Welcome to The Nickel Jar Stacks! Reading copies of my favorite paperbacks bundled by author or theme.


This stack includes the first four books in the Matt Scudder PI series by Lawrence Block:

  1. The Sins of the Fathers (1976)
  2. Time to Murder & Create (1976)
  3. In the Midst of Death* (1977)
  4. A Stab in the Dark (1981)
*published third, but sequentially it is #2 in the series

These are all pre-loved paperbacks. The first three are in Good condition: Expect some edge wear, creasing or scuffing, small tears or chips, and maybe a few markings or a previous reader's name written inside. The fourth (A Stab in the Dark) has a decent-sized piece missing from the bottom corner of the front cover as shown, but I included it for good measure and priced the stack based only on the first three titles. See photos. Perfect for reading in bed, at the beach, or on the couch with a drink of whatever you like at hand. Please note these are vintage Avon paperbacks, but not the original Dell which were the true first editions for the first three titles in this series.

First edition hardcovers are great for collecting, but ultimately books were meant to be read, and there's nothing like a well-worn paperback for getting lost in a story.  Let's all follow Stephen King's advice and carry a paperback around to read during our daily down time instead of robotically pulling out our phones.


Shop Notes:
  • Please review pictures carefully as part of the description. I strive to document condition faithfully. All photos are of the actual books in hand.
  • I package all books carefully for shipping in a padded envelope or box, reinforced if needed.
  • Buyer pays for shipping. Media Mail is the default unless you choose otherwise.
  • I will cover additional shipping insurance for individual items with purchase price $100+
  • /* ssgST: excluded from sampling */