Thirteen Guests - Inscribed - J. Jefferson Farjeon 1936 - Collins, London - First Edition Rare first edition, even more so in the original dust jacket and inscribed. The inscription is to his friend, the book collector ‘Eileen Cond. with very best wishes J. Jefferson Farjeon’ ‘January 1937’.

What to expect when thirteen guests are invited for a weekend party at Lord Aveling’s country-house. The guests include an attractive widow, an actress, an authoress, a journalist, a society artist, a county cricketer, an M.P. and a retired “sausage king”...

By one of Dorothy Sayer’s favourite authors who called him ‘unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures’.
  Provenance: Eileen Cond to whom it is inscribed. Eileen Cond of Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, England, was a tireless collector of books and letters from contemporary novelists and poets, in many cases she struck up friendships with the authors which lasted for many years, authors of note included Farjeon, Ian Fleming, Daphne Du Maurier, Leslie Charteris, and Victor Canning who actually dedicated a whole book to her.

Joseph Jefferson Farjeon (1883-1955) was a British author of more than eighty novels, mostly crime and mystery, he was one of the first to mix romance with crime, however despite this he did not shy away from the sinister side. In addition to his novels, Farjeon also wrote a number of plays, including Number Seventeen which was adapted for the big screen by Alfred Hitchcock.

First edition, copyright page gives date of ‘1936’ with no later printings noted. The American edition was published by Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis/New York in 1938.

Octavo (18.8x12.8cm), pp. 284 [4 (publisher’s advertisements)]. In publisher’s burgundy cloth, spine lettered in silver, all edges trimmed. Dust jacket priced ‘7/6 net’ to spine’, and with colour touch-up to spine and upper corner of front panel, two small tap repairs to verso.
  Condition: Near fine, foxing to first and last pages and edges of block in near fine dust jacket, wrinkles to panels, minor wear to lower corners, colour touch-up to spine and upper corner of front panel, two small tape repairs to verso.   Ref: 110569   Price: HK$ 8,000