THREE WHO DIED: A JUDGE PECK MYSTERY - INSCRIBED TO H.P. LOVECRAFT

by Derleth, August W.

$17,500 · Offered by Biblio

First edition · Signed

New York: Loring & Mussey, 1935. First Edition. Derleth's third book, and the third of ten mystery novels featuring his recurring characters Judge Peck and Dr. Considine. Set in Sac (Sauk) City, 20 miles from Madison, Wisconsin, Peck and Considine look quietly into the sudden death of a young man, his wife, and their doctor. Derleth began working on Three Who Died in January, 1934, revising it throughout the year, and discussing it off and on with Lovecraft in their correspondence. In a February 16, 1935 letter to Derleth, Lovecraft mentioned "I shall hail "Three Who Died" with the keenest interest & appreciation – who knows but that I may recover my childhood interest in the detective tale!" By mid-March that year, he would again write Derleth "I shall surely be on the lookout for "Three Who Died", & fancy it will prove even more entertaining than its predecessor. Glad the later members of the series continue the upward curve." In the time it took him to write that letter, this copy – evidently one of the first six copies of the novel to land in Derleth's hands – arrived at Lovecraft's home. He read it within five days, and offered Derleth the following assessment in a March 20, 1935 letter: "Well – I've read "Three Who Died" – & certainly enjoyed it to the limit! It's a tremendously clever piece of work, & far ahead of "All Fours" in point of construction – although the latter is a fine book, none the less, & vivid in atmosphere & narrative value. This one is a straight eni

• Publisher: Loring & Mussey
• Year: 1935
• Edition: First Edition
• Printing: first
• Binding: unknown

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