Friday, April 13, 2018

Paperback 1014: The Man-Hunter / Dick Donovan (Westbrook / American Detective Series No. 34)

Paperback 1014: American Detective Series No. 34 (Arthur Westbrook Co., date unknown)

Title: The Man-Hunter
Author: Dick Donovan
Cover artist: Unknown

Condition: 7/10 (considering how old it is: amazing)
Estimated value: ???????????
AmDet34
Best things about this cover:
  • Before I get to the cover ... what is this book? I am having so much trouble getting good information about it. Seriously, this is the best I've been able to do so far: an entry at the Dime Novel Bibliography that tells me virtually nothing. I don't know what year it's from. I don't know who did the cover. The internet is being remarkably unhelpful so far. Any info you can supply would be much appreciated, thanks.
  • Ok, the cover: so bright. There's some fading and foxing to the pages and back cover, the book is perfectly square and tight and the colors on this cover really pop. I think it's awfully beautiful, actually.
  • I like that "The Man-Hunter" is lost and has to ask the nice lady for directions.
  • Good horsey.
AmDet34bc
Best things about this back cover:
  • As you can see, lots of Sherlock. Mostly, when I look for this publisher, it's Doyle info I find—perhaps unsurprisingly, as he's a highly collectible author, whereas the rest of these folks ... ?
  • Oh, days of yore, your book titles were so much better. I am now desperate to read COP COLT, QUAKER DETECTIVE ... though I'll probably take a pass on CHIN CHIN, CHINESE DETECTIVE. . . 
  • "Postage stamps taken same as money"—well that's a new one on me.
Page 123~
"You have obtained the absolute proofs of her death?"
"No, madame. I have glorious news for you."
The woman's face fell.
"Glorious news for me?" she repeated.
"Yes."
"Well?"
"Kate Freelingburg lives."
"Ah!" came the quick ejaculation.
Now I really want a "Kate Freelingburg Lives!" t-shirt and/or bumper sticker.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

4 comments:

Margaret said...

Can Dick Donovan possibly be a real name? It's gotta be a pseudonym, right?

Unknown said...

Found a bit of information on the likely Dick Donovan, a pseudonym as suspected. Dick Donovan was also the name of the character, it appears. http://gadetection.pbworks.com/w/page/7930475/Donovan%2C%20Dick

DemetriosX said...

I was going to suggest that Dick Donovan might be a house name, but it looks like this is the same one who was a pseudonym for JE Muddock. From this site (http://www.classiccrimefiction.com/dick-donovan.htm) it looks like this book was originally published in 1888. Just based on her hair, I'd guess this might be from the late 1910s or early 20s (she's got a bit of a Mary Pickford thing going on). There have to be Westbrook collectors out there who would know.

Unknown said...

Agreed that the hair looks very 1910s. I found this (terrible link incoming, sorry), which shows that it was definitely first published no later than 1892:

https://books.google.com/books?id=ihp0p2vA9m4C&pg=PA245&lpg=PA245&dq=%22the+manhunter%22+%22dick+donovan%22&source=bl&ots=6ANCNr_MYw&sig=qX0U3oKzB7SlCtPfC-PqEWa2nOw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjozdGt9LnaAhWmVt8KHd_jCUAQ6AEISzAK#v=onepage&q=%22the%20manhunter%22%20%22dick%20donovan%22&f=false