Luke Short - Trumpets West!
Dell 10 Cent Books 1, 1951
Cover Artist: H.W. Scott

In 1951 Dell introduced the Dell 10¢ series. There were only 36 titles and all were published in 1951. The first 12 were released in January. They were the idea of Don Ward in response to Lloyd Smith’s plea for new ideas and new series. Until 1951 all previous Dells had been priced at 25¢.
The books proved difficult to market, despite 50,000 special counter packs designed for them, and they were not very profitable.

Most of the books are first editions in book form. Only one (#12, Norman A. Fox’s ‘The Longhorn Legion’) was written especially for the 10¢ series. All books were saddle-stitched, had unstained edges and decorated single-sheet endpapers, and were 64 pages each (although not all were paginated). One welcome feature was an inside blurb about the author of each book, a feature Dell used in no other series.

Because the series was so unprofitable it was discontinued after 36 releases. Planned, but unreleased titles include James M. Cain’s ‘The Girl in the Storm’; both stories from Donald Hamilton’s ‘Murder Twice Told’ (Dell 577); all three Rex Stout stories in ‘3 Doors to Death’ (Dell 626), although the first story did appear as a 10¢ book (#21); A. J. Cronin’s ‘Child of Compassion’; and some of Baynard Kendrick’s Duncan MacLain detective stories. Also planned was Dashiell Hammett’s ‘The Girl with Silver Eyes’, from Hammett Homicides (Dell 223). In fact, artist Victor Kalin remembers executing a cover for the proposed edition which depicted “a blonde lady firing a pistol from the position on the ground behind the front wheel of a car”.

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W. Somerset Maugham - Rain
Dell 10 Cent Books 2, 1951
Cover Artist: Victor Kalin

"She brazenly defied the world's scorn."

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Samuel Hopkins Adams - Night Bus
Dell 10 Cent Books 3, 1951
Cover Artist: Sandor Klein

"It happened one night that they were forced to share a room..."

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Mary Roberts Rinehart - Locked Doors
Dell 10 Cent Books 4, 1951
Cover Artist: Baryé Phillips

"Trapped... nearly insane with fear... she should never have looked."

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Faith Baldwin - Bride from Broadway
Dell 10 Cent Books 5, 1951
Cover Artist: Wesley Snyder

"Would she ever feel at home on Park Avenue?"

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