Freeman, R. Austin.

Travels & Life in Ashanti & Jaman, 1898, author's first book inscribed to his mother, with coloured map; The Red Thumb Mark. [1907], issue in wrappers, the first dr. thorndyke novel, upper cover detached, spine torn; John Thorndyke's Cases. 1909, presentation copy inscribed by the author to r.c. barrington partridge; The Mystery of 31 New Inn. Philadelphia, 1913, inscribed by the author to his brother robert freeman; The Uttermost Farthing. Philadelphia, 1914. Philadelphia, 1914, dust-jacket, fine copy; The Singing Bone. [1912], presentation copy inscribed to his r.c. barrington partridge; A Silent Witness. 1914, presentation copy inscribed to a.s. watt, hinges broken; The Mystery of Angelina Frood. [1924], presentation copy inscribed to his friend dr. f.s. horrocks; The D'Arblay Mystery. [1926], presentation copy inscribed to the journalist and mystery writer vincent starrett; Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes. 1933, inscribed to his niece edith freeman, dust-jacket; The Penrose Mystery. New York, 1936, signed by the author and the freeman scholar p.m. stone; Felo de Se? 1937, dust-jacket, letter and envelope signed by the author loosely inserted; Dr. Thorndyke's Crime File. New York, 1941, signed by p.m. stone, autograph letter signed by the author to stone tipped-in, dust-jacket; The Jacob Street Mystery. 1942, inscribed by the author, autograph letter signed by the author loosely inserted; first editions or first american editions, London imprints and original cloth except where stated, occasional wear, jackets slightly chipped; together with four reprints of other works, all inscribed by the author to dr. f.s. horrocks and twelve further volumes, some first editions, two in dust-jackets; 8vo (30)



A substantial collection of Freeman's detective novels. The prolific and highly influential author, from the First "Golden Age" of Detective Fiction, produced an average of more than a book a year between 1907 (when the first book under his own name, The Red Thumb Mark was published, when the author was already 45) and his death, aged 81, in 1943. Freeman was the originator of the "inverted" story, which identifies the criminal at the start: "the usual circumstances are reversed; the reader knows everything, the detective knows nothing, and the interest focuses on the unexpected significance of trivial circumstances..." (the author, quoted in Twentieth Century Crime and Mystery Writers). The form later tooks its most celebrated incarnation in the Colombo television series.

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