Complete set of First Edition Library Mystery Classics – All 13 Volumes

Sam Spade, Philip Marlow, Charlie Chan, Nick Charles, Nero Wolfe, Philo Vance, Mike Hammer, and Ellery Queen – the legendary detectives of American crime fiction – are all featured in this First Edition Library set of mystery classics.    

The authors included in this set make up a Who’s Who of American Mystery Writers: Earl Derr Biggers (The House Without a Key), W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar),James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice), Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; The Little Sister), Dashiell Hammett (The Thin Man, The Maltese Falcon), William Irish (Phantom Lady), Ellery Queen (The Roman Hat Mystery), Mickey Spillane (I, The Jury), Rex Stout (Fer-de-Lance), and S.S. Van Dine (The Dragon Murder Case).

Titles include:

1.     The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)

2.     Farewell, My Lovely (Raymond Chandler)

3.     Fer-de-Lance (Rex Stout)

4.     The Dragon Murder Case (S.S. Van Dine)

5.     Farewell, My Lovely (Raymond Chandler)

6.     The House Without a Key (Earl Derr Biggers)

7.     I, The Jury (Mickey Spillane)

8.     Little Caesar (W.R. Burnett)

9.     The Little Sister (Raymond Chandler)

10.  The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)

11.  Phantom Lady (William Irish)

12.  The Postman Always Rings Twice (James M. Cain)

13.  The Thin Man (Dashiell Hammett)

These facsimile reproductions of classic detective and mystery fiction are the same size as the original first editions.  They also have the same cloth bindings and are in the original format, right down to the rough-front pages found on some of the originals.  (Books were often left ragged at the edges rather than trimmed, for a pleasing look and feel.)

In two respects, these replicas are even better than the originals.  Each book is printed on acid-neutral paper meant to last for centuries, not just years.  And each volume is handsomely slip-cased to protect the book and its iconic dust jacket.

This set is in very good condition with one exception: There is a small but very noticeable tear on the spine of the dust jacket of Little Caesar (see photograph).

All books except one (Farewell, My Lovely) include the laid-in card of explanatory notes (see sample photograph) characteristic of the original First Edition Library reproductions.  Also included along with the books is a copy of the original advertising brochure and other promotional materials from the mid-1990s (see photograph). 

Complete sets of The First Edition Library of Mystery Classics are very rare and hard to come by!