The Ponson Case

London: Collins, 1921. First Edition. Hard Cover. Dust Jacket. (London: W Collins Sons & Co Ltd 1921). First UK Edition. Publisher's red boards with black lettering on the spine and to the front board which also has a black border. THIS COPY HAS A 13-LINE EXPOSITION ON THE FRONT FREE END-PAPER BY THE AUTHOR AS TO HOW THE BOOK CAME TO BE WRITTEN. Softening and minor wear to the spine tips otherwise VG indeed. In the EXCEEDINGLY RARE FIRST ISSUE DUST WRAPPER priced 7/6 net to the spine (as called for). The VG D/W has 7 mm of shallow chipping at the head of the spine just affecting the top of the word "THE". At the base of the spine there is a shallow chip up to 5 mm deep that just affects the the bottom millimetre of INS of COLLINS. There are several other minor, insignificant chips to the top edge that do not impinge in any way on the design of the D/W. The D/W is a grey, white and yellow design depicting two men carrying the body of a third. On the front free end-paper the late author has written in his customary blue ink: The "Ponson Case" was my second book. It was written under the spell of enthusiasm resulting from the acceptance and publication of my first - "The Cask". The thrilling question was: "I have done it once; can I do it again?". The "Ponson Case" breaks the generally accepted rules of the detective novel in that the surprise ending is sought by what the critics consider illegitimate means -- though I don't for a moment admit that the critics are right". Laid into the book is a Publisher's insert for the "Collins First Novel Library Competition". This copy shows extremely well and is most attractive in its shiny Brodart. Freeman Wills Crofts was a founder member of the Detection Club and one of the pre-eminent writers of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Includes the customary railway themes and intricate planning that Crofts is so famous for. The "Ponson Case" is considerably rarer than "The Cask" and is of legendary scarcity particularly with these attributes. Cooper & Pike opine (and I tend to agree) that "The Cask", "The Ponson Case" and "The Losing Game" seem to be the three scarcest first editions by Freeman Wills Crofts. Photographs/scans available upon request