Monday, August 29, 2022

MAP BACK MONDAYS: The Philadelphia Murder Story by Leslie Ford

Today,  I'm reviving my feature: Map Back Monday! I've been collecting the iconic Dell Map Backs for years. A few years ago, my siste-in-law sent me my late brother-in-law's collection. Stan always said he was going to send them to me, but never got around to it. Well, he was a collector like me, so I'm sure it was hard to part with any books. I sent him some of my dupes, so maybe they've come to roost. My weekly postings will be in no particular order. 

Dell Map Books were printed in the 1940s and 50s, and they were something really special! They were great paperbacks, not only for the books themselves, but for the sturdy laminated covers that also had maps of the scene of the crime on the back! How cool is that? Most of my Dell Map Backs are mysteries, but I think I saw a romance in Stan's collection, so I may post that cover at some time. This will be a discovery for me, as well.

So to begin my 2022 Map Back Mondays, here's the cover and map back from Leslie Ford's The Philadelphia Murder Story (January 1945). I'm from Philadelphia, so I'm drawn to anything Philly! The Map Back features lots of my haunts--well maybe not the Police Station. And the mystery is a bibliomystery, a favorite theme.

THE PHILADELPHIA MURDER STORY by Leslie Ford

"The Death of an Author Upsets Society and The SatEvePost in "the Philadelphia Murder Story"  





1 comment:

Kathy Reel said...

Janet, I am always thrilled to learn of even more interests that you and I have in common. I think we are certainly cut from the same cloth. I discovered Dell Mapbacks at the St. Pete Bouchercon at Mystery Mike's vendor tables. I immediately fell in love. I bought quite a few there and have been adding some as I come across them. Just this month I got lucky and found nine more I wanted. I had thought about having something about them on my blog, maybe updating ones I get or ones I find especially intriguing. Of course, anything I do will pale in comparison to you and your obviously amazing collection. I can't wait to read this ongoing feature you're reinstating. I'm so excited to have someone, especially you, to now talk to about these little treasures.