Baroque. A Mystery

New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, 1923. First edition in book form of this thrilling organized crime novel by Louis Joseph Vance, first published in McCall’s under the title “Double Doom” in 1922. The fast-paced romance and revenge tale begins in an Italian antiques shop in Manhattan, run by the mysterious Barocco twins from Naples: “Barocco; which, as you of course know, is Italian for ‘baroque.’” Vance produced a series of popular novels over three decades, and is best remembered for his 1914 Lone Wolf, a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone. This copy is inscribed to Lyman L. Pierce, General Secretary of the YMCA, in the year of publication: “his kind acceptance (truncated) (the inscription, not the book – which last he paid for himself!) with the compliments and best wishes of an astonished author. Louis Joseph Vance / Darien - 5 November 1923.” A bright near-fine copy of an elusive title, in a striking dust jacket. Single volume, measuring 7.25 x 5 inches: [6], 204, [10]. Original red cloth ruled and lettered in gilt; original price-clipped color pictorial dust jacket. Presentation inscription from Vance to Lyman L. Pierce on front free endpaper. Spine gilt slightly dulled, minor wear to ends of dust jacket spine panel. (Inventory #: 1003864)