The Little Sister

London: Hamish Hamilton, 1949 . First edition. Cloth. Very Good Indeed/Very Good. 7.5" by 5.5". None. A handsome copy of the true first edition of Raymond Chandler's fifth Philip Marlowe detective novel. The first edition, first impression of Raymond Chandler's 1949 novel, published three months prior to the first US edition.In the bright price unclipped illustrated dust wrapper, designed by  C.W. Bacon.Set in Los Angeles in the 1940s, the novel follows private investigator Philip Marlowe's investigation of a missing persons case and blackmail scheme centred around a Hollywood starlet. The novel was partly inspired by Chandler's own experience working as a screenwriter in Hollywood, and his low opinion of the industry and those who worked in it.A wonderful copy of Chandler's fifth novel featuring Marlowe, one of the most well-known characters within the genre of hardboiled crime fiction. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with price unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, excellent, with light fading to back strip. Contemporary inscription to front free endpaper. Sunning to dust wrapper back strip. Losses to back strip head and tail, and further small loss to tail of front wrap. Light marks to rear wrap. Significant tape reinforcements to wrap reverse at back strip head and tail, and head and tail of flyleaf folds. Internally, firmly bound. Pages clean and bright. Very Good Indeed