Collins White Circle Reprints Part XII

Another in my favourite series of early Canadian paperback reprints from Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd. First published in 1939 by the Scottish-British parent Wm. Collins Sons & Co., Belt of Suspicion is one of 17 1943 books reprinted with the same cover design but in different colours.

White Circle 110 - 1943

White Circle 1943 back

White Circle 110 -1945

White Circle 110 - 1945 back

The Last Russell Teed

A couple of years ago I discussed the first two adventures of Russell Teed, a P.I. in early 1950s Montréal. New editions were being published by Vehicule Press of Montréal. Happily the third and final Teed adventure, The Body on Mount Royal by David Montrose, has just come out. Unlike many new "editions"  the text has been reset and there is an introduction which nicely sets up the story.

Kudos to Vehicule Press and consulting editor Brian Busby.

Harlequin 262 - December 1953

Harlequin 262 back

Collins White Circle 1942 Books Part II

Back in part I I discussed the numbering of the 1942 White Circles published by Toronto's Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd.

The absence of a number on the cover has led to all sorts of confusion. Most listings just list the books alphabetically by author and describe them as NN (no number) but then put a number beside the book. Then, when those lists are used, that number suddenly becomes that book's number. But the books were sequentially identified with a combination of letters and numbers.

Until recently I was missing the identifier for three books (L, M and N below) but they are now known. So here is the full list plus images of two of these three books.

Spring list:

A King's Enemies Walsh, J.M.
B Death on Sunday Rhode, John
C Death Before Honour Hume, David
D The Stoat Brock, Lynn
E The Bell of Death Gilbert, Anthony
F Death Pays a Dividend Rhode, John
G Wreckers Must Breathe Innes, Hammond
H Make Way for the Mourners Hume, David
I Spades at Midnight Maddock, Stephen
J Jewel Thief Mills, Arthur
K Death Leaves No Card Burton, Miles
L Wanted for Murder Holt, Henry
M Sweet Poison Penny, Rupert
N Mr Babbacombe Dies Burton, Miles
O The Calendar Wallace, Edgar
P Mr. Mortimer Gets the Jitters Gray, Berkeley
Q Dames Don't Care Cheyney, Peter
R Doorway to Danger Maddock, Stephen
S Death at the Bar Marsh, Ngaio
T Overture to Death Marsh, Ngaio
A1 Seven Dead Farjeon, Jefferson
A2 Belt of Suspicion Wakefield, H. Russell
B1 U-Boat in the Hebrides Divine, A.D.
B2 Secret Weapons Walsh, J.M.
B3 The Mystery of the Smiling Doll Holt, Henry
B4 Conquest Takes All Gray, Berkeley

Fall list:

B5 Death of a Peer Marsh, Ngaio
B6 A Maid and a Million Men Dunton, James G.
B7 This Man is Dangerous Cheyney, Peter
B8 He Packed a Gun Sanders, C.W.
C1 Death at Dyke's Corner Lorac, E.C.R.
C2 Five Aces Hume, David
C3 Aunt Sunday Sees it Through Farjeon, Jefferson
C4 The Man From Peace River Reid, Wallace Q.
D1 Fighting Buckaroo Curran, Tex
D2 The Turquoise Trail Tuttle, W.C.
37 Verdict of Twelve Postgate, Raymond
38 Death on a Boat Train Rhode, John
39 Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town Leacock, Stephen
40 The Nutmeg Tree Sharp, Margery
41 Attack Alarm Innes, Hammond
42 My Own Murderer Hull, Richard
43 Ironsides of the Yard Gunn, Victor
44 Thou Shell of Death Blake, Nicholas
45 The Creaking Chair Meynell, Laurence
46 Vultures Ltd. Gray, Berkeley
47 Goose Feathers Digby, George
48 The Flying Years Niven, Frederick
49 The Sky Pilot Conner, Ralph
50 Treasure Island Stevenson, Robert Louis

White Circle L - 1942

White Circle M -1942

The Scarcest White Circle

Wm. Collins & Sons Co. Canada Ltd. published 459 books in its White Circle series from 1942 to 1952. Until recently I had 453 of the first printings. But, thanks to an American book dealer, four of the missing six have been found, including the scarcest White Circle. This is Wanted for Murder, one of 50 books published in the first year. The books were not numbered on the cover but were sequentially lettered and numbered inside.

White Circle L - 1942

White Circle L back

Harlequin--Pan Edition Part II

I've recently posted about Penguin and Harlequin and Pan and White Circle combinations. Here's a Harlequin and Pan combination. The difference is that there was a business connection between the two publishers. The Man in the Brown Suit is a "Harlequin-Pan Edition" as described on the copyright page, one of 11.

Harlequin 337 - May 1955

Harlequin 337 back

Pan 250 - 1953

Pan 250 back

Pan and White Circle Part II

There were 429 titles published in the White Circle Pocket series by the Canadian publisher Wm. Collins & Sons Co. Canada between 1942 and 1952. Pan Books in England began publishing in 1945 and continues as Pan Macmillan. According to a collector's site there are 2,391 numbered Pans. How many of the 429 White Circles were also published by Pan? We shall see. But here is another one.

White Circle 335 - 1948

White Circle 335 back

Pan G269 - 1959

Pan G269 back

Pan and White Circle Part I

I recently began a series of posts on titles published by both Penguin and Harlequin. Here's another British and Canadian publishing pair - Toronto's Wm. Collins & Sons and Co. Canada Ltd. (White Circle) and London's Pan Books. How many titles were published by both companies? Not sure yet.

White Circle 211 - 1944

White Circle 244

Pan 40 - 1948

Pan 40 back

Penguin and Harlequin Part II

Another entry in the short list of titles published by Harlequin Books of Winnipeg and Toronto and London's Penguin.

Harlequin 273 - February 1954

Harlequin 273 back

Penguin 1038 - 1955

Penguin 1038 back