Mask Murder, Signed (3 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Signed by Author(s). The dust jacket is unclipped (?16.99). Signed by the author on the title page.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. Jacket after William Camden (illustrator). 1st Edition. First edition, first impression. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, WITHOUT DEDICATION, IN BLUE PEN, ON TITLE PAGE. Some slight edge wear to top and bottom of jacket and spine, not price clipped (£16.99), no other inscriptions, internally clean tight and square, overall a vg+ copy. 281pp. Elizabeth I approaches the end of her illustrious reign, the plague is raging in London, and the Privy Council has ordered the theaters closed. Still, author Philip Gooden's fifth novel in the popular Shakespearean series brings us a great mystery as actor sleuth Nick Revill and the Chamberlain's Men travel to Oxford, where a local physician, Dr. Hugh Fern, has commissioned a private performance of Romeo and Juliet. While Fern's motive is obscure, an attempt to reconcile two feuding families to the prospect of a marriage, perhaps; or maybe simply a ploy to get himself a role in the production his fate is not. Indeed, he is decidedly dead, when his body is discovered during a performance at the Golden Cross Inn. No matter that the deceased lies inside a locked room or that the pestilence has followed the Chamberlain troupe from London, Revill is convinced Fern has not succumbed to natural causes. Nor is Fern's death the only one that rouses Revill's suspicions. The mysteries multiply as a strange band of men in cowls patrols the town at night, a simple carter meets a baffling end, and a corpse changes its shoes. Quite scarce signed. Signed by Author(s).

First edition. Octavo, boards. Signed and inscribed by Gibson to Joseph Wrzos (1929-2023) who was a long time fan, professional editor, and researcher. Collects two novels from The Shadow pulp magazine. The Mask of Mephisto was first published in July 1945 and Murder by Magic was published in August 1945. The volume has an introduction by Gibson. A fine copy in a nearly fine dust jacket with mild wear to the upper spine panel and upper corner tip. (33119).