WHIRLPOOLS: 7 WEIRD BUT STRIKING STORIES. London: Arthur H. Stockwell, n.d. [1925]. Octavo, pp. [1-8] 9-235 [236-240: blank], publisher's decorated light blue boards, front and spine panels stamped in black. First edition. "WHIRLPOOLS collects six weird tales, including several murder mysteries, some of which involve occult elements. In 'The Crystal,' a military officer uses clairvoyance and hypnosis to cause a subordinate to commit suicide so he can marry the deceased's wealthy fiancé, but a Hindu servant the officer has double-crossed proves to be his undoing. 'The White Rat' features Chin Loo, who is saved from drowning by Philip Lethbridge but then uses mesmeric powers to slowly insinuate himself into every aspect of the Englishman's life, threatening him with a violent death by means of a white rat, the animal Chin Loo claims he will be reincarnated as. 'Retribution' features three cousins -- Max, Tom, and John Drury -- who share a telepathic bond. Years after Tom is killed in the trenches during World War I, Max has a dream which reveals to him that Robert Osborne, a fellow soldier and former friend of all three, was a German spy whose treachery resulted in Tom's death. Max tracks down Osborne and kills him in his dream and discovers that his dream has the power to influence others. 'The Tortoise' is an excellent crime story in which a millionaire is supposedly killed by a voodoo curse, but the actual murder weapon turns out to be a jade tortoise that contains a device for discharging poison gas. Unlike most of the work published by Arthur H. Stockwell, WHIRLPOOLS is a solid collection of well-written, fully developed stories" (Boyd White). Spine panel a bit sunned, light wear at spine ends and corner tips, a very good copy. (#171910).
Price: $350.00
No statement of printing.