Recollections of a Detective Police-Officer by Waters" [Thomas William Russell] - 1856

London: J. & C. Brown, 1860. Good. [c.1860] Early Reprint. 12mo. Contemporary purple cloth over yellow boards, with facsimile spine-label. Probably rebound from the wraps issue mentioned in Quayle, no Mayne Reid titles in the rear ads post-date 1860, a likely date of issue. Cloth spine slightly browned and bubbled, slight fraying at head of spine, boards scuffed and dust-soiled. Still an acceptable copy of a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone, uncommon in any early issue.

London: W. Kent & Co; J. & C. Brown & Co, c1857-60. First edition. Leather. Good. 6.5" by 4.5". None. A lovely set of the first and second series of William Russell's collection of short stories about detectives in Victorian England, a gripping series. The first and second series of 'Recollections of a Detective Police-Officer'.The second series is a first edition of 1859. The first series is an undated early reprint, not the first edition as it does not have a date to the title page, but is c1856-7 as there are four Captain Mayne Reid titles listed to the adverts, all of which were published before 1857, the final title in this list being 'The Quadroon', which was published in 1856.One page of adverts to the rear of the first series. This work was named second in 'Queen's Quorum', Ellery Queen's conclusive list of the best detective short stories to have been written over the course of a century, named only after the 'Tales' of Edgar Allan Poe.An interesting and early example of crime and mystery… Read More

London : J. & C. Brown & Co., (1856). First edition : with the variant undated title-page. "I returned to Scotland Yard to report ..." - the very first appearance in fiction of a Scotland Yard detective - indeed, the first English detective stories. "Waters" of the Yard was the invention of journalist William Russell - the stories originally published in Chambers' Edinburgh Journal between 1849 and 1852, with some of the stories appearing in book form in New York in 1852. The present publication is the first appearance of all eleven, with a final twelfth tale not previously published. Foolscap 8vo (18cm). (310)pp. Wood-engraved frontispiece, engraved by George Measom (1818-1901), later knighted for his charitable work. Original pictorial boards, a dramatic yellowback design in red and black; rebacked with a neat paper spine replacing the fragile lost original; some rubbing and wear; internally a few small marks, spots and slight creases, but overall an attractive copy of a cornerstone of the genre.

London: J. & C. Brown & Co., 1856. First edition. Leather. Very Good Indeed. 6.5" by 4". Not Stated. The first edition of this influential short story collection by William Russell, named by Ellery Queen as one of the most important detective pieces of the nineteenth century. The first edition of this collection.Illustrated with a frontispiece.Thirteen popular detective short stories, which was been previously published in 'Chambers' Edinburgh Journal'.Including 'One Night in a Gaming-House', 'Guilty or Not Guilty', 'Legal Metamorphoses', 'Mary Kingsford', and more.This story collection was named in 'Queen's Quorum', Ellery Queen's conclusive list of the best detective short stories to have been written over the course of a century.An interesting and early example of crime and mystery fiction.By William Russell under the penname 'Waters'. A notable Victorian detective writer, he was one of the most prolific author of 'police memoirs'.One page of publisher's adverts to the rear. Rebound in a half… Read More

London: J & C. Brown & Co., [1856]., 1856. First edition. First edition. First edition of this Queen’s Quorum title (#2, preceded only by Poe’s Tales in the history of the detective short story. A rare book to find in the original yellowback format; original covers laid down, lacking the spine, former owner's small name stamp on front pastedown sheet and a small inked number on the front fly leaf, else a very good copy with interior clean. "Waters" is identified as a detective in the Metropolitan police and many of his cases are reported in this book, which is quite readable. This book is a result of the publicity and public relations of the new Metropolitan Police which had been established in the 1820s. An interesting and early historical book in the early days of crime and mystery fiction. Also an early Haycraft/Queen Cornerstone mystery title and a rare book. Housed in a cloth clamshell case with titles stamped in red on the spine and… Read More