The Queen Of Hearts Collins, Wilkie 19Th Century British Literature

First American edition, published in the same year as the English first. An important early detective/crime fiction story, which is #3 in the Queen's Quorum checklist of the most important books in the genre since 1845. One of the short stories in this collection is The Biter Bit, which "introduced comedy into the detective story - a development of first magnitude." Also important as some commentators argue the book contained the first depiction of a female detective - and a working-class amateur detective at that. 8vo. [ii], 472pp. + 8pp. ads. Parrish 35. Very good in publisher's brown textured cloth with gilt title to spine, professionally rebacked with original spine laid down, gilt on spine a bit faded, some rubbing and bumped corners as well as some foxing and toning.