THE NIGHT OF THE 3D ULT. New York: John W. Lovel Company, [copyright 1890]. Octavo, pp. [1-2] [1-3] 4-320 [321-334: ads], original decorated blue cloth, front and spine panels stamped in silver, all edges stained yellow. First edition, first issue. The book was first published in 1890 by John W. Lovell in wrappers as number 118 of its "International Series" and, as here, in cloth. This was around the time that Lovell was organizing the National Book Company as a trust that would attempt to corner the market on reprints by buying up the plates of a great many firms, including his own. (This trust flourished for only about two years, and went bust around 1894.) Most extant copies of this book have cancel title leaves with the National Book Company imprint on the title page. The book apparently had no English edition. Wood, an English author who evidently moved to the U.S., is remembered today for THE PASSENGER FROM SCOTLAND YARD (1888), which E. F. Bleiler calls "the best detective novel between THE MOONSTONE and THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES" in his introduction to the Dover edition of it. In the same introduction he discusses the two other detective novels Wood published as semi-sequels to this book, THE ENGLISHMAN OF THE RUE CAIN (1889) - also published by Lovell - and the present book, calling them "very unusual for their day in attempting to convey the social circumstances surrounding murder. They are adult in language and background, and attempt sophisticated characters. In this respect they anticipate the Edwardian-Georgian detective novel." THE NIGHT OF THE 3D ULT is set in London, in a lower class boarding house, and concerns the doings of both a police detective and a private detective. Bleiler calls the ending of this novel "almost brilliant." OCLC locates only three copies of this title, including the deposit copy at the Library of Congress. A significant and very scarce detective novel. Not in Hubin. Minute rubs to spine ends and corner tips, a bright, nearly fine copy. The first issue of this Victorian detective fiction high spot is rare. (#149427).
Price: $1,250.00
No statement of printing.