Brain Guy
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1934. First Edition. Hardcover in Dust Jacket. 12mo. Pp. 355. Gray cloth, titles and illustration stamped in red on the cover and spine, top edge dyed red: spine ends rubbed, board edges lightly discolored. In the illustrated dust jacket printed black on silver foil, price $2.50 intact on front flap: edges rubbed, small chips to spine head, mellowed creases to rear panel and flaps, silver bright and reflective. Near Fine / Very Good+. Item #5946 In an advertisement facing the half title readers are directed to similar recent books from the publisher: Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man and James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice. A particularly bright copy. Dust jacket preserved in a removable, clear archival sleeve.
A New York rent collector rises to gangster leader. This was the first of Appel's crime novels, set in Hell's Kitchen where he was raised. When published, the NYT review lauded its "honest naturalism in detail."
Price: $2,500.00