STUART PALMER
The popular American writer Stuart Palmer (1905-1968) wrote humorous traditional mysteries, achieving great success with his series about spinster-sleuth Hildegarde Withers, introduced in the 1931 novel The Penguin Pool Murder, which was filmed the year after publication and brought the author to Hollywood as a screenwriter; his 37 filmscripts were mainly about such series characters as Bulldog Drummond, The Falcon and The Lone Wolf. Miss Withers was wonderfully played in the films by Edna May Oliver, abetting the crusty Inspector Piper, played by James Gleason. Unless noted, all the following titles feature Withers.
Murder on Wheels, N.Y., Tudor, 1932. Reprint. The second Withers book. Some wear and staining. Uncommon title. $25.00
The Puzzle of the Pepper Tree, N.Y., Doubleday Crime Club, 1933. First edition. Adapted for the movies as Murder on a Honeymoon. Library stamps, remains of dust jacket flaps on endpapers where they had been glued down. Good-very good. $20.00
The Puzzle of the Silver Persian, N.Y., Doubleday Crime Club, 1934. Very good. $20.00
The Puzzle of the Red Stallion, N.Y., Doubleday Crime Club, 1936. First edition. Adapted for the movies as Murder on the Bridle Path. Endpapers stained, else very good. $25.00
The Puzzle of the Red Stallion, N.Y., Sun Dial, 1936. Reprint. Very good in chipped dust jacket. $22.50
The Puzzle of the Blue Banderilla, N.Y., Doubleday Crime Club, 1937. First edition. Very good in the scarce dust jacket, which is chipped on spine; the red on the spine is sunned. $150.00
The Puzzle of the Blue Banderilla, N.Y., Sun Dial, 1937. Reprint. A fine, fresh copy in a lightly rubbed dust jacket. $30.00
Omit Flowers, N.Y., Sun Dial, 1937. Reprint. (Non-Withers) Very good in chipped dust jacket. $20.00
The Puzzle of the Happy Hooligan, N.Y., Doubleday Crime Club, 1941. First edition. A fine copy in a bright dust jacket which has been slightly trimmed and with light wear at spine ends. $85.00
Miss Withers Regrets, London, Collins, 1948. First U.K. edition. Stamped "Publicity File Copy" on front endpaper, else very good in pictorial dust jacket with a large chip out of the front panel. $20.00
Another copy. Very good. $15.00
Four Lost Ladies, N.Y., Mill, 1949. Reprint. Fine in a chipped dust jacket. With a nice long inscription signed by Palmer with a drawing of a penguin. $35.00
Another copy. Very good in a chipped dust jacket. $15.00
The Green Ace, N.Y., Mill, 1950. First edition. A fine copy in a price-clipped dust jacket with minor wear at spine ends. $60.00
The Green Ace, N.Y., Mill, 1950. First edition. Ex-library copy with stamps and tape stains on the interior, with the exterior of the jacket unmarked. $20.00
Cold Poison, N.Y., Mill, 1954. Reprint. Near fine in dust jacket with light wear at top of spine. $15.00
Exit Laughing, London, Collins, 1954. First U.K. edition of Cold Poison. Very good in cut down dust jacket. $15.00
Unhappy Hooligan, N.Y., Harper, 1956. First edition. Fine in dust jacket with light wear at extremities and corners. $20.00
Death in Grease Paint, London, Collins, 1956. First U.K. edition of Unhappy Hooligan. Fair only in a bright pictorial dust jacket. $10.00
People vs. Withers & Malone, N.Y., Random House, 1963. First edition. A Queen’s Quorum title written in collaboration with Craig Rice. Ex-library in dust jacket; with all faults. $15.00
Rook Takes Knight, N.Y., Random House, 1968. First edition. (Non-Withers) Fine in dust jacket. $30.00
Another copy. Fine in near fine dust jacket with one small tear and a hint of fading to the spine. $20.00
Hildegarde Withers Makes the Scene, N.Y., Random House, 1969. First edition. Completed by Fletcher Flora after Palmer’s death. Fine in a clean, fresh dust jacket. $50.00
Hildegarde Withers Makes the Scene, N.Y., Random House, 1969. First edition. Fine in a price-clipped dust jacket. $40.00
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