A Ross Thomas and Oliver Bleeck First Edition Cover Gallery: The UK Hodder & Stoughton Novels

After yesterday's overlong essay on Ross Thomas's 1970 novel The Fools in Town Are on Our Side – brought to you as part of Ross Thomas Week, Mark III – today I've got something a little less wordy for you. The addition to my Thomas first edition collection of The Seersucker Whipsaw and The Singapore Wink means that I now have firsts of all of the British Hodder & Stoughton editions of Thomas's books, which in turn means it's time to gather them together in a cover gallery.

Publication dates are all UK, with the original American publisher/date/title-where-necessary in brackets. I'm also including the three pseudonymous Oliver Bleeck novels published by Hodder, for completeness sake, plus cover design credits and links back to relevant posts. Aren't I good to you? Oh, and there's plenty more Ross Thomas goodness to come after this (probably stretching into the weekend at this rate), the next item being another decidedly scarce UK first edition, boasting one of those magnificent Beverley le Barrow dustjackets...

But before that, on with the cover gallery!

Spy in the Vodka, Hodder & Stoughton, 1967 (original US title The Cold War Swap, William Morrow, 1966); dustjacket designed by Peter Calcott.

The Seersucker Whipsaw, Hodder & Stoughton, 1969 (US William Morrow, 1967); dustjacket designed by Baker/Broom/Edwards.

Cast a Yellow Shadow, Hodder & Stoughton, 1968 (US William Morrow, 1967); dustjacket designed by Baker/Broom/Edwards.

The Singapore Wink, Hodder & Stoughton, 1969 (US William Morrow, same year as British edition); dustjacket designed by Lawrence Ratzkin.

The Brass Go-Between by Oliver Bleeck (Ross Thomas), Hodder & Stoughton, 1970 (US William Morrow, 1969); dustjacket designed by Kaye Bellman.

The Fools in Town Are on Our Side, Hodder & Stoughton, 1970 (US William Morrow, same year as British edition); dustjacket designed by Wilson Buchanan.

The Backup Men, Hodder & Stoughton, 1971 (US William Morrow, same year as British edition); dustjacket designed by Lawrence Ratzkin.

Protocol for a Kidnapping by Oliver Bleeck (Ross Thomas), Hodder & Stoughton, 1971 (US William Morrow, same year as British edition); dustjacket designed by Lawrence Ratzkin.

The Thief Who Painted Sunlight by Oliver Bleeck (Ross Thomas), Hodder & Stoughton, 1972 (original US title The Procane Chronicle, William Morrow, same year as British edition); dustjacket designer unknown.