THE MYSTERY OF THE SEA: A NOVEL. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1902. Octavo, pp. [i-vi] vii [viii] [1-2] 3-498 [499-500: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original decorated olive green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in gold and black, rear panel stamped in black. First edition, first printing. Presentation copy with signed inscription by Stoker dated 22 March 1902, a week prior to publication date (29 March 1902) on front free endpaper: "My dear Elizabeth (Newbery?) / with love & greetings / Bram Stoker / 22.3.02." The Doubleday, Page edition preceded the British Heinemann edition by several months. Ingenious romantic adventure novel "set in Cruden Bay, involving a gun battle at sea, a castle with secret passages, and coded writing based on a cipher described by Francis Bacon." - Dalby, p. 38. "I found the story admirable. It has not the fearsomeness of 'DRACULA' but it is beautifully handled and the girl very admirable indeed ... I've done a bit in cryptograms myself, but that knocks me out!" - Arthur Conan Doyle. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1547. Bleiler (1978), p. 187. Reginald 13732. Dalby 13a. Spine panel lightly sunned (as is usually the case), page edges a bit tanned, else a bright, very good copy. A very nice copy. (#155536).
Price: $6,000.00
"Published March, 1902" on copyright page.