Belton Cobb

UK First Edition Books

Belton Cobb Series Character: inspector Cheviot Burmann

This G Belton Cobb bibliography checklist includes the crime fiction titles.
Pre 1942 books, UK first editions in dust jacket, are rare and keenly sought by collectors
In fact few of Cobb's books are 'common' large allocation to public libraries have made even late titles scarce
Cheviot Burmann is an excellent series character and I suggest worthy of wider recognition
The author's books are well regarded by both readers and collectors alike

Buy Books By Belton Cobb

Title	Publisher	Date	Issue Points - Notes
No Alibi	Longmans Green	Mar 1936	Dust jacket priced 7/6
The Poisoner's Mistake	Same As previous	Sept 1936	Dust jacket priced 7/6
Fatal Dose	Longmans Green	Mar 1937	Dust jacket priced 7/6. Artwork by Kenneth Inns
Quickly Dead	Same As previous	Oct 1937	Dustwrapper priced 7/6
Like a Guilty Thing	Same As previous	Feb 1938	Dust wrapper priced 7/6
The Fatal Holiday	Same As previous	Oct 1938	Dust cover priced 7/6
Inspector Burmann's Busiest Day	Same As previous	Apr 1939	Dust jacket priced 7/6
Death Defies the Doctor	Longmans Green	Sept 1939	Dust jacket priced 7/6
Sergeant Ross in Disguise	Same As previous	1940	Dust jacket priced 7/6
Inspector Burmann's Black-Out	Longmans Green	1941	Not in the English Catalogue of Books
Home Guard Mystery	Same As previous	1941	Not in the ECB
Double Detection	Same As previous	1945	Red cloth, gold lettering. DW 7/6
Death in the 13th Dose	Longmans Green	1946	Dust jacket priced 7/6
Early Morning Poison	Longmans Green	1947	DJ priced 7/6
The Secret of Superintendent Manning	Longmans Green	Feb 1948	DJ priced 8/6
The Framing of Carol Woan	Longmans Green	Jul 1948	DJ priced 8/6
No Last Words	Longmans Green	Apr 1949	Blue cloth, silver titles. DJ priced 8/6
Stolen Strychnine	Ditto	Oct 1949	DJ priced 8/6
No Charge for the Poison	Methuen	May 1950	DJ priced 8/6
The Lunatic, the Lover	Methuen	Nov 1950	DJ priced 9/6
Next Door to Death	Methuen	1952	Brown/gilt. Dust jacket artwork Leo Vernon
No Mercy for Margaret	Methuen	1952
Corpse Incognito	Methuen	1953
Detective in Distress	Methuen	1953
Need a Body Tell	W.H. Allen	1954	Red cloth, gilt lettering
The Willing Witness	Ditto	1955
Corpse at Casablanca	Ditto	1956
Drink Alone and Die	W.H. Allen	1956	Jacket priced 9s 6d
Doubly Dead	As Above	1957
Poisoner's Base	As Above	1957
The Missing Scapegoat	As Above	1958
With Intent to Kill	As Above	1958	Dustwrapper design by Dimmock
Death with a Difference	As Above	1960
Don't Lie to the Police	W.H. Allen	1960
Corpse in the Cargo	As Above	1961
Search for Sergeant Baxter	As Above	1961	Red cloth, gilt lettering, jacket 12/6
Murder: Men Only	As Above	1962
Death of a Peeping Tom	W.H. Allen	1963	Red cloth, gilt lettering
No Shame for the Devil	Ditto	1964
Dead Girl's Shoes	Ditto	1964
I Never Miss Twice	Ditto	1965
Last Drop	W.H. Allen	1965
Some Must Watch	As Above	1966	Dust jacket artwork Lewis Morley
A Stone for His Head	As Above	1966
Lost Without Trace	As Above	1967
Security Secrets Sold Here	W.H. Allen	1967
Secret Inquiry	As Above	1968	Dust jacket by Noel Mayne
Silence Under Threat	As Above	1968
Food for Felony	As Above	1969
Scandal at Scotland Yard	As Above	1969	Dust cover design by Ken Reilly
Catch Me If You Can	WH Allen	1970
The Horrible Man in Heron's Wood	Ditto	1970
I Fell Among Thieves	Ditto	1971	DJ priced £1.50 net
Suspicion in Triplicate	W.H. Allen	1971	Brown/gilt. DJ artwork by Ken Reilly

All page content © Classic Crime Fiction

Dust Jacket Artist: Unknown - note Sergeant's arm and body in rocks !

Belton Cobb Books for Sale

Belton Cobb Author Biography - Further Information
Geoffrey Belton Cobb was born 1892 and died in 1971. His main series characters were Inspector Cheviot Burmann, Superintendent Manning and Bryan Armitage. The books remain popular with collectors still today, more so than readers possibly, early titles in original dust jackets being, of course, the most interesting.
Please Note: There are several years that saw 2 books published, when this occurs we cannot currently guarantee the which of the two was published first.

Other titles not listed: There are a couple of other books written by the author that are not included here as we stick mainly to the crime and mystery fiction titles due to the nature of the site.

Jacket Blurb from Home Guard Mystery by Belton Cobb
In this murder story the police make no appearance till the final page.
The unpopular Sergeant Cunnlngham of the Home Guard disappears while scouting in a wood. Volunteer Bairstowe, the Section's elderly, very unmilitary but somewhat philosophic buffoon, follows the lead of his curiosity and unfolds a tense drama.
Of the sixteen characters In this story, twelve are members of the Home Guard, and the descriptions of that force's activities will be found extremely realistic.
Our reader claims that this is Belton Cobb's best book.

Sample from Double Detection
"HERE we are," cried June, as our train drew in at the station.
"Yes," I said. "And that means we've got to get out; I suppose. Though what we've come for, I don't know, Why can't we stay in the train till it goes back again?"
"Oh, come along," said June. "This is a holiday. It will do you a world of good, and we are going to enjoy it."
"I'm absolutely certain," I answered, "that the place is death."
Three weeks earlier, I had had a minor operation. When the ordeal was first mooted, the tremors which accompany the idea of "being carved up" were nicely balanced by the prospect of a month's sick leave : kind friends assured me that I should be as fit as a riddle after the first fortnight and able to enjoy my holiday. To put it succinctly, they lied. It was the first fortnight that I rather enjoyed, in spite of pain — with the novelty of being an interesting invalid and the pleasure of lying in bed, conscience-free : the third week I sank into the depths of post-operational gloom.
The doctor told June, my wife, to take me to the seaside. "Go with him yourself," he said, "and see that he has some bright society." He recommended this spot on the South Coast. Well, either he lied too, or else he had no acquaintance with small seaside resorts in a war-time winter.

Dust Jacket Artist: Unknown - Famous Quote: "A fairly uninspiring dust jacket" !

Classic Crime Fiction

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