John Stephen Strange BLACK HAWTHORN First and 12 similar items

BLACK HAWTHORN By John Stephen Strange, pen name of Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett. Garden City, New York: Published for The Crime Club by Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1933. First edition, first printing. "First edition" statement to the copyright page, 1933 to the title page. A first edition, first printing book in a supplied vintage Grosset Dunlap dust jacket that shows the same art by Walter Frame, and the same design with an upper gold-tone band, as employed in the Doubleday first edition jacket, the only difference being G D to the lower spine panel. Illustrated with three maps to figure out clues. Tillett, a New York poet, playwright, and stage actress wrote twenty-two successful and clever mysteries under this male pseudonym without ever having her female real identity found out. In this standalone New London, Connecticut set, well-plotted mystery with twists and three murders, a wealthy family believes in superstitions and has an heirloom with clues that Detective Sergeant Potter must untangle. Rather elusive dust jacket. Some mild creamy stains to the lower covers edges, a cream drip-line to the rear cover's upper hinge area, some small tan stains to the page edges and to a few upper page margins, else square, firm and about very good in sturdy polished black linen with bright red skull and vase illustration by Walter Frame to the spine, deckle page fore-edges; in a Walter Frame illustrated, price-clipped Grosset Dunlap, about very good dust jacket with creases to the lower front panel that also shows some crimps and tiny tears to its upper edge, a slender line missing from the upper rear spine fold, nicks and tiny tears to the upper and lower rear panel's shelf-edges, fading to the red of the spine panel that is missing a two-inch long piece from the chipped and torn lower end, and with small chips to the upper spine edge, nicks and rubs to the front flap fold and corner tips. The dust jacket will be placed in a clear, removable protective sleeve after scanning for this entry. PLEASE VIEW OUR STORE FOR MORE GREAT FIRST EDITION MYSTERY BOOKS THANKS!