Books

New York: Grosset & Dunlap, [n.d. c.a. 1932]. First photoplay edition. In publisher's dust jacket. Octavo (8 x 5 3/8 inches; 202 x 136 mm). [4], 315, [1, publisher's ads] pp. "Illustrated with scenes from the Universal Photoplay, presented by Carl Laemmle." With photographic endpapers, frontispiece and six additional movie still black-and-white plates, one of which is double paged. These film stills are from the Universal motion picture of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" starring Bela Lugosi. Full publisher's red cloth. Front board and spine lettered in black. Top edge green. Black-and-white photographic endpapers. The smallest amount of shelfwear to head and tail of cloth spine. In publisher's full color illustrated dust jacket. Some chipping along top and bottom edge of jacket. A few small chips at head and tail of jacket spine. Overall an about fine book in a very good, and exceptionally bright dust jacket. The Murders in the Rue Morgue is the holy grail of mystery and detective fiction, and one of the cornerstones of that genre. Poe wrote it during the height of his literary powers, and it remains, to this day, the standard by which all mystery fiction if compared. BAL. Heartman and Canny, HBS 68209. $1,850.

Considered the first modern detective story, featuring C. Auguste Dupin solving a baffling murder mystery.