A Homicide For Hannah

DWIGHT V. BABCOCK

Publication: Alfred A Knopf, 1941, New York

First edition. Inscribed in ink by the author on the front free fly leaf prior to publication, to Black Mask editor Joseph T. Shaw: "To Captain Joe / Who is greatly responsible for whatever merit there is in this book / In appreciation and with warmest regards / Dwight / January 7, 1941." Attractive burnt orange colored cloth with a minor bump to top front corner, front and rear endpapers lightly tanned, else a near fine bright copy in a lightly rubbed dust jacket lightly sunned on the spine, with light wear to the spine ends, corners and extremities. This is the author's first novel and it is set in California and the first of three he'd write featuring tough-as-nails true crime reporter Hannah Van Doren. "Kirby was just an ordinary fellow who wanted to be left alone. But they found a corpse in his apartment, and the finger was on him. So he set out to get the killer, and with him went Hannah, one of the most fascinating girls that ever inhabited a mystery story ... a girl who loved crime, homicide preferred" (from rear panel). Knopf gave the book serious billing, advertising it alongside Chandler's "Farewell, My Lovely," Ambler's "Journey Into Fear," and Manning Coles' "Drink to Yesterday." A first rate association copy, inscribed by Babcock to Joseph T. "Cap" Shaw (1874-1952), his editor at Black Mask. Babcock wrote 52 stories for the renowned pulp magazine, many of them during the latter years of Shaw's tenure as editor.

Inventory Number: 52359