Lay Her Among the Lilies, James Hadley Chase — 1st Edition

£30.00

Lay Her Among the Lilies, James Hadley Chase — 1st Edition

Name: Lay Her Among the Lilies, James Hadley Chase — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5054
Price: 30.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Robert Hale Limited, 1950

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 255, [1].

Condition Report: Very Good. The original black cloth binding remains firm, sharp, and remarkably clean, retaining bright gilt lettering to the spine and a crisp gilt silhouette on the front board. The spine ends show only minor bumping, with no significant rubbing to the boards. Internally, the binding is tight and square. The pages exhibit the typical, uniform age-toning expected of post-war paper stock, but remain clean and free from foxing or notable blemishes. The original decorative endpapers featuring the map of Orchid City are bright and unmarked by prior owners. The original, unclipped dust jacket (priced 9'6 net) presents attractively but shows moderate wear, including minor chipping to the spine head and tail, slight creasing along the top edge, and rubbing to the folds and rear panel.

Catalogue Note: This is a true UK first edition, first printing. The book retains its original, unclipped dust jacket featuring cover art by Taylor, which remains notably scarce on the open market in any condition. The distinctive endpapers, which plot a fictionalised map of the narrative's setting, Orchid City, are a charming feature exclusive to this original Hale publication.

As a highly sought-after mid-century noir by James Hadley Chase, early printings in their original jackets are increasingly uncommon, particularly with the underlying cloth binding preserved in such pristine condition.

Vic Malloy, the tough-talking head of Universal Services in Orchid City, receives a letter from heiress Janet Crosby enclosing a $500 retainer to investigate the blackmail of her wayward sister, Maureen. There’s just one catch: the letter lay forgotten in a raincoat pocket for fourteen months, and on the exact day it was written, the healthy young heiress supposedly died of heart failure.

When Vic finally begins digging into the Crosby family's tangled affairs, he quickly discovers that Maureen is set to inherit Janet's entire fortune, provided she can avoid a public scandal. But the deeper Vic probes, the more he finds himself shadowed by strong-arm thugs and entangled in a web of deceit, where a simple background check rapidly descends into a non-stop barrage of murder, mayhem, and sudden violence.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: James Hadley Chase

Book Publisher: Robert Hale Limited

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Crime & Mystery

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 256

Book Publication Year: 1950

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Taylor

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.