{"product_id":"the-hogs-back-mystery-freeman-wills-crofts-1st-edition-printing","title":"The Hog's Back Mystery, Freeman Wills Crofts — 1st Edition \/ Printing","description":"\u003cp id=\"p-rc_8cc9b2978dc0c4f3-359\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-687\"\u003ePublication:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-687 citation-end-687\"\u003e London, Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1933\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003cspan class=\"citation-686\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-686\"\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-686 citation-end-686\"\u003e 8vo, pp. 334.\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_8cc9b2978dc0c4f3-360\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. Publisher's original blue cloth binding remains secure and generally square, though the boards display mild dulling, minor rub-wear, and light bumping to the extremities and spine ends\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"citation-685 citation-end-685\"\u003eThe spine retains its black typography and the publisher's interlocking logo, albeit slightly faded\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-684 citation-end-684\"\u003e, alongside matching title lettering cleanly stamped on the front board\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-683 citation-end-683\"\u003e.\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The text block edges are prominently age-toned and mildly foxed, with the top edge showing darkening typical of shelf wear\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Internally, the pages present occasional, light spotting, most notable on the map frontispiece and the title page\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, yet the leaves are otherwise intact, highly legible, and unmarred by any prominent previous ownership inscriptions. The hinges remain tight, and while the book exhibits the expected, honest shelf-wear of a 1930s volume, it stands as a sturdy and presentable survivor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_8cc9b2978dc0c4f3-361\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e A genuine first edition, first printing, confirming its publication priority with the unambiguous \"First published 1933\" statement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Included opposite the title page is an integral frontispiece map titled \"The Setting of the Story,\" mapping the geographic Surrey landscape where the mystery unfolds, stretching outward from Guildford along the A31 bypass and the titular Hog's Back chalk ridge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_8cc9b2978dc0c4f3-362\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEarly Golden Age detective fiction, particularly the influential \u003ci\u003eInspector French\u003c\/i\u003e procedural series by Freeman Wills Crofts, has seen a robust resurgence in collector interest. First editions from this era, especially those retaining their original blue cloth without major institutional defacement or distracting library markings, have become increasingly scarce on the open market. This specific copy is wonderfully unencumbered by prominent binders' stamps or obtrusive bookplates, offering a highly authentic and unembellished piece of 1930s crime publishing history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Hog's Back Mystery\u003c\/i\u003e follows the meticulous Inspector Joseph French of Scotland Yard as he is drawn into a highly perplexing case in the tranquil Surrey countryside. When the respectable Dr. Earle inexplicably vanishes in his slippers from his home near the Hog's Back—a prominent local geographic ridge—what initially appears to be a simple, eccentric disappearance soon unravels into a dark web of further vanishings and suspected foul play. Celebrated for its air-tight plotting, complex alibis, and authoritative focus on the gritty realities of police procedure, Crofts's 1933 classic remains a quintessential and gripping staple of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54074998948179,"sku":"4214","price":35.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260611_105608_5f05f8cd-1363-43f5-b915-9476c72b3272.jpg?v=1782239362","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-hogs-back-mystery-freeman-wills-crofts-1st-edition-printing","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}