Fear Painted Devil by Rendell, Signed (5 results)

The First UK Printing published by John Long, London in 1965. 8vo., brown boards lettered in red and blue to spine, with the publisher's unicorn device to foot; together in the printed wrapper featuring a wasp design by William Randell to the front panel; The BOOK is in Very Good+ condition with sporadic spotting mostly affecting the prelim and rear pages due to the quality of the paper stock used. Lightly bumped to the spine ends and with a publisher's price sticker sometime removed from the upper board, leaving a little residue; The WRAPPER near Fine, seldom found in such superior condition, with overlaid price sticker of 7/6 net to the lower front flap; lightly rubbed in places with a couple of very small dark marks. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition of the author's second novel, this copy neatly signed (without dedication) by the author in black ink to the title page. A photograph of the signing event is also loosely laid in as provenance. Rendell had already written two unpublished crime novels when 'From Doon with Death' was picked up by the publishers John Long, and published in 1964. It was the first to feature her protagonist Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford, who would later appear in numerous more works, all the way up until No Man's Nightingale (2013), published just two years before her death. This book was her first standalone work, and centres around Patrick Selby, who dies from a series of stings from wasps which have infested his immaculate garden, and on the very night of his beautiful wife's birthday party. With a series of possible subjects, Rendell takes as her protagonist Doctor Greenleaf, a reluctantly turned detective, who investigates the murder - with a classic Christie-style twist at the end. "After all, wasps aren't the only creatures that kill with poison." The title is taken directly from Macbeth: "Tis the eye of childhood / That fears a painted devil". A lovely signed copy of the author's first standalone novel. Scarce with such attributes. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Original brown cloth boards with title in red to spine and author and publisher in light blue. Boards in excellent condition, slight lean to spine. Internally tape remnants to pastedowns, light foxing to early pages. Occasional spots to pages. Signed by author to title page. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. 8vo. - over 7¾ in. - 9¾ in. Hardcover with dust jacket, stated 1965 First US Edition. Signed by author on the title page. Slight wear to book edges, boards clean, tight binding, two small red remainder dots to upper page edges, interior clean. Dust jacket mildly worn at spine ends, light wear to fore-edge corners, no tears, not price-clipped. Near Fine copy in Very Good dust jacket.

First U. S. edition. Signed by the author. Author's second mystery. Fine in dust jacket with light wear to the spine ends, corners and extremities. The entire neighborhood had been at Patrick Selby's wife's birthday party. They had all witnessed the horrible painting of a girl holding a man's severed head on a platter, as well as the attack of wasps on Patrick. Later that same evening, Patrick died. Had Patrick been stung to death -- after all, wasps aren't the only creatures that kill with poison! Crime Club mystery title.

A first edition, first printing published by John Long in 1965. A very good+ book without inscriptions SIGNED on the title page by the Author in a very good unclipped wrapper with very mild rubbing to the tail of the spine and some browning to the edges.