ALLEN, Grant. HILDA WADE A Woman with Tenacity of Purpose. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York City, 1900.

Price: US$150.00 + shipping

Description: pp. x, 383.,8vo,Bound in original olive green cloth,Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen (1848-1899) was born in Kingston, Ontario. At age 13, Allen and his parents moved to the United States. He won a scholarship to Merton College, Oxford (1867-1871), from which he was graduated with a B.A. During 1873-1876, he was professor of mental and moral philosophy in a new college at Spanish Town, Jamaica, which had been established for the education of negroes. After this institution failed, he returned to England, where he pursued writing as a profession. He was perhaps better known as an author of scientific and philosophical books, although he produced over 30 works of fiction, from which most of his income was generated. 'Hilda Wade' is Allen's final work, and all but the last chapter had been completed by the time of his death. His close friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, gathered up Allen's notes and completed the final chapter, which effort the publisher acknowledged in a prefatory note. This book is a very early example of a mystery novel with a woman detective as the central character. This copy is the first American edition. It was also published in London by Grant Richards. Our copy has had the inner hinges taped with masking tape by a prior owner. The text block is still tightly stitched, and nothing is loose. The contents are clean. The boards show very light rubbing at the edges and light soiling. There is a very small red stain towards the bottom of the front board. The book is slightly off-set, or cocked. Very well-illustrated by the noted artist Gordon Browne, showing the heroine in the fashions of the day. With 98 b&w illustrations by Gordon Browne and five pages of publisher's ads at the end of the book. No dust jacket.

Seller: BISON BOOKS - ABAC/ILAB, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Allen, Grant (auth) & [Doyle, Arthur Conan] (auth). HILDA WADE. Grant Richards, London, 1900.

Price: US$250.00 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: Hardcover; 8vo; pp 360. First UK edition of this novel, purportedly completed by Arthur Conan Doyle while Allen was on his deathbed. And as an early example of a detective novel with a female lead, this book is interesting in its own right. This copy bound in half dark-brown leather with 7 gilt bands on spine, gilt titles, and brown pebbled cloth on the sides. Corners and headcaps rubbed, back hinge's leather cracked/starting. Still intact. Marbled endpapers. Interior bright and clean, but binding a little loose in places. Small fore-edge smudge. Bookplate of Charles H. F. Plummer on fep. Illus throughout by Gordon Browne. VG-

Seller: Book Bazaar, Ottawa, ON, Canada

ALLEN, Grant (1848-1899), [CONAN DOYLE, Arthur]. Hilda Wade. London: Grant Richards, 1900, 1900.

Price: US$416.90 + shipping

Description: First Edition. 8vo. Publisher's dark blue cloth titled and decorated in gilt to spine and front board. A used copy with some shelfwear,rubbed to extremities, gilt illustration rubbed to upper, discreet owner stamp to flyleaf, inside paper joint cracked. Very good. Illustrated throughout by Gordon Browne. 'Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen (February 24, 1848 - October 25, 1899) was a science writer, author and novelist; an able upholder of the theory of evolution.' An early female detective (described elsewhere as 'A woman of tenacity.' novel, the final chapter of which: 'The Dead Man Who Spoke' was dictated to and completed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a friend of Allen's and by no means averse to writing a bit of detective fiction himself apparently.

Seller: Adrian Harrington Ltd, PBFA, ABA, ILAB, Royal Tunbridge Wells, KENT, United Kingdom

Allen, Grant. Hilda Wade. Grant Richards, London, 1900.

Price: US$950.00 + shipping

Description: quarter calf leather binding. black with red label. beautifully decorated spine. photo available. this was grant allen's last novel. and it has several special features as a book 1. allen was completing the bookas he was dying of advanced liver cancer.2 he called on his friend, neighbor, and perhaps doctor to help finish the book. his name arthur conan doyle. i have come across three versions of that story. 1. 1. grant dictated the last episode to doyle as he lay dying. 2. doyle wrote the last episode from notes left by grant. 3. doyle wrote the last two episodes from notes left by grant. take your pick. 3. hilda wade is an example of an early woman detective as mystery solver. so, an interesting book to a variety of collectors. oh, yes, and 4. an example of grant richards's indian and colonial library, yet another collectible category.

Seller: Gumshoe Books, Columbia, SC, U.S.A.