GREEN ICE.
New York, London: Alfred A. Knopf, MCMXXX [1930]. Octavo, pp. [1-2: blank] [3-10] [1-2] 3-282 [283: colophon] [284-285: ads] [286-290: blank], title page printed in green and back, publisher's light blue cloth stamped in brown and black, top edge stained brown, other edges rough trimmed. First edition. Taken from five linked stories published in Black Mask between 1929-30, this is the first of three hard-boiled novels under his own name. The plot involves murder and missing emeralds and plenty of tough guy patter. This was published the same year as Dashiell Hammett's THE MALTESE FALCON. Hammett had a column in the New York Evening Post in which he writes of the novel - "The plot doesn't matter. What matters is that here are 280 pages of naked action pounded into tough compactness by staccato, hammer-like writing." Whitfield was one the favorite Black Mask writers who unfortunately died young at the age of 48. "The novel is quite representative of the best of the hard-boiled novels" (Pronzini & Muller: 1001 Midnights, pp. 839-840). [Reference: Hubin, p. 86]. Fading to lettering of spine panel (still visible), a very good copy in very good price-clipped dust jacket with rubbing and wear along top and bottom edges with mild loss at spine ends and two corner tips, some mild foxing, and light dust soiling to rear panel. Presents well overall. From the library of a well-known mystery writer with his library stamp on the front paste-down. Quite a scarce book for mystery and hard-boiled fiction collectors, rare in jacket. It is notable that the Penzler collection did not have a copy. (34030). Item #34030
Price: $12,500.00