbers 32 pages and is called New Year’s Eve in Lan-fang. Printed in Beirut, on high quality paper, with perfect binding and an elegant lettertype, it may have been created by a monk, moonlighting in the ‘Imprimerie catholique.’ The illustrations were drawn by van Gulik himself–consisting of two stylized Chinese characters (each in one unbroken line), the one [on the title page] meaning Fu (to be happy) and the one [on last page of the story] saying Shou (long life). Together the two symbols form the traditional Chinese wish for a Happy New Year.’ - from the final page of Janwillem van de Wetering’s ‘Robert van Gulik. His Life, His Work’.
This rare, small (17.5 x 11 cm), thirty two page booklet, was produced by Van Gulik and sent out as a New Year’s greeting for 1959, whilst posted as Dutch envoy to Syria and Lebanon. In addition to the two red Chinese characters referred to by van Wetering, there is a full page frontispiece from a woodblock print by Van Gulik.
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Price HK$ 42,000
1958 - By the Author, Printed by &ldquo - One of only 200 printed
An exceptional fine uncut and unopened example of the rarest Van Gulik Judge Dee titles, with fine provenance, being inscribed to the great German sinologist Dr. Wolfgang Franke and signed ‘R. H. van Gulik, Beirut, May ‘59’.‘One of these beautifully printed booklets happened to come my way, finding my hand on an Amsterdam street stall. It numbers 32 pages and is called New Year’s Eve in Lan-fang. Printed in Beirut, on high quality paper, with perfect binding and an elegant lettertype, it may have been created by a monk, moonlighting in the ‘Imprimerie catholique.’ The illustrations were drawn by van Gulik himself–consisting of two stylized Chinese characters (each in one unbroken line), the one [on the title page] meaning Fu (to be happy) and the one [on last page of the story] saying Shou (long life). Together the two symbols form the traditional Chinese wish for a Happy New Year.’ - from the final page of Janwillem van de Wetering’s ‘Robert van Gulik. His Life, His Work’.
This rare, small (17.5 x 11 cm), thirty two page booklet, was produced by Van Gulik and sent out as a New Year’s greeting for 1959, whilst posted as Dutch envoy to Syria and Lebanon. In addition to the two red Chinese characters referred to by van Wetering, there is a full page frontispiece from a woodblock print by Van Gulik.
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Price HK$ 42,000
Hearken to the Evidence -
H. Russell Wakefield
1934 - Doubleday, Garden City - First American Edition
A fine example, in the rare dust jacket, of the first of Wakefield’s three detective novels, psychological murder fiction at its best, entwined around a courtroom drama.
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Price HK$ 4,800
1934 - Doubleday, Garden City - First American Edition
A fine example, in the rare dust jacket, of the first of Wakefield’s three detective novels, psychological murder fiction at its best, entwined around a courtroom drama.
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Price HK$ 4,800
The Brigand -
Edgar Wallace
1927 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Edition
Lovely fine copy, in the scarce first edition dust jacket, albeit with later strengthening.
‘Anthony Newton was a soldier at sixteen; at twenty-six he was a beggar of favours, a patient waiter in outer offices, a more or less meek respondent to questionnaires which bore a remarkable resemblance one to the other. Newton struggled through eight years of odd jobs. And at the end of the eighth year he discussed the situation with himself and soberly elected for brigandage of a safe and more or less unobjectionable variety.
The dictionary defines a brigand as a robber or a bandit, particularly from an outlaw band. But that definition is perhaps too harsh for Tony Newton; he focuses on "the art of gentle robbery." And he succeeds, as he himself modestly admits.
The Brigand is a collection of twelve stories, each an escapade of Tony Newton as he moves from one adventure to another, one gullible rich man to another, escaping a detection here, a marriage to a "plum pudding girl" there, a murder attempt elsewhere, even becoming a successful member of the House of Commons in one delightful episode.
The Brigand is Edgar Wallace at his best - simple story lines, a loveable character with whom you empathise even though you know that he not quite on the straight path, a bit of crime, loads of humour, some deceptively simple philosophising. Among the lesser known one-book-only characters created by Edgar Wallace, Tony Newton would probably be right up there on the top.’
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Price HK$ 1,200
1927 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Edition
Lovely fine copy, in the scarce first edition dust jacket, albeit with later strengthening.‘Anthony Newton was a soldier at sixteen; at twenty-six he was a beggar of favours, a patient waiter in outer offices, a more or less meek respondent to questionnaires which bore a remarkable resemblance one to the other. Newton struggled through eight years of odd jobs. And at the end of the eighth year he discussed the situation with himself and soberly elected for brigandage of a safe and more or less unobjectionable variety.
The dictionary defines a brigand as a robber or a bandit, particularly from an outlaw band. But that definition is perhaps too harsh for Tony Newton; he focuses on "the art of gentle robbery." And he succeeds, as he himself modestly admits.
The Brigand is a collection of twelve stories, each an escapade of Tony Newton as he moves from one adventure to another, one gullible rich man to another, escaping a detection here, a marriage to a "plum pudding girl" there, a murder attempt elsewhere, even becoming a successful member of the House of Commons in one delightful episode.
The Brigand is Edgar Wallace at his best - simple story lines, a loveable character with whom you empathise even though you know that he not quite on the straight path, a bit of crime, loads of humour, some deceptively simple philosophising. Among the lesser known one-book-only characters created by Edgar Wallace, Tony Newton would probably be right up there on the top.’
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Price HK$ 1,200
Stroke of One -
R. A. J. Walling
1931 - Wm. Morrow &, New York - First American Edition
A superb copy of Walling’s fifth novel, in fine dust jacket, without restoration.
The first work to feature detective Bill Garstang.
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Price HK$ 4,000
1931 - Wm. Morrow &, New York - First American Edition
A superb copy of Walling’s fifth novel, in fine dust jacket, without restoration.The first work to feature detective Bill Garstang.
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Price HK$ 4,000
Danger Calling -
Patricia Wentworth (pseud. Dora Amy Elles)
1931 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition
A superior example of the first edition in striking dust jacket, without restoration or fading. The second Benbow Smith mystery.
‘“How would you like to die for your country?” repeated Benbow Collingwood Horatio Smith languidly.’
Clandestine operative Benbow Smith recruits a former Secret Service agent to bring down an enemy of the free world.
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Price HK$ 3,000
1931 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition
A superior example of the first edition in striking dust jacket, without restoration or fading. The second Benbow Smith mystery.‘“How would you like to die for your country?” repeated Benbow Collingwood Horatio Smith languidly.’
Clandestine operative Benbow Smith recruits a former Secret Service agent to bring down an enemy of the free world.
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Price HK$ 3,000
The Clock Strikes Twelve -
Patricia Wentworth (psued. Dora Amy Elles)
1944 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First Edition
A scarce example of the true first edition, in bright sharp dust jacket.
Featuring Miss Maud Silver, a determinedly professional private detective who relies on logic rather than mere tuition in her work, misleading suspects with her unthreatening outward appearance and predilection for knitting and quoting Tennyson.
‘Miss Silver has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot’ – Manchester Evening News.
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Price HK$ 3,800
1944 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First Edition
A scarce example of the true first edition, in bright sharp dust jacket.Featuring Miss Maud Silver, a determinedly professional private detective who relies on logic rather than mere tuition in her work, misleading suspects with her unthreatening outward appearance and predilection for knitting and quoting Tennyson.
‘Miss Silver has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot’ – Manchester Evening News.
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Price HK$ 3,800
Red Shadow -
Patricia Wentworth (psued. Dora Amy Elles)
1932 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition
“They are letting me say good-bye. I’m to be shot to-morrow. It will be over by the time you get this…”
‘Laura stood, pale and trembling, in the veiled dress she was to have worn as Jim Mackenzie’s bride, and gave her word to marry Basil Stevens, a man she scarcely knew. In his unexpected visit Basil had made three things clear: Laura was the heiress of the great Hallingdon fortune; Jim faced a Soviet firing squad; and only this marriage would save Jim. Why? What was the plot that threatened to destroy him?’ [Dean Street Press]
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Price HK$ 3,500
1932 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia - First American Edition
“They are letting me say good-bye. I’m to be shot to-morrow. It will be over by the time you get this…”‘Laura stood, pale and trembling, in the veiled dress she was to have worn as Jim Mackenzie’s bride, and gave her word to marry Basil Stevens, a man she scarcely knew. In his unexpected visit Basil had made three things clear: Laura was the heiress of the great Hallingdon fortune; Jim faced a Soviet firing squad; and only this marriage would save Jim. Why? What was the plot that threatened to destroy him?’ [Dean Street Press]
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Price HK$ 3,500
Fool Errant -
Patricia Wentworth (psued. Dora Amy Elles)
1929 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia & - First American Edition
A superb example of the first edition of the first Benbow Smith mystery, in fine dust jacket without price-clipping or restoration.
‘A despicable plot involving government intrigue and espionage’.
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Price HK$ 3,900
1929 - J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia & - First American Edition
A superb example of the first edition of the first Benbow Smith mystery, in fine dust jacket without price-clipping or restoration.‘A despicable plot involving government intrigue and espionage’.
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Price HK$ 3,900