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A disturbing duo - The Family Arsenal - with - My Secret History -
Paul Theroux
1976 - Hamish Hamilton, London - First Editions
Two first editions of of Paul Theroux’s more exotic and disturbing works.
The Family Arsenal - Hood, a renegade American diplomat, envisions a new urban order, flirts with terrorists. Mayo, has just made a political statement - stealing a Flemish painting. Murf the bomb-maker scrawls 'Arsenal Rule' across the city's walls, whilst Brodie bombs Euston and afterwards worries about her complexion. A novel of London lowlife and the dispossessed, and a powerful and violent thriller of disenchanted people.
‘One of the most evocative, intelligently crafted suspense novels in years - like the early fiction of Graham Greene.' - The New York Times.
'Brilliant and haunting. . . the ingenious of the plot, the London setting. . . the trapped and interwoven people, and the balefully witty observation, have an undistracted force' - Observer.
My Secret History - 'Nothing on the shelf has quite prepared the reader for My Secret History… Parent saunters into the book aged fifteen, shouldering a .22 Mossberg rifle as earlier, more innocent American heroes used to tote a fishing pole. In his pocket is a paperback translation of Dante's Inferno… He is a creature of naked and unquenchable ego, greedy for sex, money, experience, another life' - Observer.
‘Merges the two genres he's famous for... My Secret History is about the permanence of marriage in the face of mistrust and infidelity; it's about the wisdom of women and the foolishness of men; and it's about mature love as the necessary and sometimes successful antidote to youthful selfishness.’ - New York Times Book Review.
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Price HK$ 900
1976 - Hamish Hamilton, London - First Editions
Two first editions of of Paul Theroux’s more exotic and disturbing works.The Family Arsenal - Hood, a renegade American diplomat, envisions a new urban order, flirts with terrorists. Mayo, has just made a political statement - stealing a Flemish painting. Murf the bomb-maker scrawls 'Arsenal Rule' across the city's walls, whilst Brodie bombs Euston and afterwards worries about her complexion. A novel of London lowlife and the dispossessed, and a powerful and violent thriller of disenchanted people.
‘One of the most evocative, intelligently crafted suspense novels in years - like the early fiction of Graham Greene.' - The New York Times.
'Brilliant and haunting. . . the ingenious of the plot, the London setting. . . the trapped and interwoven people, and the balefully witty observation, have an undistracted force' - Observer.
My Secret History - 'Nothing on the shelf has quite prepared the reader for My Secret History… Parent saunters into the book aged fifteen, shouldering a .22 Mossberg rifle as earlier, more innocent American heroes used to tote a fishing pole. In his pocket is a paperback translation of Dante's Inferno… He is a creature of naked and unquenchable ego, greedy for sex, money, experience, another life' - Observer.
‘Merges the two genres he's famous for... My Secret History is about the permanence of marriage in the face of mistrust and infidelity; it's about the wisdom of women and the foolishness of men; and it's about mature love as the necessary and sometimes successful antidote to youthful selfishness.’ - New York Times Book Review.
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Price HK$ 900
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
Spies Never Return -
J. M. Walsh
1935 - Collins, London - First Edition
First edition of this Colonel Ormiston spy story, rare in original dust jacket.
‘Foreign spies at are work on the East Anglian coast trying to discover the secret of a new device of great important to Britain’s air defences...’
First edition, copyright page showing date of 1935 with no further impressions noted, and publisher's adverts to rear only promoting The Man From Whitehall (1934), Spies in Pursuit (1934), and King's Messenger (1933). Dust jacket priced ‘7/6 net’ to spine and with following Walsh titles to rear flap and panel - The Secret Service Girl (1933), Spies Are Abroad (1933), The Man From Whitehall (1934), Spies in Pursuit (1934), and King's Messenger (1933).
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Price HK$ 3,500
1935 - Collins, London - First Edition
First edition of this Colonel Ormiston spy story, rare in original dust jacket.‘Foreign spies at are work on the East Anglian coast trying to discover the secret of a new device of great important to Britain’s air defences...’
First edition, copyright page showing date of 1935 with no further impressions noted, and publisher's adverts to rear only promoting The Man From Whitehall (1934), Spies in Pursuit (1934), and King's Messenger (1933). Dust jacket priced ‘7/6 net’ to spine and with following Walsh titles to rear flap and panel - The Secret Service Girl (1933), Spies Are Abroad (1933), The Man From Whitehall (1934), Spies in Pursuit (1934), and King's Messenger (1933).
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Price HK$ 3,500
Dial 999 -
J. M. Walsh
1938 - Collins, London - First Edition
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 Dragon (1938), and Spies in Spain (1938).
Dial 999 - are these words the vital clue for Oliver Keene?
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Price HK$ 3,000
1938 - Collins, London - First Edition
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 Dragon (1938), and Spies in Spain (1938).
Dial 999 - are these words the vital clue for Oliver Keene?
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Price HK$ 3,000
The Secret Service Girl -
J. M. Walsh
1933 - Collins, London - First Edition
Rare first edition in the fabulous first edition dust jacket with the silver spine and red lettering of Collins’ ‘Mystery Novel’ series (this style dust jacket was only used by Collins from 1933 to 1934, at which point the lettering was changed to black and the distinctive ‘M’ was dropped). A Colonel Ormiston Secret Service mystery.
‘An urgent call from the Department precipitated those clever Secret Service agents, Colonel Ormiston and his wife Rosalie, into rather a lively patch of trouble at Gibraltar. Rosalie gets on the track of a gang who are suspected of gun-running across the Straits of Morocco. Before too long the startling discovery is made of a daring plot to blow up the famous Rock itself...’
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Price HK$ 3,000
1933 - Collins, London - First Edition
Rare first edition in the fabulous first edition dust jacket with the silver spine and red lettering of Collins’ ‘Mystery Novel’ series (this style dust jacket was only used by Collins from 1933 to 1934, at which point the lettering was changed to black and the distinctive ‘M’ was dropped). A Colonel Ormiston Secret Service mystery.‘An urgent call from the Department precipitated those clever Secret Service agents, Colonel Ormiston and his wife Rosalie, into rather a lively patch of trouble at Gibraltar. Rosalie gets on the track of a gang who are suspected of gun-running across the Straits of Morocco. Before too long the startling discovery is made of a daring plot to blow up the famous Rock itself...’
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Price HK$ 3,000
King s Messenger -
J. M. Walsh
1933 - Collins, London - First Edition
Rare first edition in the evocative first edition dust jacket with the silver spine and red lettering of Collins’ ‘Mystery Novel’ series (this style dust jacket was only used by Collins from 1933 to 1934, at which point the lettering was changed to black and the distinctive ‘M’ was dropped).
‘On a train between Alexandria and Cairo, a female passenger hears a commotion in the compartment next to her and goes to investigate. She discovers fleeing the room an Arab who, after an attempt to silence her, flees leaving a murdered man in the room. He also, in his haste, dropped a small packet and it is that item which will send Ormiston and Kent on a wild adventure.’
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Price HK$ 3,000
1933 - Collins, London - First Edition
Rare first edition in the evocative first edition dust jacket with the silver spine and red lettering of Collins’ ‘Mystery Novel’ series (this style dust jacket was only used by Collins from 1933 to 1934, at which point the lettering was changed to black and the distinctive ‘M’ was dropped).‘On a train between Alexandria and Cairo, a female passenger hears a commotion in the compartment next to her and goes to investigate. She discovers fleeing the room an Arab who, after an attempt to silence her, flees leaving a murdered man in the room. He also, in his haste, dropped a small packet and it is that item which will send Ormiston and Kent on a wild adventure.’
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Price HK$ 3,000
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
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