The Queen of Hearts
Hurst & Blackett, 1859.
First edition. Three volumes in publisher's olive, wavy grained, cloth with gilt titles to the spine and decoration to covers in blind. A fine copy, with only the most trivial wear to the spine ends, but the cloth clean and the gilt bright. All hinges perfect and internally fresh, with neat ownership name to each front endpaper. An exceptional copy. Housed in chemise and quarter morocco box.
A collection of ten connected stories, mainly of a supernatural nature, but including the celebrated early detective story, The Biter Bit, and in Anne Rodway, Collins creates possibly the first female detective in fiction.
Exceptionally scarce in the original cloth, Michael Sadleir notes even in 1951, "that to-day copies are rarely seen", and places it second in his list of comparative scarcities. This certainly remains true today, but those copies that are seen are generally from circulating libraries and are badly damaged or repaired. Copies in such fine condition are almost unheard of.
PROVENANCE: Florence & Edward Kaye (noted collectors of detective fiction, bookplate to chemise).
Sadleir 603; Queen's Quorum 3.
Stock ID: 39846
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