Adventures Of The Infallible Godahl.

FREDERICK IRVING ANDERSON

Publication: Thomas Y Crowell Company, Publishers, 1914, New York

First edition. Author's first book. With eight full-page illustrations. Neat bookplate of Adrian Homer Goldstone on front pastedown sheet, else a near fine, bright, square copy in a facsimile dust jacket. (There have probably been no more than two sightings of the original dust jacket in the past 50 years). This book narrates six adventures of a remarkable master thief. Otto Penzler says it best in TAD, Volume 19, Number 2, Pages 158-159, "He (Frederick Irving Anderson) is one of the distinguished short-story writers in the history of the American short story in general, and the short crime story in particular." "THE INFALLIBLE GODAHL, the first of Anderson's creations, is the most perfect criminal mind ever devised. He does not rely on luck or daring to achieve his ends; he employs flawless logic. It is his belief that, if he thinks a problem through to its logical end, it will be impossible for him to get caught. He achieves his aims so impeccably that he has not only never been caught, but he has never even been suspected of a crime." He states further that this book, "is surely one of the great cornerstone volumes in the far-reaching world of mystery fiction. The omission of the book from QUEEN'S QUORUM, Ellery Queen's selection of the 125 most important volumes of detective short stories, is one of the major flaws in that otherwise excellent work." An exceptional copy of an elusive title.

Inventory Number: 41366