Secondhand Vintage Thriller and Crime Fiction Bargain Book Box DSH1039

Secondhand Vintage Thriller & Crime Fiction Bargain Book Box

This compelling collection of twenty-four vintage paperbacks spans the golden era of espionage, classic mystery, and hardboiled crime. It features a robust selection of Desmond Bagley’s high-adventure thrillers and Ed McBain’s gritty 87th Precinct procedurals, alongside masterpieces by Patricia Highsmith and Michael Crichton. From the treacherous slopes of the Eiger to the atmospheric canals of Amsterdam and the courtrooms of America, this box offers a diverse range of suspenseful narratives for the dedicated mystery reader. Each book is secondhand and may show signs of wear.

1. The Day Before Sunrise by Thomas Wiseman Set in the dying days of World War II, this thriller focuses on the chaotic and dangerous atmosphere of Berlin as the Third Reich collapses. American intelligence Allen Dulles attempts to negotiate a separate peace with SS General Wolff to prevent further destruction. The novel blends historical figures with fictional intrigue, capturing the desperation and moral ambiguity of the war's end.

2. The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin Poet Richard Cadogan discovers a dead body in a toyshop in Oxford, but when he returns with the police, the shop has vanished and been replaced by a grocery store. He teams up with the eccentric Professor Gervase Fen to solve the impossible mystery. This classic Golden Age detective novel is renowned for its wit, literary allusions, and farcical humor.

3. The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton Based on the true "Crime of the Century" in Victorian England, this novel details the meticulously planned theft of gold bullion from a moving train. Crichton weaves a narrative rich in period detail, exploring the criminal underworld and the social structures of 1855 London. It acts as both a suspenseful heist thriller and a fascinating historical study.

4. The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith Tom Ripley is a struggling young man sent to Italy to retrieve a wealthy shipping magnate's son, Dickie Greenleaf. Enamored by Dickie's lavish lifestyle, Tom’s admiration turns into a dark obsession involving identity theft and murder. This psychological thriller is a chilling study of a sociopath who creates a new life through cold-blooded calculation.

5. The Garden of Weapons by John Gardner Big Herbie Kruger, a legendary British intelligence officer, is tasked with extracting a double agent from East Berlin who has provided vital information for years. The operation goes wrong, forcing Herbie to confront his own past and a mole within the service. It is a complex Cold War spy novel filled with betrayal and the gritty realities of espionage.

6. Last Man at Arlington by Joseph DiMona Ten years after the assassination of JFK, the six Justice Department officials who compiled a secret report on the event are being hunted down one by one. A former administration insider must race against time to identify the killer before he becomes the next victim. The thriller taps into the conspiracy theories and paranoia surrounding the Kennedy era.

7. Lost Horizon by James Hilton During a revolution in India, a plane carrying four westerners is hijacked and crashes high in the Himalayan mountains. The survivors are rescued and taken to the hidden lamasery of Shangri-La, a paradise where people age slowly and live in peace. The novel explores themes of utopianism, moderation, and the clash between Eastern philosophy and Western drive.

8. The Enemy by Desmond Bagley Malcolm Jaggard is a British intelligence agent who becomes involved with a wealthy industrialist’s daughter, leading him into a web of genetic research and secrecy. The mystery takes him from the English countryside to the forests of Sweden, where he faces a Russian defector and a deadly new technology. It blends science fiction elements with a traditional spy chase.

9. The New Sonia Wayward by Michael Innes When Colonel Pettigate's wife, a famous romance novelist, dies suddenly at sea, he decides to dispose of her body and continue writing her books himself to keep the income. His plan becomes complicated by blackmailers and nosy relatives who suspect foul play. This is a dark comedy of errors featuring a bumbling anti-hero trying to maintain a charade.

10. Love in Amsterdam by Nicolas Freeling Inspector Van der Valk investigates the murder of a woman, with the primary suspect being a writer who was her former lover. Instead of relying on forensics, Van der Valk uses psychological insight and long conversations to uncover the truth behind their relationship. This debut novel introduced the famous Dutch detective and his intuitive, humanistic approach to crime solving.

11. Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser Investigative reporter Jemima Shore is summoned to a convent by an old school friend, a nun who dies shortly after in a mysterious locked-tower incident. Jemima must navigate the secretive world of the cloisters and the legends of a ghostly "Black Nun" to find the killer. It is a gothic-tinged mystery that contrasts modern skepticism with ancient faith.

12. Testkill by Ted Dexter & Clifford Makins Set in the world of professional cricket, this mystery begins when an Australian bowler is murdered in the dressing room during a Test match at Lord's. The investigation exposes the rivalries, financial pressures, and personal jealousies lurking behind the gentleman's game. It offers a unique setting for a whodunit, appealing to sports fans and mystery lovers alike.

13. The Miernik Dossier by Charles McCarry American agent Paul Christopher goes on a road trip from Geneva to the Sudan with a Polish scientist named Miernik, who may be a communist spy. The story is told entirely through a dossier of reports, transcripts, and diary entries, creating a realistic puzzle of intelligence gathering. It is a sophisticated espionage novel that focuses on the ambiguity of loyalty.

14. The Freedom Trap by Desmond Bagley A jewel thief creates a brilliant plan to get himself broken out of prison by a shadowy organization known as the Scarperers. However, once he is free, he realizes he has traded one cell for another and must turn the tables on his liberators to regain true freedom. This gritty thriller was the basis for the film The Mackintosh Man.

15. Running Blind by Desmond Bagley Alan Stewart, a former spy, is coerced into delivering a simple package to Iceland, only to find himself hunted by the KGB and the CIA across the rugged volcanic landscape. With no weapons and a traitor in his midst, he must use his survival skills to outwit his pursuers. It is a classic chase novel set against a stark and dramatic backdrop.

16. The Spoilers by Desmond Bagley When a wealthy film tycoon’s daughter dies from a heroin overdose, he hires a specialist to assemble a team and destroy the drug ring responsible. The mission takes them to the Middle East, where they must navigate treacherous politics and lethal smugglers. It is an action-heavy adventure story about vengeance and vigilante justice.

17. Vespers by Ed McBain Detectives from the 87th Precinct investigate the murder of a priest in a garden, a case that leads them into a conflict between Satanists and drug dealers. The narrative shifts perspectives, exploring the lives of the victim, the suspects, and the police officers. It is a gritty procedural that tackles themes of faith, addiction, and urban decay.

18. Widows by Ed McBain Detective Steve Carella deals with personal grief while investigating the murder of a wealthy woman, occurring simultaneously with the death of his father. The story interweaves the police work with Carella’s emotional struggle, highlighting the human side of the badge. It is a poignant entry in the series that balances a complex mystery with family drama.

19. Innocent Graves by Peter Robinson DCI Alan Banks investigates the murder of a teenage schoolgirl found in a graveyard, a crime that initially points to a shy, local boy. However, as the trial collapses due to technicalities, Banks must restart the investigation to find the true killer amidst class tensions and secrets. The novel examines the fallout of a failed justice system on a small community.

20. The Scold's Bridle by Minette Walters Mathilda Gillespie is found dead in her bath, wearing a medieval instrument of torture known as a scold's bridle. She was a woman reviled by her family and neighbors, leaving behind a long list of suspects with ample motive. This psychological thriller peels back the layers of a dysfunctional life to reveal the toxic truth.

21. The List of Seven by Mark Frost Arthur Conan Doyle, before creating Sherlock Holmes, finds himself embroiled in a supernatural conspiracy involving a dark brotherhood. He teams up with a mysterious agent named Jack Sparks, who becomes the inspiration for his famous literary detective. The novel blends historical fact with occult thriller elements in a Victorian setting.

22. The Eiger Sanction by Trevanian Jonathan Hemlock is an art professor and collector who moonlights as a government assassin to fund his expensive hobby. He is tasked with sanctioning a target during a perilous climb up the North Face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps. The book combines witty satire of the spy genre with tense, realistic mountaineering action.

23. A Trail of Blood by Jeremy Potter In this historical mystery, a monk in the time of Henry VIII stumbles upon a secret chronicle that could solve the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. He becomes the target of powerful forces who want to keep the Tudor claim to the throne secure. The novel explores the rewriting of history and the danger of uncovering royal secrets.

24. The Burden of Proof by Scott Turow Defense attorney Sandy Stern returns home to find his wife has committed suicide, leaving behind a mystery that upends his orderly life. As he investigates her motives, he is drawn into a federal investigation involving his own brother-in-law's financial dealings. It is a dense legal thriller that examines the complexities of family loyalty and the law.