Which Cover Would You Choose? And Why Does Lassie Belong in This Post?

Today's challenge questions are from Dave:

Here are two covers of the same title written by Eric Mowbray Knight (1897–1943), who used the pseudonym Richard Hallas. The book on the  left is a copy of a Dell #510 and was published in 1951. It has become an uncommon title, particularly when it's in very good to fine condition . The cover illustration is by Victor Kalin. The setting of the book is California.  A hardcover version that is a first edition, first printing is scarce and also very costly. 224 pages. Hardboiled.

 

The book to the right was published in 1986 by the pubishing house Black Lizard/Creative Arts of Berkeley, California.The original Black Lizard series was edited by the author Barry Gifford. This issue has a six-page introduction by David Feinberg. The cover illustration is by Kirwan, who illustrated many of the Black Lizard books. 134 pages.

 

I have been a collector of the original Black Lizard/Creative Arts series, and Barry Gifford, its founder and long-time editor, should receive more credit for keeping "noir" in print at that particular time.

 

So, which cover do you like, and why? The Kalin cover from 1951, or the Kirwan cover of 1986?

 

Finally, Eric Knight was the author who created the fictional collie Lassie. 

 

[Note from Beth: We have some nice Black Lizard books -- mostly from the "original" line. See the press history to clarify the difference between Black Lizard/Creative Arts, and the later version that began in 1990 and is still being produced by Random House.]