There Was an Old Woman — Ellery Queen Pocket 1946

There Was an Old Woman by Ellery Queen is a 1946 Pocket Books paperback edition (#326) of the 1943 Little, Brown first novel. The book adapts a Mother Goose nursery rhyme into a Riverside Drive murder puzzle for the celebrated detective Ellery Queen.

Quick Facts

• Author: Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee)
• Publisher: Pocket Books, Inc., Pocket Book No. 326
• Publication: First paperback appearance November 1945 / cover-dated February 1946
• Illustrator: Bill Gillies, cover art
• Format: Paperback, complete and unabridged
• Binding features: Genuine Pocket Book kangaroo colophon, red stained edges

Cover & Illustrations

The cover illustration by Bill Gillies shows a tense suspense scene with a balding man in a light suit holding a handgun, a man in a dark fedora behind a classical pedestal, and a single worn brown shoe perched on the pedestal. Title “There was an old woman” appears in large white cursive across a muted green field, author name ELLERY QUEEN in bold red sans-serif, and “THIS IS A Genuine POCKET BOOK” yellow banner at top. Number 326 is visible top left. The palette is muted yellows, greens, greys with red author name and purple bottom border. The paperback shows age-appropriate wear: minor rubbing to extremities with minimal laminate peeling and small edge creasing, spine surface rubbing and edge wear at head and tail, corners rounded.

The Story

Set along Riverside Drive, the novel follows Ellery Queen as he witnesses a murder of Robert Potts shot through the heart. The killer structures crimes to the pattern of a Mother Goose rhyme involving the Old Woman Cornelia Potts and her six children living in the Potts palace. Inspector Richard Queen and Sergeant Velie are also witnesses, yet none knows the murderer.

This Edition

This is Pocket Books No. 326, the first paperback appearance of There Was an Old Woman in November 1945. The wartime-era edition features the Genuine Pocket Book kangaroo colophon, complete and unabridged text, and the signature early red stained edges. Cover art by noted American illustrator Bill Gillies.

Why It Matters for Collectors

Pocket Books #326 is a key mid-century Ellery Queen title, notable for the Mother Goose puzzle-plot structure and the Bill Gillies cover. The red edge tint and kangaroo colophon are edition points collectors seek for 1940s Pocket Books mystery paperbacks.

FAQ

Is this a first edition? This is the first paperback edition. The first hardcover was Little, Brown & Co., March 1943.

Who illustrated the cover? Bill Gillies, per Pocket Books records and cover credit.

What is the condition? Very Good- / Very Good with age-appropriate rubbing, light laminate peeling, and clean lightly age-toned interior pages with uniform red edge dye.

Book Details

Author: Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee)

Illustrator: Bill Gillies

Publisher: Pocket Books, Inc. (Pocket Book No. 326)

Binding: Paperback

Edition Points: Pocket Book Edition No. 326, “Genuine Pocket Book” kangaroo colophon, Bill Gillies cover art, complete and unabridged. 1946 printing

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Very Good- (VG-)/Very Good (VG)

Cover & Spine: Minor rubbing to extremities with some minimal perimeter laminate peeling and small edge creasing; spine shows faint surface rubbing and edge wear at head and tail.

Text Block & Pages: Uniform vintage red publisher edge dye all around, somewhat sunned; internal pages are clean and lightly age-toned.

Binding: Firm and square paperback binding; pages remain firmly attached, no writing, no loose torn or folded pages.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-11-02

Shelf: 3-top

1 in stock