The Master Of Mysteries.

[BURGESS, GELETT].

Publication: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, Indianapolis, 1912

First edition. Near fine, tight, bright copy. Illustrated by Karl Anderson and George Brehm. THE STOLEN SHAKESPEARE is the bibliomystery. "Mr. Barrister visits Astro, Seer of Secrets, to ask him to retrieve a book that was stolen from his library. The volume is a 'First Folio Shakespeare,' one of the few good of the thirty-seven copies extant." Queen's Quorum 50 says, "... which were published anonymously in the same year. Acknowledgment of authorship was made in the book itself by means of a cipher: the first letters of the first words of the twenty-four stories read "The Author Is Gelett Burgess"; the last letters of the last words of the twenty-four stories read: false to life and false to art. The detective so scornfully exposed is Armenian-born Astrogon Kerby, or Astro, who pretends to be a palmist and crystal-gazer and who affects a jeweled turban, flowing silk robes, silver-mounted water-pipe, and even a pet white lizard." Sharp copy. QUEEN'S QUORUM 50.

Inventory Number: 37309Sold -- Contact us