Thursday, August 27, 2009

Author of the Week: Ellery Queen

ELLERY QUEEN

Among the most popular, famous and influential authors of detective fiction, few could challenge the position of Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee, the Brooklyn cousins who collaborated on scores of books and stories, mainly as Ellery Queen but also on four excellent novels under the Barnaby Ross by-line. Their first novel as Ellery Queen appeared in 1929 and the series about their brilliant, erudite New York amateur detective, also named Ellery Queen, became hugely successful and was reprinted countless times. The early titles, especially, are noted for their bizarre circumstances, including a murder during a Broadway show, in a department store window, in a hospital operating room and on a trolley car. One victim is found nude except for an opera cape on a beach, another is crucified, and another is found with all his clothes on backwards and the entire room in reverse–the rug upside down, pictures facing the wall, etc. In spite of their popularity, or more likely because of it, as their books were read to death, the early Queen books, especially, are very hard to find in nice condition with clean, attractive dust jackets. First editions of the early titles in sharp dust jackets sell for thousands of dollars, if they can be found. All the books listed below are hardcover and were published in New York, unless otherwise noted.

The Roman Hat Mystery, International Readers League, n.d. (originally 1929). Bookplate, name, hinge cracked, else very good. $15.00

The Roman Hat Mystery, Otto Penzler Books, 1993. An exact facsimile of the rare first edition, with a perfect replica of the dust jacket, binding, endpapers, etc. Very fine in dust jacket. $39.95

The French Powder Mystery, Stokes, 1930. 4th printing. Identical format to 1st printing. Spine faded, name, else about fine. $25.00

The Dutch Shoe Mystery, Triangle, 1940 (originally 1931). A bit of sunning to the blue cloth, else fine in a bright, fresh dust jacket with minor rubbing to top of spine and fore edge. $40.00

The Greek Coffin Mystery, Stokes, 1932. First edition. Spine rubbed and a bit faded, else very good. $50.00

The Greek Coffin Mystery, Triangle, 1940. Cover lightly faded, else very good in near fine dust jacket. $30.00

The Siamese Twin Mystery, Stokes, 1933. First edition. Front hinge cracked, spine a bit sunned, else very good. $35.00

The Siamese Twin Mystery, Grosset & Dunlap, 1933. Name on front endpaper, else fine in a beautiful, bright, fresh dust jacket. $60.00

The Siamese Twin Mystery, Grosset & Dunlap, 1933. Name, tiny faded spots at tip of spine, else fine in dust jacket with a badly faded spine. $25.00

The Siamese Twin Mystery, Triangle, 1940. Fine copy in a bright, fresh dust jacket with minor rubbing to spine base and one corner. $40.00

The American Gun Mystery, Triangle, 1940 (originally 1933). Fine in dust jacket with trivial rubbing to base of spine and one corner. $40.00

The American Gun Mystery, Cleveland, World, 1946. Fine in dust jacket, which is chipped at top of spine. $30.00

The Chinese Orange Mystery, Stokes, 1934. First edition. Spine sunned, else near fine. $60.00

The Chinese Orange Mystery, Grosset & Dunlap, 1934. Fine, fresh copy. $25.00

The Chinese Orange Mystery, Triangle, 1945. A star has been rubber-stamped on front endpaper and front flap, else fine in dust jacket, which has light fraying at spine ends and a 1½" closed tear on front panel. $25.00

The Adventures of Ellery Queen, Stokes, 1934. First edition. A Queen’s Quorum title. Name stamp inside front cover, else a fine, fresh copy. $75.00

The Adventures of Ellery Queen, Grosset & Dunlap, 1934. Name inside front cover, else fine in dust jacket, which is rubbed at spine ends and edges. $35.00

The Adventures of Ellery Queen, Triangle, 1941. Fine in near fine dust jacket. $35.00

The Spanish Cape Mystery, Triangle, 1939 (originally 1935). Modest staining to spine ends, else fine in a nice, bright, lightly rubbed dust jacket. $35.00

The Spanish Cape Mystery, Triangle, 1941. Near fine in rubbed and chipped dust jacket. $20.00

Halfway House, Grosset & Dunlap, 1936 (same year is the first printing) Very fine in dust jacket. $45.00

Halfway House, Triangle, 1941. Stamps glued to front endpaper, else fine in near fine dust jacket. $25.00

The Door Between, Stokes, 1937. First edition. Very good. $27.50

The Door Between, Triangle, 1941. About fine in bright dust jacket. $30.00

The Devil to Pay, Stokes, 1938. First edition. A bit of foxing to tan cloth and endpapers, as usual for this title, else fine in a dazzling, as new dust jacket with the rear flap inexplicably replaced with a photocopy. $175.00

The Devil to Pay, Triangle, 1941. Fine in bright, fresh dust jacket with with one small closed tear and crease at rear hinge. $30.00

The Devil to Pay, Cleveland, World, 1946. Fine in lightly chipped dust jacket. $20.00

The Four of Hearts, Triangle, 1941 (originally 1938). Sticker on front endpaper, else fine in a beautiful pictorial dust jacket. $35.00

The Four of Hearts, Cleveland, 1946. Fine in lightly nicked dust jacket. $25.00

The Dragon’s Teeth, Grosset & Dunlap, 1939. Fine in dust jacket. $40.00

Another copy. Fine in very good dust jacket. $30.00

The Dragon’s Teeth, International Readers League, n.d. Very good. $15.00

The New Adventures of Ellery Queen, Triangle, 1941 (originally 1940). Price sticker on front endpaper, else fine in fine, sharp dust jacket. $30.00

Another copy. Rear cover lightly marked, else fine in very good dust jacket. $20.00

Ellery Queen, Master Detective, Grosset & Dunlap, 1941. First edition. A novelization of the movie, Ellery Queen, Master Detective. An "Ellery Queen Junior Mystery." Erasure on front endpaper, else fine in a fresh dust jacket with light wear to spine ends. $25.00

Another copy. First edition. A fine copy, signed and inscribed by Queen: "To John/An obscure "Queen"/Ellery Queen." With a worn dust jacket added. $100.00

The Penthouse Mystery, Grosset & Dunlap, 1941. First edition. A novelization of the movie, Ellery Queen’s The Penthouse Mystery. An "Ellery Queen Junior Mystery." Name, else fine in a dust jacket with chipped and lightly sunned spine. $25.00

The Perfect Crime, Grosset & Dunlap, 1942. First edition. A novelization of the movie, Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime. Near fine in chipped dust jacket, especially at top of spine with ½" loss. $25.00

Calamity Town, Boston, Little, Brown, 1942. 2nd printing. Name, else fine. $15.00

The Golden Eagle Mystery, Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1942. 7th printing. Very good. With an excellent inscription: "To…I hope you become a book collector too—like your daddy and Ellery Queen Jr." (Inscribed by Frederic Dannay). $35.00

The Detective Short Story, Boston, Little Brown, 1942. First edition, limited to 1,000 copies. A bibliography of all short story collections identified by Queen (Frederic Dannay) and an important early reference book. About fine. $45.00

The Golden Eagle Mystery, Grosset & Dunlap, 1942. Reprint. Fine in dust jacket with light wear at top of spine and top corner. $20.00

There Was an Old Woman, Boston, Little, Brown, 1943. First edition. Spine darkened, else very good-near fine in dust jacket with a spine crease, fraying to top of spine and rubbing to front hinge. $85.00

Another copy. First edition. Spine sunned, gift inscription, else very good in a fair dust jacket (trimmed, rubbed along edges, backed with brown paper). $35.00

The Green Turtle Mystery, Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1944. First edition. An Ellery Queen Jr. book. Bookplate, else fine in a price-clipped dust jacket with wear to spine ends and corners. $60.00

The Green Turtle Mystery. Comet, 1949. Paperback. Very good. Autographed on the title page. $25.00

The Murderer Is a Fox, Little, Brown, 1945. First edition. About fine in dust jacket with light wear at spine ends and a small nick on front panel. Unaccountably scarce. $75.00

Another copy. First edition. Name, else fine in dust jacket, which has a large chip at top of spine and fraying to base. $50.00

The Red Chipmunk Mystery, Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1946. Second printing. Very good. With an excellent inscription: "To…My real first name is Daniel—see ‘The Golden Summer’—Ellery Queen Jr." (inscribed by Frederic Dannay). $35.00

Ten Days’ Wonder, Boston, Little, Brown, 1949. Book club edition. Basis for the Orson Welles film. Fine in lightly rubbed dust jacket. $12.50

Double, Double, Little, Brown, 1950. First edition. Fine in dust jacket, which is frayed at spine ends. $35.00

Another copy. First edition. Fine in price-clipped dust jacket, chipped at spine ends and creased along top of front panel. $25.00

Queen’s Quorum, Boston, Little, brown, 1951. First edition. The history of the detective short story with a listing of the 106 most important books published. A very important pioneering reference books for scholars and collectors. Fine in dust jacket, which has shallow chips at spine ends. $185.00

Calendar of Crime, Boston, Little, Brown, 1952. First edition. Fine in dust jacket, which has some fading to spine and light wear along top edge. $45.00

The King Is Dead, Boston, Little, Brown, 1952. First edition. Small mark on page edges, lese fine in price-clipped dust jacket which is chipped at top of spine and lower corner of front panel. $25.00

Another copy. First edition. Very good. $12.50

Another copy. Book Club edition. Fine in price-clipped near fine dust jacket. $10.00

The Scarlet Letters, Boston, Little, Brown, 1953. First edition. Name, else very good-near fine. $17.50

Another copy. Book club edition. Fine in dust jacket. $12.50

The Glass Village, Boston, Little, Brown, 1954. First edition. About fine in dust jacket with lightly sunned spine and foxing along top edge. $65.00

Another copy. Book club edition. Fine in dust jacket with closed tears and creases on rear panel. $12.50

Queen’s Bureau of Investigation, Boston, Little, Brown, 1954. Book club edition. Fine in clipped dust jacket. $12.50

Another copy. Book club edition. Fine in chipped and soiled dust jacket. $8.50

Inspector Queen’s Own Case, Simon & Schuster, 1956. First edition. Bookworm hole at top of about 50 pages, else very good in dust jacket. $20.00

Another copy. First edition. Name, some pages lightly affected by damp, else very good. $12.50

The Finishing Stroke, Simon & Schuster, 1958. First edition. An exceptionally fine copy in a bright dust jacket with the merest trace of wear at the spinal extremities. $50.00

Another copy. Fine in dust jacket with fraying at spine ends. $35.00

And On the Eighth Day, Random House, 1964. First edition. Bit of sunning along top edge, else fine in chipped dust jacket. Ghost-written by Avram Davidson from a long outline by Dannay. $20.00

Queen’s Full, Random House, 1965. First edition. Fine in price-clipped dust jacket with a closed tear on rear panel. $35.00

Another copy. Fine in dust jacket with nicks and closed tears along edges. $30.00

The Fourth Side of the Triangle, Random House, 1965. First edition. Fine in dust jacket. $35.00

Another copy. First edition. Corner bumped, else near fine in dust jacket. $20.00

Another copy. About fine in dust jacket with nicks and closed tears. $20.00

Face to Face, NAL, 1967. Book club edition. Fine in dust jacket. $10.00

Queen’s Experiments in Detection, NAL, 1968. First edition. Corner bumped, else fine in price-clipped dust jacket. $25.00

The House of Brass, NAL, 1968. First edition. A fine copy in a clean bright dust jacket with a tiny tear on rear panel. $45.00

Another copy. First edition. Fine in dust jacket which has a tear and crease on rear panel and a tiny chip on front panel. $25.00

The Bizarre Murders, Philadelphia, Lippincott, n.d. Book club edition. An omnibus containing The Siamese Twin Mystery, The Chinese Orange Mystery and The Spanish Cape Mystery. Very fine in a brilliant price-clipped dust jacket. $12.50

Wrightsville Murders, Boston, Little, Brown, n.d. Book club edition. Am omnibus containing Calamity Town, The Murderer Is a Fox and Ten Days’ Wonder. Very good. $8.50

BARNABY ROSS

The Tragedy of X, Viking, 1932. First edition. Very good. $45.00

The Tragedy of X, Grosset & Dunlap, 1940. Fine in dust jacket with one tiny chip and a closed tear and crease on front panel. Still a bright, fresh copy. $45.00

The Tragedy of Y, Viking, 1932. First edition. Very good, tight copy. $50.00

The Tragedy of Y, Grosset & Dunlap, 1932. Fine in a near fine dust jacket that replicates the first edition. $60.00

The Tragedy of Z, Viking, 1933. First edition. Wear at top of spine, else very good. $45.00

Drury Lane’s Last Case, Grosset & Dunlap, 1933. Very fine, crisp copy in a lightly worn dust jacket. $45.00

Drury Lane’s Last Case, Boston, Little, Brown, 1946. Near fine in chipped dust jacket. $25.00

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