The Four of Hearts by Ellery Queen Grosset & Dunlap Madison Square Hardcover with Dust Jacket

The Four of Hearts by Ellery Queen is a Grosset & Dunlap Madison Square Books hardcover mystery with its illustrated dust jacket and 304 pages.

The red cloth boards remain bright, and the pages are clean and easy to read according to the provided condition notes, with no writing noticed while paging through the book. The dust jacket remains present with colorful playing card and airplane artwork, plus visible edge wear, small chips, creasing, rubbing, and old clear tape repairs near the upper corners and edges.

This Ellery Queen detective novel carries a 1938 Frederick A. Stokes copyright and combines a Hollywood setting with the puzzle driven mystery style associated with the author.

Details

• Item: Vintage mystery book
• Title: The Four of Hearts
• Author: Ellery Queen
• Illustrator: Not confirmed from photos
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, by arrangement with Frederick A. Stokes Company
• Publication Year: Not confirmed from photos. Copyright page states 1938.
• Edition and Printing: Grosset & Dunlap Madison Square Books reprint. Printing not confirmed from photos
• Format and Binding: Red cloth hardcover
• Dust Jacket: Present, illustrated Madison Square Books jacket
• Pages: 304
• Genre: Mystery and detective fiction
• Language: English
• ISBN: Not confirmed from photos
• Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 5 x 1 1/4 inches

Condition Grade: Good

Positives

• Graded Good: This copy is complete and usable, with a clean readable interior and visible wear concentrated mainly on the dust jacket.
• The 304 pages are clean and easy to read according to the provided condition notes, and no writing was noticed while paging through the book.
• The red cloth binding remains bright and carries the title and Ellery Queen name in black on the front board.
• The illustrated dust jacket is still present. Its playing card and airplane design gives this copy a strong period look for shelf display while also protecting the cloth binding beneath it.

Issues / Wear

• The dust jacket shows rubbing, edge wear, creasing, and small chips around the corners and spine ends.
• Clear tape repairs are visible along portions of the dust jacket edges, including near the upper corners.
• The jacket has scattered surface marks and small areas of color loss from use.
• The pages show age toning, especially at the outer edges, while remaining readable.

Condition Grade Key

• Near Fine: Close to new. Any flaw is small and named above.
• Very Good: Light use. Every flaw is named above, and none of them get in the way of reading or display.
• Good: Complete and usable, with clear signs of use. Every flaw is named above.
• Fair: Heavy wear or damage, named above. A reading or working copy, not a display piece.

Collector's Notes

It works equally well as a readable Ellery Queen mystery and as a shelf copy for someone who likes older detective fiction with its original illustrated packaging still in place.

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Disclaimer

All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.

Care and Handling

Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40 to 50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.