{"product_id":"murder-in-the-temple-justin-brooke","title":"Murder in the Temple, Justin Brooke","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, The Modern Publishing Company, n.d. [c. 1930s]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/b\u003e: Very Good. The publisher's original red cloth boards remain surprisingly bright and robust, particularly the front panel, though the spine exhibits noticeable sunning and slight softening at the head and foot. The rear board, featuring the bold 'News of the World' black stamping, is sharp and well-preserved with only trivial superficial rubbing to the extremities. The binding is secure, exhibiting only a very slight lean. Internally, the text block displays uniform, heavy toning, a standard and expected consequence of the inexpensive, acidic paper stock utilised by the Modern Publishing Company during the interwar period. The page edges are moderately darkened and dusty, but the original advertisement endpapers remain entirely intact and unmarked, making this an attractive, solid survivor of an inherently fragile production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/b\u003e: This is an exceptionally scarce 1930s mystery publication by Justin Brooke (a known pseudonym for J. Richard Traynor), issued by the Modern Publishing Company. Operating out of London during the interwar and Depression years, this publisher specialised in affordable, mass-market thrillers characterised by their sensationalist aesthetic and prolific internal advertisements for patent medicines and self-help regimens, all of which are perfectly preserved here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile this copy lacks its original dust jacket, the publisher's striking 'News of the World' promotional stamping on the lower board remains a fantastic artefact of 1930s British pulp publishing. Copies of Brooke’s thrillers are virtually unprocurable on the open market today; their inherent fragility and status as \"cheap editions\" meant very few survived the decades, making this a highly desirable volume for completists of classic British crime fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a bitterly cold New Year's Eve, the harsh winds howling off the River Thames usher in more than just the new year. As Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey Campbell emerge into the biting chill of Mount Street, they are swiftly drawn into a murky and perilous mystery. Set against the atmospheric, fog-drenched streets of 1930s London, \u003ci\u003eMurder in the Temple\u003c\/i\u003e is a fast-paced and evocative classic crime thriller that uncovers the sinister underbelly of the city's legal heart.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54968882168147,"sku":"5508","price":37.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260915_121130.jpg?v=1789640788","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/murder-in-the-temple-justin-brooke","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}