The Singing Bone

R. AUSTIN FREEMAN

Publication: Hodder and Stoughton, 1912, London

First edition. 12mo. Red cloth, titles stamped in black on the front cover and in gilt on the spine, vi [2], 312 pp., preface. This book introduced the inverted detective story in which the reader immediately knows the culprit and observes how the detective solves the crime. Four of the five stories in this collection employ this approach; and one, “The Case of Oscar Brodski,” is regarded as the first narrative of the genre. Former owner's inked name on front free fly leaf, light wear to the spine ends, covers lightly used, else a very good copy.