R. Austin Freeman's first detective work sold at auction.

At the December 17th Sotheby's auction, a first edition of R. Austin Freeman's first detective work The Adventures of Romney Pringle (1902, written with James Pitcairn under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown), sold for £1875 (approx. US$3030). Freeman is the creator of Dr. John Thorndyke and a pioneer in the Columbo school of storytelling (i.e., the reader knows the identity of the criminal at the outset of the narrative and follows the detective's investigation).

Other results include the following:

• Ian Fleming, signed 1st ed. of Diamonds are Forever (1956), £10,625 (approx. US$17,170)

• R. Austin Freeman, The Red Thumb Mark (1907), 1st ed. copy owned by Ellery Queen, £3250 (approx. US$5252)

• Dashiell Hammett, 1st ed. of The Thin Man (1934), £1375 (approx. US$2222)
  

(Hat tip to PhiloBiblos)