First Edition. Politzer dustjacket art. Scotland Yard detective novel with theme of narcotics smuggling. Very scarce title. Near Fine but for red ink ownership signature at front pastedown, in Good dustjacket, shallow loss at top spine end and some edges, lower spine end with inch deep chip. Item #31401

First Edition. Henry Pitz dustjacket art. Author's first book, a Hubin mystery and novel of intrigue in Europe as a diabolical secret German society plot the next World War. "No more sinister figure has appeared in fiction than Professor Kreutzemark, inventor of many new chemical concoctions" who is featured in the dustjacket art by Pitz, with the good doctor about to inject some kind of drug into the arm of a prostrate woman. Francis Beeding was the pseudonym used by a pair of writers, John Leslie Palmer (1885-1944) and Hilary Aidan St George Saunders (1898-1951). They were Oxford graduates who met while at the League of Nations in Geneva. Palmer was a drama critic who wrote books on the theatre under the pseudonym "Christopher Haddon". Saunders served with the Welsh Guards in WWI and worked for the Air Ministry in WWII, writing the famous pamphlet, The Battle of Britain. From 1946 to 1950 he was librarian of the House of Commons. They also wrote mainstream fiction under the name David Pilgrim. Almost Near Fine, spotting to top page edge, small foxed area at fore-edge of pages, heavy erasure at front endpaper, in Very Good dustjacket with fairly shallow chipping along top front panel and spine ends. Item #20584

First Edition. St. John dustjacket art. A surprisingly atypical western novel of a cowpuncher who gets himself involved in Hollywood movie making and the use of cocaine. When he "walked into a movie set and mistook drama for real life and pulled off as thrilling a bit of rescue work as the camera had ever filmed. In fact, it got him a job, doubling for the hero in the 'stunts' that the popular star hadn't the nerve to try. Chad learned a lot that Mother never taught him. He learned about gin parties and 'happy dust' and 'necking'. He couldn't see how a nice girl like the beautiful Beryl Blythe could stand for that stuff. And he found in the end that 'the real thing,' after all, is what gets by in both life and the movies". On pages 248 and 275 the hero confronts his love interest about her use of cocaine and gets into a fight with a movie star strung out on the same drug. An early novel to deal with drug use in Hollywood. Near Fine, some spotting to top page edge, in Good or better dustjacket, shallow chipping at spine ends and few flap corners, few scrapes and tiny chips at mid spine area, few light stains. Item #25596

First Edition and First Photoplay Edition, illustrated with scenes from the Universal Picture, Drifting, starring Mary Nolan. "China, hidden from the eyes of the world by clever little yellow men who make up the 'bosses' of its underworld. There are Americans there too, low, degenerate Americans, who have cast themselves in the life of the Chinese underworld in utter abandon. Some of these from excellent families, with much money, and whose self respect has been underminded by the use of opium or cocaine or even stronger drugs to bring about forgetfulness. All this we read and see in 'The Shanghai Lady' and we are told in a new way that good is paramount even in low opium dives and houses of ill repute". Near Fine but for contemporary ownership inscription of someone associated with Ringling Brother Circus at front endpaper, in nearly Very Good dustjacket, modest soiling and edge chipping. Item #27074

First Edition in dustjacket identical with the first but for 75 cent price and plug at lower front flap stating that "the issuance of this new edition at reduced price is made possible by (a) use of the same plates made for the original Edition. (b) acceptance by the author of a reduced royalty". A gripping expose of female prisons and the abuse of the convicts as well as cases of lesbianism and narcotics use by the co-author of I am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang. Burns first garnered fame from the book and film of his brother's life as featured in "I Am A Fugitive From A Georgia Chain Gang". A scarce companion piece especially so inscribed and signed by Burns at front free endpaper in 1940. "The book itself is a commentary on the blindness and ignorance and cupidity from which spring the black records of our American prison systems. Not only the chain gangs of the South or the prison pens of the West, but now the penitentiaries of the East are revealed as holes in hell." Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, centimeter chip at lower spine end, few edge nicks and modest wear. Item #20528

First Edition. Original gray cloth, stamped in dark red. Classic of hard-boiled detective novel of a man who sets out to destroy the Los Angeles underworld and includes narcotic content. Author's only novel. A nearly Very Good copy, general soiling to cloth, jacket flaps are adhered to pastedowns, some smudges to half-title and few other pages, small pharmacy stamp at front endpaper, but binding and hinges firm. Item #32427

First Edition. Uncommon novel of the 'Yellow Peril' and opium trafficking (Opium is mentioned in the book no fewer than thirteen times). "Magdalena Island, in mid-Pacific, is on few mariners' charts. But it floats dream-like in its own hazy beauty on Mr. Comfort's pages. In its sensuous setting is enacted in a few months a strange drama of warfare, greed, passion and devotion that breaks for just a moment the age-long silence of its life". Very Good, foxing to page edges, small dampstain at lower rear cover, in near Very Good dustjacket, some nicking and soiling, speckling to front panel, small area of dampstaining to lower rear panel. Item #25851

First Edition. Uncommon Bleiler listed fantasy and Amazon Jungle set intrigue novel of a "white man [who] rules his own domain as a king... He has conquered the jungle with inventions of modern science. His castle stronghold is equipped with torture chambers and is haunted with psychic mysteries. A young American, lost to the power of drugs, is one of the king's captives" A terrific Macaulay published novel of Indian treasure and fiendish characters. Near Fine in Very Good plus dustjacket with few inch closed tear at top rear panel. Item #20226

First Edition. Uncommon Bleiler listed fantasy and Amazon Jungle set intrigue novel of a "white man [who] rules his own domain as a king...He has conquered the jungle with inventions of modern science. His castle stronghold is equipped with torture chambers and is haunted with psychic mysteries. A young American, lost to the power of drugs, is one of the king's captives" A terrific Macaulay published novel of Indian treasure and fiendish characters. Near Fine in attractive bright Near Fine dustjacket, light wear and tiny chip at lower front flap fold. Item #9806

First Edition, Advance Promotional Copy, small octavo, approx. 20 pages, original illustrated wrappers. Scarce promotional 'pamphlet' published by The Daily Mirror Newspaper who published this novel serially. Contains approximately 20 pages of excerpts and illustrations from this interesting Jazz Age themed novel of a young woman who is shamed by a divorce and who is subsequently drugged by "white slavers" and kidnapped to New York City where she becomes a cabaret dancer, until eventually she regains her good name. An extremely uncommon novel. Very Good in wrappers, with expected wear. Item #20066

First Edition. Adventure novel intended for young adults. "An American from Paradise City, Nevada, has reached China on a trip around the world. While there he meets an English officer, who, with his nephew, Frank Armitage, agrees to accompany the American on a journey of exploration into the interior of China. They are captured by a band of Chinese robbers and held in a hidden mountain cave for an enormous ransom. Frank, the only one of the three who can speak Chinese, escapes, and disguised as a Chinaman, starts out on a perilous trip across the mountainous country to obtain help. While on his way he is captured by another robber and held prisoner in an opium den". Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, shallow chipping at spine ends and flap corners. Item #25178

First Edition stated. Brewster dustjacket art. "Who is the mysterious hooded terror who haunts and eludes the Chief Inspector of Scotland yard and his assistants? Who is the invisible power forcing National Medical Supplies, Ltd., to deal illegally in narcotics?" Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, shallow chipping at spine ends and few flap corners, vertical crease at spine, closed tear at lower front panel. Item #21454