13 TO THE GALLOWS

Norfolk, VA, U.S.A.: Crippen & Landru, 2008. 1st prtg. Fine, unread copy of trade paperback, still in shrinkwrap. NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED! Four plays written during the early 1940s, two by John Dickson Carr alone and two in collaboration with the BBC's Val Gielgud. "Inspector Silence Takes the Air" is set during World War II at emergency BBC studios in a provincial town. There, a murder takes place - and the weapon disappears. In "13 to the Gallows", also set in a BBC studio, a woman falls to her death from a tower - it is murder, but no one is near her, and the only clue is a scattering of Arum Lilies. "Intruding Shadow" is filled with mysteries within mysteries, as Carr expertly shifts the audience's expectations from one suspect to another. "She Slept Lightly" features the ghostly appearances of a young woman during the Napoleonic Wars. The book concludes with an alternate ending for one of the plays, cast lists, and contemporary reviews of the original productions. John Dickson Carr (1906-1977), one of the greatest writers in the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, specialized in tales of seemingly impossible crimes. 13 to the Gallows is a major addition to his published works. The book is edited by Carr expert Tony Medawar. Cover by Deborah Miller . 1st Prtg. Pictorial Wrappers. As New. Trade Paperback.