Description

PRESENTATION COPY OF THE CASE OF THE STEPDAUGHTER’S SECRET, INSCRIBED BY ERLE STANLEY GARDNER TO FORENSIC CRIME DETECTION EXPERT DR. ROBERT P. BRITTAIN

GARDNER, Erle Stanley. The Case of the Stepdaughter’s Secret. New York: William Morrow, (1963). Octavo, original red paper boards, original dust jacket.

First edition, presentation copy, inscribed to the author’s close friend, forensic crime detection expert Dr. Robert P. Brittain: “To Rob with all best from yours Erle. Erle Stanley Gardner.”

“In Perry Mason, the combative defense attorney who manipulates the legal system to vindicate the innocent, Gardner created one of the most widely recognized figures in American literature? Mason came to embody the ideal of the American lawyer” (ANB). This is number 57 of 86 books in the series. Hubin, 163. The recipient of this copy, Dr. Robert P. Brittain, was a forensic medical expert who Gardner first encountered at an exclusive conference on scientific crime detection at Harvard Medical School. There, Dr. Brittain, a barrister and medical doctor with expertise in criminal forensics, captivated the attendees with his extensive knowledge in the field and his engaging teaching style. When Gardner had a particularly vexing case in the years that followed, he consulted Brittain and formed a close friendship with him. In recognition of Brittain’s professional efforts and those of others in his field, Gardner dedicated The Case of the One-Eyed Witness to Brittain and introduced him to readers in a three-page dedicatory foreword.

Book fine, dust jacket near-fine with only light rubbing to rear panel. A handsome inscribed copy.