The Scarab Murder Case.

S.S. VAN DINE

Publication: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1930, New York

First edition. This is the so-called "First Issue" with only a single date (1930) on the copyright page. Otto Penzler in his Descriptive Bibliography on S. S. Van Dine says "The capital letter "A" must appear on the copyright page. The "A" was dropped from all subsequent printings, the method by which Scribner's identified its first printings from 1930 to 1972." Fine, bright, tight copy with all lettering on the cloth bright and un-chipped, in a fine dust jacket with two tiny closed tears at head of spine. Philo Vance's elaborate murder investigation takes place in a museum of Egyptology. There is a great deal of material on ancient Egyptian art. An exceptional copy and certainly this state is much scarcer than the variant with two dates on the copyright page, although the variant state is also scarce.

Inventory Number: 33470