Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
JAMES, P.D.. COVER HER FACE. Faber, London, 1962.
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition of the author's first book. Recently rebound in full in black calf with Richard Wu hand made marbled end papers. Five raised bands to spine; burgundy leather labels with gilt lettering.Speckled decoration to page edges.Some spots of soil to a few pages and a previous owner's neat name to top of half-title page. New headband. Small chip missing from bottom corner of page 85, not affecting text. A SIGNED and DATED INSCRIPTION clipped from a later publication by Faber is laid in. A very SCARCE book in any condition now beautifully preserved for posterity.
Seller: THE USUAL SUSPECTS (IOBA), St. Catharines, ON, Canada
James, P. D. [Phyllis Dorothy]. Cover Her Face. London Faber & Faber 1962, 1962.
Price: US$2776.59 + shipping
Description: First edition. 254 pages. Formerly the property of Rosemary Goad, James's editor from the start of her career until retirement, signed by Goad in ink to the front endpaper and with a handwritten postcard from P. D. James to Goad loosely inserted. The book is firmly bound in lightly marked and rubbed green cloth, lettered in gilt to the spine, the extremities are a little bumped and the spine is slightly cocked. The text block is slightly dusty and age toned, with minor marks. The distinctive Charles Mozley designed dust jacket is the original and not price clipped, it is lightly rubbed, creased and marked, with some small chips and short closed tears to the edges. An excellent association copy of James's debut novel.
Seller: Jonathan Frost Rare Books Limited, Liverpool, United Kingdom
JAMES, P.D.. Cover Her Face. Faber & Faber, London, 1962.
Price: US$6754.50 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 8vo. Gilt lettered green pastel cloth in price clipped dust jacket. This copy signed by the author on the title page. The first mystery from the late Dame Phyllis. Book is edgeworn but bright. Jacket is complete with slight darkening at spine and general wear and rubbing especially to the extremities. Important mystery.
Seller: Karol Krysik Books ABAC/ILAB, IOBA, PBFA, Toronto, ON, Canada
JAMES P D. Cover Her Face. Faber, London, 1962.
Price: US$7748.61 + shipping
Description: First UK Edition. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Publisher's original green cloth, titles to spine in gilt. With the dust jacket. Edges of boards just a little rubbed and dulled, a few small, white spots to the cloth, faint partial toning to the free end-papers. An excellent copy in the lightly-spotted dust wrapper jacket with a tape repair to the verso of the spine panel at the head of the spine. First edition, first impression of the authors first book, signed by the late P.D. James on the title page. A lovely copy, uncommon in such nice condition.
Seller: James M Pickard, ABA, ILAB, PBFA., LEICESTER, United Kingdom
James, P.D.. Cover her Face. Faber and Faber, London, 1962.
Price: US$10000.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing. This copy is authentically SIGNED by P.D. James on a laid in signature. A beautiful copy. This ORIGINAL dustjacket is vibrant in color with NO chips or pieces missing. The book is in excellent shape and appears UNREAD. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the edges. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A superb copy SIGNED by the author. Trades and offers considered.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
James, P.D. Cover Her Face.. Faber and Faber, London, 1962.
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of the author's first book. Octavo, original green cloth. Lengthily signed by the author on the title page with the added words, "P.D. James He knew with a sudden and heart-lifting certainty that they would meet again. And when that happened the right words would be found." The inscription is the final lines of this novel. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a touch of shelfwear. Jacket design by Charles Mozley. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. A superior example with a nice inscription from the author. "Cover Her Face was, James has said, written simply to try out her powers in fiction as a preliminary to attempting the novel proper. Its immediate success, however-snapped up at once by the prestigious British publishers Faber and Faber, and well reviewed on publication-caused her to try her hand again at the detective story, putting even more of the novels concern with the workings of the human mind, and indeed of the soul, into its pages. Already present in that first attempt were many of the hallmarks of her subsequent writing. There was the fastidious prose, beautifully accurate and not without complex plots Add to these qualities a gift for forward-looking storytelling and, above all, the creation of a detective you like and want to go on liking in Adam Dalgliesh, policeman and plausible poet" (Keating, 40).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.