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.’
  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).

First edition, published November, 1933. With ‘Copyright, 1933’ to verso of title page, and no further printings noted, plum cloth, dust jacket with silver/red spine and price ‘7’6 NET’ in black. Only other titles listed in book and on dust jacket are
Lady Incognito (October 1932), Spies are Abroad (March 1933) and The Secret Service Girl (August 1933).

References: Spy Guys and Gals. Goodreads.

Octavo (book size 19.1x13cm), pp. 252 [4 (publisher's adverts)]. In publisher’s plum cloth, spine lettered in silver. Dust jacket priced ‘7’6 NET’ to spine.
  Condition: Very good, gentle fading to outer edges of cloth, light foxing to first few pages, offsetting to endpapers, in very good dust jacket, spine toned, wear to corners and folds, chips to spine ends, rear spine fold partially split, gentle soiling to rear panel, small piece of tape reinforcement to verso.   Ref: 109995   Price: HK$ 3,000