Bev's Bookish Fall Break

 

It's that time again...for Bev's own Fall Break Bookish Extravaganza. And it's all made possible by the Hoosier Hills Food Bank Community Book Fair. Each year I take two days off work so I can go to the opening day of the book fair for the best chance at getting the most vintage mysteries. And then spend the next day blissfully logging and scanning my finds. This year, per usual, I stood in line Thursday morning with $10 in hand so I could have a first glance at the bookish goodies. Then I went back on Saturday (ostensibly to see if there were any comic books my husband might possibly want...) and came home with another round. 

This year was supposed to be a big deal (kindof like last year was supposed to be a big deal--"bigger & better than ever"). Bob Hammel--long-time sports writer for the Herald Times--donated 2,000 IU and sports-related items towards the sale. I didn't notice anyone flocking towards that area.... The only area that seemed to be "bigger than ever" this year was the DVD section. Way more tables than I ever remember.  Also more record albums. The better books mystery section and regular mystery sections were about the same size as last year--but the regular mystery sections were loaded down with newer stuff (it appeared that several Janet Evanovich and David Baldacci fans had unloaded every book they owned....). 

I picked up six from the better books sections and then moved on to the regular mysteries. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find anything vintage that I didn't already own (one of the difficulties with having been a collector for so long...). So...not wanting to leave without at least putting a few things in my bag, I grabbed up some more modern authors. Then I got to the last table of hardback/large paperback mysteries....bonanza! All of the books marked with an asterisk were on that last table. And the trip to the Book Fair would have been worth it for Fatal Descent--a book I never thought I'd see in the wild. And with a dust jacket, no less!

My two-day haul: 44 books [lowest # ever since I started keeping track--six found on Saturday]; 3 books on CD; 9 mystery magazines; one Charles Dickens mini-puzzle; and 2 Hoosier Hills sweatshirts. I thought about going back on Sunday (half-price day), but I just couldn't imagine that I'd missed much. I hope some vintage mystery lovers donate a ton of books for next year...

Vintage Mysteries

Below Suspicion by John Dickson Carr (Bantam #1119) [better books]  

Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (Fontana Books #31) [Saturday find]

Murder in the Maze by J. J. Connington (hard back w/dustjacket) [better books]

Some Women Won't Wait/The Mysterious Suspect/A Big Hand for the Corpse by A. A. Fair/John Rhode/George Bagby (Detective Book Club 3-in-1 volume) [inexplicably in clearance section]

The Tall House Mystery by A. E. Fielding [better books]

Cork & the Serpent by MacDonald Hastings [Saturday find]

Masterpieces of Mystery: The Fifties selected by Ellery Queen [better books]

Fatal Descent by John Rhode & Carter Dickson (hard back w/dustjacket)*

Bulldog Drummond by Sapper (book on CD) [Saturday find]

The Chinese Chop by Juanita Sheridan (modern reprint)*

The Kahuna Killer by Juanita Sheridan (modern reprint)*

The Waikiki Widow by Juanita Sherica (modern reprint)*

Dead Man Inside by Vincent Starrett (modern reprint)*

Measure for Murder by Clifford Witting (modern reprint)*

Murder in Blue by Clifford Witting (modern reprint)*

Silver Age Mysteries (1960-1989)

The Scottish Decision by Alan Hunter [Saturday find]

Rough Cider by Peter Lovesey [Saturday find]

Death in the Past by Richard A. Moore [Saturday find]

Thursday's Folly/The Visitor/The Trouble with Tycoons by Judson Philips/Anthony Gilbert/H. Baldwin Taylor (Detective Book Club 3-in-1 volume) [inexplicably in clearance section]

Masterpieces of Mystery: Detective Directory I selected by Ellery Queen [better books]

Masterpieces of Mystery: Detective Directory II selected by Ellery Queen [better books]

Requiem for a Schoolgirl by Ivan T. Ross*

More Modern Mysteries

The Rainaldi Quartet (Sleeper) by Paul Adam 

One Book in the Grave by Kate Carlisle (book on CD)

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine May/June 2019 by Janet Hutchings, ed

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sept/Oct 2019 by Janet Hutchings, ed

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Nov/Dec 2019 by Janet Hutchings, ed

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Jan/Feb 2020 by Janet Hutchings, ed

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine July/Aug 2019 by Linda Landrigan, ed

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Sept/Oct 2019 by Linda Landrigan, ed

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Nov/Dec 2019 by Linda Landrigan, ed

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Jan/Feb 2020 by Linda Landrigan, ed

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine May/June 2020 by Linda Landrigan, ed

The Birdcage Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin (historical--Golden Age era)

The Mystery of Montague Morgan by Menuhin (historical--Golden Age era)

A Wreath of Red Roses by Menuhin (historical--Golden Age era)

Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Fever Dream by Preston & Child

Verses for the Dead by Preston & Child

Murder at Ardith Hall by Irina Shapiro (historical--Victorian)

Murder at the Abbey by Shapiro (historical--Victorian)

Murder at the Mill by Shapiro (historical--Victorian)

Murder in the Caravan by Shapiro (historical--Victorian)

Murder in the Crypt by Shapiro (historical--Victorian)

Murder in the Grave by Shapiro (historical--Victorian)

Murder at Union Station by Margaret Truman (book on CD)

Everything Else

Ellison Wonderland by Harlan Ellison

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer

False Colours by Georgette Heyer

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer

The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer

The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer

The Toll Gate by Georgette Heyer

The Obsession of Victoria Gracen by Grace Livingston Hill

And...

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol mini-puzzle

two Hoosier Hills Book Fair hoodies (one for me & one for Brad--Kyle doesn't like hoodies)

Hoosier Hills Book Fair

It's that time again...time to feed my book-buying habit in a big way with my yearly visit to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank Community Book Fair. Last year I attended the paid entry first day just to see if it made a difference in what I came home with. It sure seemed to--I brought home a record-breaking 103 books and a LOT of vintage mysteries. So, this year I decided to do the paid entry thing again just to see if results remained consistent. Not so much. I came home with just a little over half my haul of last year--55 books (one is destined to go to my mom) and among them is one duplicate because past Bev forgot to cross off a first edition (new Avon) Lord Peter Wimsey novel. Ah well, it doesn't seem to have been a very good year for vintage mysteries in general around here. For the first time ever, I came away from the Friends of the Library clearance sale without buying a single book. Not one (Brad thought I was sick). There just wasn't anything in my area.

Here's what this year's treasure hunt found:

The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird (as a stand-in for the copy that I can't find in my stash of books)
Tether's End by Margery Allingham (MacFadden Books)
Give the Little Corpse a Great Big Hand by George Bagby 
The Mouls House Mystery by Charles Barry
The Alfred Hitchcock Murder Case by George Baxt
The Cream of Crime: More Tales from Boucher's Choicest by Jeanne F. Bernkopf (ed)
Blue Octavo by John Blackburn
Earthman, Come Home by James Blish (Avon #T-225)
Red Snow at Darjeeling by Lawrence G. Blochman (Saint Mystery Library #125)
Cat and Mouse by Christianna Brand (Avon #385)
The Soundless Scream by Michael Butterworth
Take Only as Directed by James Byrom 
The Saint Closes the Case by Leslie Charteris (TV tie-in) 
No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase
The Club of Queer Trades by G. K. Chesteron (Delta Books; UK)
The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (Dell #5860)
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (Pan Books) 
Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (Dell #6848)
Table D'Hote by Douglas Clark
Help from the Baron by John Creasey 
The Crisscross Shadow by Franklin W. Dixon
Rebecca's Pride by Donald McNutt Douglass 
The Medical Center Murders by Lisa Drake with Otto Penzler 
Poppy Ott & the Stuttering Parrot by Leo Edwards
Murder on Wall Street by John B. Ethan
Murder at the Nook by A. Fielding  (Alfred Knopf hardback, 1930 edition)
The Safety Pin by J. S. Fletcher
A Murderous Journey by Kenneth Giles
Puzzle in Parchment by Elizabeth Greshem (academic mystery)
Cleek The Master Detective by T. P. Hanshew
2.L.O by Walther S. Masterman
An Ad for Murder by John Penn
The Chronicles of Quincy Adams Sawyer Detective by Charles Felton Pidgin & J. M. Taylor
The Great Mistake by Mary Roberts Rinehart (Dell #3127)
The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (hardback w/illustrations by Howard Chandler Christy)
Ripley's Believe It or Not! by Robert Ripley (Pocket Books #96; 2nd printing)
Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers (New English Library; UK press)
Unnatural Death by Dorothy L.Sayers (Avon, 1st printing) 
The Mystery of Swordfish Reef by Arthur Upfield (Pan Books)
Judge Dee at Work by Robert van Gulik
The Willow Pattern by Robert van Gulik
The Feathered Serpent by Edgar Wallace
Dead Man Manor by Valentine Williams
The Fox Prowls by Valentine Williams
The Mystery of the Gold Box by Valentine Williams
The Portcullis Room by Valentine Williams
Behind the Green Door by Mildred A. Wirt 
The Clock Strikes Thirteen by Mildred A. Wirt
Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. Wirt
Saboteurs on the River by Mildred A. Wirt
Tale of the Witch Doll by Mildred A. Wirt

Hooiser Hills Book Fair

It's that time of year again--when I head out to the Monroe County Fairgrounds and see how many books I can stuff into my rolling shopping bag and how much money I can spend on books in the name of a good cause. For the first time ever, I decided to spend an extra $10 and attend the first day of the Hoosier Hills Community Book Fair. I was curious to see how much difference it made in what I found. What I discovered was that most of the people who were lined up for first dibs at the books were NOT looking for mysteries and did not seem to interested at all in the vintage mysteries that I was looking for. That was all to the good. I did come home more books--not quite as many really good digest size (like Mapbacks) as I dreamed of, but I certainly can't complain.

Here is Thursday's haul (81 books)

Hardbacks
The Corpse in the Snowman by Nicholas Blake (Books, Inc, 1944)
The Doyle Diary by Michael Baker (Paddington Press Ltd, 1978)
Crime for Christmas by Thomas Godfrey, ed (Avenel Books 1989)
Skull Mountain by Dean Hawkins (Crime Club, 1941)
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew, tweed cover w/DJ, 1956)
The Clue of the Black Keys by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew, tweed cover w/DJ, 1951)
The Witch Tree Symbol by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew, tweed cover w/DJ, 1955)
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers (Grosset & Dunlap reprint, 1935ish)
Murder at the Mardi Gras by Elisabet M. Stone (Sheridan House, 1947)
Footprints by Kay Cleaver Strahan (Crime Club edition, 1929; I have been looking for this title For. Ev. Er.)

Vintage Paperbacks 
The Fear Sign by Margery Allingham (MacFadden Books #50-15, 1963)
Call for the Saint by Leslie Charteris (Avon #526, 1953)
Featuring the Saint by Leslie Charteris (Avon #803, 1958)

The Saint Intervenes by Leslie Charteris (MacFadden Books #50-262, 1966)
The Saint vs. Scotland Yard by Leslie Charteris (Avon #T-199, 1957)
The Big Four by Agatha Christie (Dell #0562, 1965)
Double Sin by Agatha Christie (New Dell #2144, 1970)
The Golden Ball & Other Stories (New Dell #3272, 1972; first paperback)
The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (New Dell #5360, July 1969)
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (New Dell #5946, 1970)
Murder in Retrospect by Agatha Christie (New Dell #6030, 1970)
An Overdose of Death by Agatha Christie (Dell #6780)
Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (Dell #6848, 1967)
13 at Dinner by Agatha Christie (New Dell #8742, 1969)
Green Hazard by Manning Coles (Doubleday Dolphin #C293, 1961)

A Toast to Tomorrow by Manning Coles (Bantam #118, 1947)
Death of a Racehorse by John Creasey (Berkley Medallion #F757, 1963)
Hang the Little Man by John Creasey (Berkley Medallion #F-1280, 1966)
Murder Tips the Scales by John Creasey (Berkley Medallion #Y649, 1962),
The Horizontal Man by Helen Eustis (Doubleday Dolphin #C318, 1962)
Bats Fly at Dusk by A. A. Fair [Gardner] (New Dell #0476, 1963)
The Navy Colt by Frank Gruber (Superior Rprint #M649, 1945)
This Is It, Michael Shayne (Dell Mapback #533, 1951)
Six Black Camels by Edwin Lanham (Pocket Books--Permabook Edition #M4280, 1963)
Headed for a Hearse by Jonathan Latimer (Dell #D196, 1957)
Date with Death by Elizabeth Linington (Popular Library, 1966)
Death of a Tall Man by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Dell Mapback #322, 1949)
Warrant for X by Philip MacDonald (Dell #D194, 1957)
Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh (Berkley Medallion #F986, 1964)
Old Bones by Herman Petersen (Dell Mapback #127, 1946)
Innocent Bystander by Craig Rice (Dell Mapback #461, 1950)
The Nine Tailors By Dorothy L. Sayers (Four Square Books #157, 1959)
The Bell in the Fog by John Stephen Strange (Doubleday Dolphin #C43, 1936?)


Recent and/or Reprint Paperbacks
The Fennister Affair by Josephine Bell
The Piccadilly Murder by Anthony Berkeley (Dover Edition)
The Foggy, Foggy Dew by Charity Blackstock
A House Possessed by Charity Blackstock
The Corpse in the Snowman by Nicholas Blake
Blotto, Twinks & the Bootlegger's Moll by Simon Brett
Rehearsal for Murder by P. M. Carlson
Poison in Jest by John Dickson Carr
Storm Center by Douglas Clark
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy 
The Bahamas Murder Case by Leslie Ford
The Black Envelope: Mr. Pinkerton Again! by David Frome
The Eel Pie Murders by David Frome
Mr. Pinkerton at the Old Angel by David Frome
Mr. Pinkerton Grows a Beard by David Frome
Mr. Pinkerton Has the Clue by David Frome
Two Against Scotland Yard by David Frome
Death Among Friends & Other Detective Stories by Cyril Hare
Death Is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare
By Hook or By Crook by Emma Lathen
Death Shall Overcome by Emma Lathen
A Place for Murder by Emma Lathen
Exercise Hoodwink by Maurice Proctor
Rogue Running by Maurice Proctor
Not Me, Inspector by Helen Reilly
Death in Harley Street by John Rhode
Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers (1st ed 1960s/70s Avon edition)
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers (1st ed 1960s/70s Avon edition) 
The Documents in the Case by Sayers & Robert Eustace (1st ed 1960s/70s Avon edition)
Blood on the Dining-Room Floor by Gertrude Stein
The Six Iron Spiders by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
Basil & the Pygmy Cats by Eve Titus
Basil in Mexico by Eve Titus
Bony & the Kelly Gang by Arthur W. Upfield
The Bushman Who Came Back by Arthur W. Upfield
No Footprints in the Bush by Arthur W. Upfield
The Chinese Nail Murders by Robert van Gulik
The Adventure of the Peerless Peer by John H. Watson, M. D.; ed by Philip Jose Farmer

And...I made a second trip with the hubby on Friday for 22 more! And a total of 103 so far. That's the most I've brought home to date.

Hardbacks
The Man from Nowhere by Victor Bridges (reprint w/dust jacket)
The Ebony Bed Murder by Rufus Gilmore
The Amazing Web by Harry Stephen Keeler
Untidy Murder by Frances & Richard Lockridge (1st edition w/dust jacket) Find of the Week!

Vintage Paperbacks
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (Dell #5982, 1969)
The Beauty Queen Killer by John Creasey (Berkley Medallion #F1095, 1965)
The Blind Spot by John Creasey (Berkley Medallion #F1052, 1965)
The Killing Strike by John Creasey (Berkley Medallion #Y695, 1961)
Be Shot for Sixpence by Michael Gilbert (Doubleday Dolphin #C229, 1956)
Silence Observed by Michael Innes (Berkley Medallion #F915, 1964)
Ten Days' Wonder by Ellery Queen (Pocket Book #740, fine condition, 1950)
The Door by Mary Roberts Rinehart (New Dell #2138, 1st printing, 1964)
Figure Away by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (Pyramid #X1579, 1967)
Of All Possible Worlds by William Tenn (Ballantine Books #407K, 1960)

Recent and/or Reprint Paperbacks
Trent's Own Case by E. C. Bentley
Room for Murder by Doris Miles Disney (MacFadden Books #75-448)
The Maltese Manuscript by Joanne Dobson (refers to Hammett's works)
Tenant for the Tomb by Anthony Gilbert (Beagle Books #95173, 1971)
Puzzle in Paisley by Elizabeth Gresham
Ashes to Ashes by Emma Lathen 
Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L Sayers (1st 60s/70s Avon Edition)

Bev's Birthday Bonanza

The past few years July has turned into the "Month of Bev" as far as birthday books are concerned--or "Bevember" as my friend Noah dubbed it last year. True to form, the books have been pouring in, thanks to the generosity of my husband, my parents, my in-laws, and my grandma. Here's a run-down of the new-to-me books that have arrived to help me celebrate during the month of July:

Buying Spree at Half Price Books
The Snake on 99 by Stewart Farrar (1st edition hardback w/dust jacket)

 
By the Light of the Study Lamp by Carolyne Keene (Dana Girls #1; tweed cover hardback)
The Polka-Dot Nude by Joan Smith
Wycliffe & the Three-Toed Pussy by W. J. Burley
The Ruby Raven by Michael Dahl
Most Baffling, Mrs. Hudson by Sydney Hosier

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (Armed Services Edition #Q-2)

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie (Dell #11052)
Murder in Retrospect by Agatha Christie (Dell #6030)
An Air That Kills by Margaret Millar

E-Bay Buying Extravaganza
The Case of the Crumpled Knave by Anthony Boucher (Mystery Book of the Month, Inc.)

 
4 Feet in the Grave by Amelia Reynolds Long (Bart House #13)
The Rynox Murder Mystery by Philip MacDonald (Superior Reprint #M642)
Warrant for X by Philip MacDonald (Pocket Books #328)
A Pinch of Poison by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Avon #502)
Murder in a Hurry by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Avon #484)
Stand Up & Die by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Graphic Books #82)
Murder is Out by Lee Thayer (Bart House #16)

 
Ghost of a Chance by Kelley Roos (Dell Mapback #266)
The Frightened Stiff by Kelley Roos (Dell #687)
Death of a Peer by Ngaio Marsh (Pocket Books #475)
Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh (Pocket Books #297)
The Corpse with the Grimy Glove by R. A. J. Walling (Popular Library #139)

Alarm in the Night by Stewart Sterling (Dell Mapback #513)
Five Alarm Funeral by Stewart Sterling (Dell #816) 
The Voice of the Corpse by Max Murray (Bantam #358)

The Egyptian Cross Mystery by Ellery Queen (Pocket Books #227)
The French Powder Mystery by Ellery Queen (Pocket Books #71)
Killing the Goose by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Armed Services Edition #950)

The Dog It Was That Died by E. C. R. Lorac (hardcover, Crime Club edition w/dustjacket)

 

Plus two better copies of The Norths Meet Murder by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Pocket Books #166) and The Spanish Cape Mystery by Ellery Queen (Pocket Books #146)

25th Wedding Anniversary Book-Binge

For our 25th Wedding Anniversary, my husband & I took another (short) trip on Route 66 in Illinois. Brad, who doesn't understand my need to buy enough books to stock a library, indulges me and told me that for our anniversary I could have a blank check to use at my favorite used bookstore, Books on the Square, in Virden, Illinois. I came home with 34 books (well 29 from Books on the Square and 5 from various antique malls that we stopped at). After all the modern 25th Anniversary is Books, right? Actually...for me...every year is Books.

Here's a run-down of the books that came home with me:

Trent's Last Case by E. C. Bentely [Pocket Books, pocket-size]

The Gloved Hand by Leigh Bryson [Handi-Book, digest-size]

Trixie Belden & the Gate House Mystery by Julie Campbell [hardback; 1954 edition]
The Emperor's Snuff-Box by John Dickson Carr [Pocket Books, pocket-size]
The Mad Hatter Mystery by John Dickson Carr [Popular Library, pocket-size]

You Can't Keep the Change by Peter Cheyney [Avon, pocket-size]
Only the Good by Mary Collins [Bantam, pocket-size]

Murder for Two by George Harmon Coxe [Dell Mapback]
Dead Little Rich Girl by Norbert Davis [Handi-Book, digest-size]

Fair Warning by Mignon G. Eberhart [hardback w/dust jacket]
Pattern of Murder by Mignon G. Eberhart [Popular Library, pocket-size]
Unidentified Woman by Mignon G. Eberhart [hardback w/dust jacket]

Give 'Em the Axe by A. A. Fair [Dell Mapback]
The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing [Bantam, pocket-size]

All for the Love of a Lady by Leslie Ford [Bantam, pocket-size; a near-fine copy to replace a rather battered one]
The Lady Regrets by James M. Fox [Dell Mapback]

Blood on Biscayne Bay by Brett Halliday [Dell Mapback]
San Francisco Murders by Henry Joseph Jackson [Bantam, pocket-size]
A Halo for Nobody by Henry Kane [Dell Mapback]

The Mystery at the Ski Jump by Carolyn Keene [tweed cover edition]
The Secret of the Wooden Lady by Carolyn Keene [tweed cover edition]
Here Come the Dead by Robert Potner Koehler [Bleak House, pocket-size]

Let Dead Enough Alone by Frances & Richard Lockridge [hardback w/dust jacket]
The Psychiatric Murders by M. Scott Michel [Black Knight, pocket-size]
The Glass Mask by Lenore Glen Offord [Dell Mapback]

The Ship Without a Crew by Howard Pease [Scholastic, pocket-size]
The 24th Horse by Hugh Pentecost [Popular Library, pocket-size]

The Visitor by Carl Randau [Dell Mapback]
The Silver Leopard by Helen Reilly [Dell Mapback]

Staircase 4 by Helen Reilly [Dell Mapback]
Where There's Smoke by Stewart Sterling [Dell Mapback]
Green for a Grave by Manning Lee Stokes [Black Knight, pocket-size]

The Squealer by Edgar Wallace [Avon, pocket-size]

Fall Bookstore Pilgrimage

With the Corvair in front of Books on the Square

The hubby wanted to take a trip to Route 66 in "his" 1966 Corvair. I was agreeable--especially when I found out that my reward for being an agreeable wife was a trip to one of my favorite used bookstores: Books on the Square in Virden, IL. We took a long weekend for a lovely fall drive (about 500 miles round-trip) and Bev came back a very happy girl. I tend to have great success finding my beloved pocket-size editions in Virden and this trip was no different. I am now 39 books richer....

Here's the run-down of the haul:

The Gorgeous Ghoul Case  by Dwight V. Babcock (Avon #320--"specially revised & edited")
Charlie Chan Carries On by Earl Derr Biggers (Pocket Books #207; 3rd printing)
Death Against Venus by Dana Chambers (A Handi-Book Mystery; abridged)
The Camera Clue by George Harmon Coxe (Dell Mapback # 453)
Murder with Pictures by George Harmon Coxe (Dell Mapback #441)
No Time to Kill by George Harmon Coxe (Dell Mapback #182)
Another Woman's House by Mignon G. Eberhart (Bantam #849)
The Velvet Fleece by Lois Eby & John C. Fleming (Dell Mapback #272)
While the Wind Howled by Audrey Gaines (Dell Mapback #51)
The Case of the Silent Partner by Erle Stanley Gardner (Pocket Books #468; 2nd printing)
The Body Missed the Boat by Jack Iams (Dell Mapback #274)
Death Draws the Line by Jack Iams (Dell Mapback #457)
If I Die Before I Wake by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich) [Avon #104]
Phantom Lady by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich) [Pocket Books #253; 9th printing]
Puzzle in Petticoats by Samuel Melvin Kootz (Black Knight Mystery)
Death of a Doll by Hilda Lawrence (Pocket Books #540; 1st printing)
Death Takes a Bow by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Avon #131)
Murder Within Murder by F & R Lockridge (Dell Mapback #229)
House of Darkness by allan MacKinnon (Dell Mapback #237)
Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh (Pocket Books #351; 2nd printing)
Who's Calling by Helen McCloy (Dell Mapback #151)
Said With Flowers by Anne Nash (Bart House #19)
The Clue in the Clay by D. B. Olsen (Bart House #35)
The Day He Died by Lewis Padgett (Bantam #306)
Mayhem in B Flat by Elliot Paul (Bantam #850)
Halfway House by Ellery Queen (Pocket Books #259; 5th printing)
The Tragedy of X by Ellery Queen (as Barnaby Ross) [The Reader's League]
Murder at Arroways by Helen Reilly (Dell Mapback #576)
The Big Midget Murders by Craig Rice (Pocket Books #528; 2nd printing)
The Corpse Steps Out by Craig Rice (Pocket Books #476; 2nd printing)
The Thursday Turkey Murders by Craig Rice (Pocket Books #461; 2nd printing--poor copy, reading copy only)
The Fourth Postman by Craig Rice (Pocket Books #651; 2nd printing)
Yesterday's Murder by Craig Rice (Popular Library #253)
Too Busy to Die by H. W. Roden (Dell Mapback #185)
Alphabet Hicks by Rex Stout (Dell Mapback #146)
Cold Steal by Alice Tilton (Phoebe Atwood Taylor) [Dell Mapback #142)
The Greene Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (Pocket Books #256; 2nd printing)
Dangerous Ground by Francis Sill Wickwood [Dell Mapback #248]

It's Book Fair Time Again!

Last year about this time I was worried that I had attended my last huge book fair in Bloomington. The Red Cross had announced that it was pretty much dismantling the local chapter and their sponsorship of the book fair was no more. The community's outcry of dismay was so great that several local charities offered to take it up. The Hoosier Hills Food Bank has become the new host of the Bloomington Community Book Fair.

So, on Friday I packed up my book list & huge rolling shopping bag and headed to the fair grounds for another happy morning of treasure-hunting. And then the hubby and I took another trip out there today--in search of possible comic books for him and chance for me to see if I missed any. I came home with a grand total of 67 books. But...realistically, I only wound up 60 keepers. No matter how carefully I consult my To Be Found book list I somehow manage to come home with unplanned duplicates. Some of the 60 were planned duplicates--vintage copies of books I already own or just plain more desirable copies. 

The highlights of this year's round is a Dover reprint copy of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume, a 1st edition Mr. & Mrs. North with dust jacket, and nearly two dozen of my beloved pulp-era, pocket-size editions. I was beginning to think I'd never get my hands on a hard copy of the Hume book. Here's the run-down (interesting vintage editions noted):

Friday's Haul

Vintage Mysteries (pre-1960)
Take Two at Bedtime by Margery Allingham (Penguin--solid green, no picture)
Tether's End by Margery Allingham
Murder, Maestro, Please by Delano Ames
Murder of the Clergyman's Mistress by Anthony Abbot (Popular Library edition #286)
The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont by Robert Barr (Dover reprint)
Trent Intervenes by E. C. Bentley (Dover reprint)
Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers (Popular Library edition #132)
The Smiler with the Knife by Nicholas Blake (Popular Library pocket edition #41)
Dead Lion by John & Emery Bonett (1st Penguin edition)
What Beckoning Ghost by Douglas G. Browne (Dover reprint) 
The Hardway Diamonds Mystery by Miles Burton (1st Mystery League edition)
Patrick Butler for the Defense by John Dickson Carr
The Three Coffins by John Dickson Carr (1st Dell pocket edition) 
Without Lawful Authority by Manning Coles (Rue Morgue reprint)
The Bowstring Murders by Carter Dickson 
The Mystery of Cloomber by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (non-Holmes; Dover reprint)
The March Hare Murders by E. X. Ferrars (Pocket Books pocket edition #735, 2nd printing)
Harvard Has a Homicide by Timothy Fuller (Triangle Books)
Three Thirds of a Ghost by Timothy Fuller (Popular Library edition #81) 
Cosmopolitan Crimes by Hugh Greene, ed [foreign rivals of Sherlock Holmes]
The Gift Horse by Frank Gruber (Bantam pocket edition #2)
The Mighty Blockhead by Frank Gruber (1st Superior Reprint edition)
The Talking Clock by Frank Gruber (Penguin 2nd printing)
Best Detective Stories of the Year 17th Annual Collection by Brett Halliday, ed (1st Dell pocket edition) 
Murder & the Married Virgin by Brett Halliday (Dell Mapback) 
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume (Dover reprint)
Odor of Violets by Baynard Kendrick (Dell Mapback)
Killing the Goose by Frances & Richard Lockridge (Front Page Mysteries--with weapons imprint)
Murder Within Murder by Frances & Richard Lockridge (1st edition w/dust jacket)
The Scarlet Thumb by Jermyn March (Mystery Library)
The Singapore Exile Murders by Van Wyck Mason (Pocket Book pocket edition #129) 
Murder Loves Company by John Mersereau (Rue Morgue reprint)
Skeleton Key by Lenore Glen Offord (Dell Mapback) 
Harvey Garrard's Crime by E. Phillips Oppenheim (Triangle Books w/dust jacket)
The Puzzle of the Silver Persian by Stuart Palmer (Dell Mapback #18)
The Mysterious Mickey Finn by Elliot Paul (Dover reprint)  
Man in Ambush by Maurice Procter
The After House by  Mary Roberts Rinehart (1st New Dell pocket edition)
The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1st New Dell pocket edition)
The Mountain Cat Murders by Rex Stout
Death Lights a Candle by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (3rd printing Pocket Books pocket edtion #204)
Death of a Lake by Arthur W. Upfield 
The Murder  Book of J. G. Reeder by Edgar Wallace (Dover reprint)
The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White (Popular Library edition #120)

Post-1960 Mysteries
The Cambridge Theorem by Tony Cape
The Glass-Sided Ants' Nest by Peter Dickinson
A Death for a Double by E. X. Giroux
The Philomel Foundation by James Gollin 
Death After Breakfast by Hugh Pentecost 

Reference
The Mystery Reader's Walking Guide: London by Barbara Sloan Hendershott & Alzina Stone Dale
The Great Detectives by Otto Penzler, ed

Science Fiction
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Out of the Everywhere & Other Extraordinary Visions by James Tipree, Jr.

Saturday's Haul

Vintage Mysteries (pre-1960)
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (1st New Dell pocket edition)
Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie  (1st New Dell pocket edition)
The *New* Exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Adrian Conan Doyle & John Dickson Carr (Ace D-181 pocket edition)
The Riddle of Samson by Andrew Garve
The American Gun Mystery by Ellery Queen
How the Old Woman Got Home by M. P. Shiel

Post-1960 Mysteries
The Perfect Murder by H. R. F. Keating

Another Spring Book Fling

So the other branch of the local library had their spring book sale this weekend. And, naturally, I had to go. I didn't anticipate finding much--I generally find maybe one or two gems, so it makes it worthwhile. This year? Bonanza! I came home with 23 paperback books (nearly all vintage) for under $6.00! I managed to come home with one duplicate (into the prize box with that one), but overall a really good day. Two are titles that have been on the TBF (To Be Found) list for a very, very long time: Who Is the Next? by Henry Kitchell Webster and Body Blow by Kenneth Hopkins; eight are my beloved pocket size. And all look delightful.

Here's a run-down of the haul:
Corpse Diplomatique by Delano Ames
Say Yes to Murder by W. T. Ballard (Penguin pocket size!) 
The Gallant by Charity Blackstock
All for the Love of a Lady by Leslie Ford (Bantam pocket size)
Old Lover's Ghost by Ford
The Case of the Gilded Lily by Erle Stanley Gardner (pocket-size edition)
The Case of the Haunted Husband by Gardner (Pocket Books WWII edition)
The Case of the Lucky Legs by Gardner (Pocket Books WWII edition)
The Case of the Rolling Bones by Gardner (Pocket Books WWII edition)
Mr. Crook Lifts the Mask by Anthony Gilbert
The Curious Conspiracy & Other Crimes by Michael Gilbert
The Empty House by M. Gilbert
Bodies & Souls by Dann Herr & Joel Wells (eds) Dell pocket size with Christie, Chesterton & others
Body Blow by Kenneth Hopkins
Money from Holme by Michael Innes
Servant's Problem by Veronica Parker Johns (John over at Pretty Sinister Books first alerted me to this one)
The Hidden Wrath by Stella Phillips
Puzzle for Players by Patrick Quentin (Pocket Books WWII edition)
Too Many Clients by Rex Stout
Spring Harrowing by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Who Is the Next by Henry Kitchell Webster
Danger Point by Patricia Wentworth

And the duplicate which will be appearing in the prize box:
The D.A. Holds a Candle by Erle Stanley Gardner

Library Bookstore Clearance Sale!

So...any thought that I might actually clear more books off my TBR mountain range than I buy this year promptly went out the window. Our local library had their Spring Clearance sale and some generous soul (or souls) had obviously done a bit of vintage mystery spring cleaning. I had already missed two days of the sale and--based on my experiences of the last two year (very slim pickings in the vintage mystery category)--I didn't expect to find much. Boy, was I wrong! I walked out with forty new-to-me books and if I hadn't exerted what little self-control that I did I could easily have carted out twice to maybe three times that many. The heavy favorite was Erle Stanley Gardner--tons of pocket-size editions of his books (under both the Gardner name and A. A. Fair). I resisted the urge to  put ALL the books in my bag....But it's quite possible I may go back for more.

The best find was a David Frome Dell Mapback edition. I am always pleased to find those.

And the most interesting has to be Some Beasts No More by Kenneth Giles. Tucked in the pages is a "Preview Copy" review request form...from 1985! The book looks brand new--not a crease in the spine, like it's never been opened. I'm thinking somebody didn't send back the requested "two copies of your review."

Here's the complete list of what came home with me:

The Bitter Path of Death (Pierre Audemars)
Death Beside the Sea (Marian Babson)
The Corpse with Sticky Fingers (George Bagby)
The Paton Street Case (John Bingham)
Death by Hoax  (Lionel Black)
Malice in Wonderland (Nicholas Blake) lovely Penguin edition
Or Be He Dead (James Byrom) bought vintage Penguin to replace 1980s reprint
The House without the Door (Elizabeth Daly) Superior Reprints (WWII edition)
Aristotle Detective (Margaret Doody)

Cats Prowl at Night (A.A. Fair/Gardner)
Shills Can't Cash Chips (A. A. Fair/Gardner) Pocket Books (1st printing)
Experiment with Death (E. X. Ferrars)
All for the Love of a Lady (Leslie Ford) Popular Library edition
The Town Cried Murder (Leslie Ford) Bantam pocket size (1st printing)
The Hammersmith Murders (David Frome) Dell Mapback
The Seventh Mourner (Dorothy Gardiner) Popular Library (Crime Club selection)
The Case of the Perjured Parrot (Gardner) Pocket Books (1st WWII printing)
The Case the Shoplifter's Shoe (Gardner) Pocket Books (3rd WWII printing; fine condition)
The Case of the Sulky Girl (Gardner) Pocket Books (25th printing--but near-fine condition)
The D.A. Breaks an Egg (Gardner) Pocket Books Cardinal edition
The D.A. Calls It Murder (Gardner) Pocket Books Cardinal edition
The D.A. Draws a Circle (Gardner) 1st WWII Pocket Books edition
The D.A. Holds a Candle (Gardner) Pocket Books Cardinal edition
The D.A. Takes a Chance (Gardner) Pocket Books (2nd printing)
A Hole in the Ground (Andrew Garve) Dell Publishing (1st printing)
Some Beasts No More (Kenneth Giles)
Death on the Broadlands (Alan Hunter)
Gently Between Tides (Alan Hunter)
The Tick of Death (Peter Lovesey)
The Doberman Wore Black (Barbara Moore)
Add a Pinch of Cyanide (Emma Page)
Every Second Thursday (Emma Page)
Follow Me (Helen Reilly)
Mr. Smith's Hat (Helen Reilly)
The Darlington Jaunt (Angus Ross)
The Suicide Club & Other Stories (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Find a Crooked Sixpence (Estelle Thompson)
The Metropolitan Opera Murders (Helen Traubel)
Murder on the Thirty-First Floor (Per Wahlöö)
This Little Measure (Sara Woods)