Archive for
Charles Cumming – A Colder War
In A Colder War Britain’s secret intelligence operations in the Middle East are severely curtailed; botched schemes and the deaths of double agents suggests to the spymasters that a mole is a work. When
Wallander’s creator Mankell passes
Henning Mankell, creator of Kurt Wallander, passed away after a year long fight with cancer. His novels were favourites with modern crime fans across the world for ironically displaying an angst about the state
Intrigue and Eric Ambler
In a recent BBC radio broadcast John Gray recalls the life and work of the thriller writer Eric Ambler and finds uncomfortable echoes of today’s society in the pages of his novels. “What they reveal
Second hand books bought at Hay
For as long as I can remember I have visited second hand bookshops with my ‘wants’ list. Mostly, I am disappointed and buy something else that catches the eye. But this time the second
Second Hand Bookshops in the UK
The internet has caused a drift away from the retail high street so it was good to see that some second hand bookshops are making strident efforts to bring customers back. Some glorious second hand
Doctorow – Golden Age of Dreams
Last night I heard on the radio that New York writer E L Doctorow had died aged 87 years. The radio was an appropriate means of conveying the news for he was a writer
Medal Auction Commemorates Violette Szabo
Medals commemorating the wartime service of Violette Szabo sold at auction today in London for £260,000. Ms Szabo’s gritty and heroic efforts as a secret agent of the Special Operations Executive during World War
Christopher Lee and the thriller tradition
The long and ubiquitous career of Christopher Lee (1922 – 2015) as film actor can tell thriller fans that the novels of action in which he appeared on screen still give us much to
Traditional crime authors still collected
In May this year I noticed that the books sold in the Scorpion Press series of signed limiteds were mainly by the stalwarts of crime writing. The American James Lee Burke and Ruth Rendell
The Ruth Rendell story is over
For crime fiction fans it is a sad day. Ruth Rendell passed on at the beginning of May aged 85. Unique among British crime writers her influence and respect from fellow writers was unbounded.
Scorpion Press Blog Posts
- Crime Writers as hoarders of Knowledge
When I joined the Crime Writers’ Association and attended social functions I perceived that many writers led interesting lives as people other than writers. Aside from the obvious fact that crime writers convey in there …
- Robert Richardson – tribute to the writer and exponent of crime
It was during the mid eighties – the period when the newspaper headlines were full of stories of Britain on strike – that broadsheet journalist Robert Richardson chanced upon writing his first detective novel. It …
- The Collectibility of Leather Rebinds or collecting rare books
The Collectibilty of Leather Rebinds
In Centuries past libraries in great houses were lined with leather bound volumes. They provided accessibility to knowledge, exuded learning and gave satisfaction to the owner – who had given time … - McDermid’s ‘Distant Echo’ dramatised
Val McDermid’s first DC Karen Pirie novel is to be dramatised in a new ITV drama series. Outlander star Lauren Lyle will play the lead character – the young fearless Scottish detective – to be …
- Reginald Hill (1936 – 2012) Prolific literary crime writer
Reginald Hill, prolific British author best known for his 24 idiosyncratic, but highly elegant crime novels featuring the Yorkshire police detectives Andrew Dalziel and Peter Pascoe, is perhaps one of the most admired and influential …
- George Blake: Epitaph for a Spy
George Blake (1922 – 2020) was one of the most enigmatic of the unmasked spies. Could he have been an unlikely perfect spy with a conscience; a man of principle or a blatant schemer? Accounts …
- R Wilson, A Small Death in Lisbon – spy thriller – rebinding
Robert Wilson, A Small Death in Lisbon (1999); winner of the CWA Gold Dagger. 1/12 signed limited of twelve copies rebound in leather with handmade marble sides; signed on limitation page with a new introduction …
- Spy Fiction Collectables
The first book in the Scorpion Press series of Signed Leather bound editions was a spy thriller – The Year of the Scorpion by Michael Hartland. Nine books with a war-time or Cold War espionage …
- 20th Century Classic 1/1 Leather French Lieutenant … by John Fowles
To mark 50th years since the original publication of John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969) this is a rebinding run of 12 lettered copies with additional material and the facsimile autographs of Fowles and …
- G MacDonald Fraser, Flashman Omnibus leather rebinding
George Macdonald Fraser created one of the great English fictional characters with Flashy or Harry Flashman. This is the original first edition issued by Barrie & Jenkins entitled Flashman’s First Omnibus (1979). Forty years on …
- Early Inspector Morse rebinding – Colin Dexter
Colin Dexter, The Riddle of The Third Mile, 1st edition Macmillan 1983. Rebound with five raised bands with maroon leather with an Author Profile approved by the Dexter family. Twelve deluxe lettered copies only.
This project … - Classic Peter Lovesey Gold Dagger book fine binding
Peter Lovesey, The False Inspector Dew 1st London ed., 1982
A sumptuous leather rebinding with five raised bands with marble sides, additional page approved and signed by the author.
1/12 deluxe issued by the Scorpion Press.
A …