Published by Collins, London, 1938
Seller: Lok Man Rare Books. ABA/ILAB, Central, Hong Kong
First Edition Signed
Dust Jacket Included. 1st Edition. First Edition. -- Condition: Near fine, light foxing to edges, and to first few pages, else clean solid, in fine dust jacket -- Details: Dennis Wheatley's copy, inscribed by Peter Cheyney 'To my good friend Dennis' and dated '14. 6. 38'. With Wheatley's illustrated bookplate. A near fine copy of the first 'Slim Callaghan' novel, in fine and thus rare dust jacket. Cheyney's action-filled and action filled plots ran counter to the comfortable murder mysteries of the time, and Slim Callaghan was, like his American hard-boiled cousins, cynical tough and marginally mannered. Reginald Southouse (Peter) Cheyney (1896-1951) was the first British writer to admit the influence of the American Hard-boiled school. -- Provenance: From the library of Dennis Wheatley with his bookplate. -- References: Herbert, The Oxford Companion to Crime & Mystery Writing, 201. Reilly,Twentieth-Century Crime and Mystery Writers (1980), 300. -- Octavo (book size 19.8 x 13 cm), pp. 252 [4 (author promo and books)]. In publisher's orange cloth, spine lettered and ruled in black, front board with author's signature stamped in black. Dust jacket priced 7s. 6d. net to lower corner of front flap. --. Signed by Author(s).