poisoned pen press is a publisher of hardcover mystery fiction in the united states .

it is based in scottsdale , arizona .

poisoned pen press typically publishes thirty-six new hardcover mysteries per year , thirty-six new large type editions of those hardcovers , and between thirty and forty new trade paperback editions of previously published hardcovers .

audio books of new titles are produced by blackstone audio .

all titles are distributed through ingram publisher services .

poisoned pen press

congratulations to barbara peters , robert rosenwald , the poisoned pen bookstore , and poisoned pen press .
“poisoned pen press is like having an orchard in our back yard–apples everywhere . ”
poisoned pen press was begun as a separate corporation dedicated to publishing excellence in mystery .
thank you for supporting the poisoned pen , and poisoned pen press , winner of the 2010 ellery queen award from the mystery writers of america .
driven , the sequel to drive , will be published by poisoned pen press in april .
poisoned pen press began publishing in 1997 with the publication of the edgar award nominated az murder goes classic . initially planning on reprinting out - of - print mysteries , poisoned pen press soon after began accepting submissions of original works of mystery fiction by previously unpublished authors . currently poisoned pen press has approximately 700 titles in print and publishes around 60 new titles annually . in 2014 poisoned pen press launched the poisoned pencil—its young adult mystery imprint .
mark de castrique . a murder in passing . scottsdale , az : poisoned pen press , 2013 .
the poisoned pen press anniversary party was attended by about 50 readers and authors who spoke about their writing lives .
( poisoned pen press $ 24 . 95 ) signed by talton late this week having sold out the first .
if you don’t know the history of the award - winning poisoned pen press , you’ll want to check it out .
in 1997 peters and her husband robert rosenwald founded poisoned pen press , a separate corporation dedicated to publishing excellence in mystery .
robert rosenwald is the publisher of the poisoned pencil as well as its parent company , poisoned pen press . indeed , he formed the poisoned pencil with wife barbara g . peters in 1998 . read more >
poisoned pen press is well - known for the high quality of the books they publish . they are no longer a small press , but a well - respected publisher .
check out the great pw starred review for the debut novel of poisoned pen press author doug burgess ,
fogland point .
mark de castrique . a murder in passing . scottsdale , az : poisoned pen press , 2013 . | read north carolina novels
poisoned pen press’ 20 years of publishing translates to more than 1 , 000 titles , with authors coming from throughout the united states , as well as a few other countries . the poisoned pen press team consists of 10 people , including rosenwald and peters .
diane dibiase joined poisoned pen press in 2014 . a connecticut native , she attended smith college where she studied latin and . . .
founded in 2012 , the poisoned pencil is an imprint of poisoned pen press , one of the country ' s largest mystery book publishers . the poisoned pencil publishes books that feature a unique crime experienced through young adult eyes .
publishing excellence in mystery . poisoned pen press publishes the best in mystery fiction and specializes in introducing debut authors and mysteries to the genre .
, the poisoned pencil publishes only young adult mysteries . visit the poisoned pencil online at :
poisoned pen press has created the poisoned pencil , a new imprint for young adult mysteries . the new ya imprint is looking for manuscripts between 45 , 000 and 90 , 000 words .
titles from poisoned pen press are distributed by ingram publisher services , available through wholesalers , in your local bookstores , and for sale on this website .
may 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of poisoned pen press , which was founded—and is still owned—by publisher robert rosenwald and his wife , executive editor barbara peters .
poisoned pen press should be going strong for years to come . rosenwald and peters continue to be excited as publishers and owners of their nationally known bookstore .
“all i can say is , thank god for poisoned pen press . i am always so proud and honored to tell anyone and everyone that i am published by a press with a worldwide reputation for quality . ”
the poisoned pen press was founded in 1997 by barbara peters’s husband , robert rosenwald . it is an independent publisher that publishes more hardcover mysteries than most other publishers in the world . don’t let the similar names fool you : the poisoned pen press and the poisoned pen are two separate businesses in arizona each with their own staff and business plans . while barbara peters owns the bookstore , her husband owns the press . each offers the other business their unique expertise ; peters edits for the press and her husband works on it for the bookstore .
when i announced the anthony nominees the other day , i hadn ' t seen this important recognition . a lifetime achievement award will be given at bouchercon in baltimore to barbara peters and robert rosenwald of the poisoned pen bookstore in scottsdale , az , and poisoned pen press .
poisoned pen press has tended “to focus on traditional mysteries , where the investigation and solution of the crime is the driving force of the story , ” said rosenwald .
barbara peters , editor - in - chief of the poisoned pen press and owner of the poisoned pen bookstore in scottsdale , will moderate a series of brief conversations with several authors , after which you will have an opportunity to meet them , ask questions and purchase their books .
arizona - based publisher poisoned pen press has created its first imprint , dedicated to titles for teenagers , called poisoned pencil . the imprint is looking to release mysteries that cover , it said ,
all traditional
forms .
poisoned pen , which was founded in 1997 and specializes in mysteries , has more than 400 books in print .
poisoned pen press , one of the largest publishers of hardcover mysteries in the world , consistently receives positive and starred reviews from trade publications and the general press . their books have won or been nominated for every major award in the mystery genre .
poisoned pen press grew out of peters’s poisoned pen mystery bookstore , which one arizona television station recently described as “a landmark . ” opened in 1989 , the store , in the historic center of sunny scottsdale , attracted both hometown readers and tourists . when the snowbirds went home and couldn’t find the mysteries they wanted , they had the poisoned pen booksellers ship their orders , and today the bookstore’s business is 80 percent mail order .
“publication by poisoned pen press means being part of a tight - knit and supportive community . it’s all for one and one for all . we’re buoyed by camaraderie and good will . ”
lifelong learning at pc and the poisoned pen press from scottsdale will join forces in february to bring successfully published mystery authors to pebblecreek as part of lll’s continuing series of book and other events .
as of march 2017 , poisoned pen press has been located above the poisoned pen bookstore , in the old town art district of scottsdale , arizona . the bookstore was opened by rosenwald and peters in 1989 and is known for its large schedule of author and literary events and its global outreach through webcasts and worldwide shipping .
the poisoned pencil , an imprint of poisoned pen press , is releasing its first title , janie chodosh’s death spiral , on april 1 . the launch brings to fruition nearly two years of planning by imprint editor ellen larson and poisoned pen president and publisher robert rosenwald , who seek , according to rosenwald , “to fill a void in ya book publishing” with edgy mysteries that feature teenagers .
scottsdale , arizona – poisoned pen press announces the upcoming launch of its first imprint , the poisoned pencil . founded to publish original , high - quality mysteries for the young adult market , the poisoned pencil is seeking manuscripts of between 45 , 000 to 90 , 000 words in all traditional mystery forms . for full submission guidelines visit :
in celebration of our 20th anniversary , poisoned pen press has commissioned original short stories from thirty - five of its authors , past and present . some names will be immediately recognizable to mystery . . . read more
email any requests to sales @ poisonedpen . com . it ' s all part of the experience . thank you for supporting the poisoned pen .
“thus was born poisoned pen press . the first book we published was the compilation of those papers presented at the conference . it ended up being nominated for an edgar for best critical / biographical , ” said rosenwald .
with a packed calendar and devoted staff , barbara peters and the poisoned pen aren’t stopping anytime soon . next year , the poisoned pen turns 25 , and they will certainly celebrate the milestone with a celebration fit for this innovative bookstore who has redefined the author event and given conferences their signature spin .
we look forward to seeing what the poisoned pen accomplishes in the future . to read more about the store , check out their website at : urltoken
follow this link to submit your writing to the new imprint . jessica tribble was named publisher of the new imprint and ellen larson is the new editor . since 1997 , poisoned pen press has published more than 400 mystery books .
robert rosenwald graduated from st . john ' s college in santa fe , nm in 1969 . he helped his wife , barbara peters , found the poisoned pen , a mystery bookstore . . . and more in 1989 . jointly they started poisoned pen press - - publishing excellence in mystery in 1997 in order to combat problems caused by consolidation within mainstream publishing including the loss of backlist titles and the shrinking number of midlist authors . poisoned pen press has since become the second largest publisher of hardcover mysteries in the u . s . , has a backlist of over 700 titles , and currently publishes approximately forty new titles annually .
in recent years , poisoned pen press expanded into publishing the british library crime classics series in the u . s . and added a young adult fiction line . the latest addition is audiobooks , which rosenwald said “has a lot of potential . ”
poisoned pen press’s hardcover sales are driven in part by the collector market , where there’s a strong demand for signed copies . author events are the best way to get customers signed copies , especially personally inscribed copies , and the press maintains an email community for its authors , so that they can share information about contacts for signings .
“it ' s glorious to have reached our 20th year as an independent publisher , self - capitalized , debt free , and able to choose books to publish because we are crazy about them , ” said peters , executive editor of poisoned pen press .
poisoned pen press came into being in 1996 partly in response to the shrinking mid - list in mystery publishing . for barbara peters , owner of the scottsdale , arizona bookstore the poisoned pen , too many fine authors were losing their publishers to downsizing . her husband , arizona businessman robert rosenwald , decided to form an independent mystery publisher to address the problem . robert is the president and publisher ; barbara is the editor .
the poisoned pencil is a young adult mystery publisher committed to publishing original , high - quality mystery books for teens and adults . founded in 2012 , the pencil is an imprint of poisoned pen press – one of the largest publishers of mysteries in the country . we hope to be known as one of the top young adult mystery publishers .
“writing for poisoned pen press has been a rich , fulfilling experience for me . robert and barbara have assembled a highly competent , cheerful staff and have attracted a stable of talented writers who cheer each other on . it’s a family . i wanted to write for an indie press and was lucky enough to get on with the best one . ”
the poisoned pen arthur b . reeve , american mystery writer ( 1880 - 1936 ) this ebook presents «the poisoned pen» , from arthur b . reeve . a dynamic table of contents enables to jump directly to the chapter selected . table of contents - 01 - about this book - 02 - the poisoned pen - 03 - the yeggman - 04 - the germ of death - 05 - the firebug - 06 - the confidence king - 07 - the white slave - 08 - the forger - 09 - the
“in 2011 i decided it was time . after contacting ellen to see if she would be interested in being editor - in - chief and help launch our young adult imprint , the poisoned pencil , to which she readily agreed , she and our then - publisher at poisoned pen press , jessica tribble , began the search for our first titles . ”
though poisoned pen press shares a name with its sister bookstore in scottsdale , ariz . , “we are entirely separate businesses , ” explained press president and founder rob rosenwald . “barbara [ peters ] is my wife and editor - in - chief of the press , but she also runs the bookstore . when she’s at the publishing house she works for me , and when i am in the bookstore , doing handyman things , i work for her . ”
as editor - in - chief of poisoned pen press and owner of the poisoned pen bookstore , barbara peters wears many hats as she pulls off the fine balancing act of overseeing one of the most successful independent bookstores in arizona while working on the publishing side of the fence . “she’s tough and uses her years of experience and savvy in the biz to help shape my novels , ” says easley . “when she’s happy , i’m tickled to death . ”
it was a mildly crispy late afternoon in june when denis and i headed to the poisoned pen . we were both fairly recent converts to robert dugoni ' s books . . .
poisoned pen press now publishes 36 books per year , according to robert .
typically two hardcovers and one paperback per month .
they have a
first - look
deal with an independent film producer and their foreign sales are handled by danny baror of baror international .
“for me , being published by poisoned pen press is like coming home . at my first left coast crime , the ppp folks i met were ‘real’ authors and i was not , but they made me feel welcome . they’re great people and i consider myself very lucky . ”
not long ago , i posted about how much i like my publisher . clearly i ' m not the only one ! congratulations , robert rosenwald , barbara peters , and the whole team at poisoned pen press on being the 2010 recipient of the mwa ellery queen award ! cheers !
the poisoned pen by arthur b . reeve this book
the poisoned pen
is part of series of 12 books of
craig kennedy , scientific detective series
this is a collection of twelve short craig kennedy stories . it involves just the elements one expects from arthur b . reeve : numerous murders , discussion of technolies to apprehend criminals , and some interesting settings .
sam wiebe , the third echo , girl trouble : malfeasance occasional , macmillan / st . martin’s press
the world of publishing can seem distant , austere , and corporate , but the “family concept” at poisoned pen press resonated with kaehler . “really , it comes down to nurturing me as a writer and my career as an author . they do so with empathy and care—and with occasional tough love . ”
with a name like the poisoned pen , you may feel like you should be walking into the setting of a murder mystery instead of a favorite independent bookstore . since 1989 , barbara peters , the owner and founder of the poisoned pen , has made the scottsdale , az store a place where customers come from far and wide to pick up their next whodunit fix or the newest fiction title .
because of poisoned pen’s volume , all submissions are now electronic . when the press acquires a previously published title for which electronic files are not available , rosenwald’s crew may have a copy disassembled and sent to india for rekeying , which can cost as little as $ 215 for a 300 - page book .
recently , the publishing operation moved its offices into a space above the bookstore , but peters , now 77 , still often works from home , corresponding with the store and with the press’s other editor , annette rogers , who has been with the publisher for a dozen years . poisoned pen press has a total staff of 11 , and its latest hire is longtime putnam executive michael barson , who is director of publicity .
critic oline cogdill recently wrote a piece for mystery scene that celebrated the 20th anniversary and the history of poisoned pen press . due to copyright , i won’t reprint the article , but i’ll certainly encourage readers to check out the story , including photos of publisher robert rosenwald , and his wife , executive editor barbara peters . urltoken
“it has been such a remarkable ride , ” said rosenwald . “when we started poisoned pen press in 1997 we hoped to get a few out - of - print books back into print . now , 20 years later , we ' ve published nearly a hundred living authors and have a backlist approaching a thousand titles . ”
keith mccafferty and linda castillo braved the heat and made it to the pen . thanks for coming ! # bookstorelove
one reason for author interest in poisoned pen press may be its careful cultivation of the library market , which is currently the single largest market it serves . as of january , it publishes every new title in three editions : trade paper , hardback , and large print , since both hardback and large print are important for library collections .
poisoned pen press was established in 1997 . founders robert rosenwald and barbara peters , the owner of the legendary poisoned pen bookstore , didn’t aspire to create a publishing company that would rival the “big five . ” their goal was to publish works that were diverse and daring , that broke the cookie - cutter mold of traditional mysteries and thrillers . and they succeeded in doing that and more , publishing works ranging from an offbeat thriller set in botswana titled danger woman by frederick ramsay to jack the lady killer , a novel in verse by h . r . f . keating .
for news and updates about the poisoned pencil . members of the news media wishing to request additional information about the poisoned pencil are kindly asked to contact maryglenn mccombs by phone : ( 615 ) 297 - 9875 or by email :
to meet market demand for these titles , rosenwald set up shop as a publisher across the street from the bookstore . soon the press was publishing new material , often debut novels , as well as longtime favorites . today its authors , once established , may move to larger publishers—but established authors also sometimes make the move from big - name houses to poisoned pen .
larson has been a freelance editor and writer since 1990 , and began working with rosenwald 10 years ago to edit and help develop various poisoned pen mysteries . “ya mystery publishing had been rob’s dream for many years , and before i joined poisoned pencil he worked with jessica tribble to plan and organize the new press , ” said larson . “jessica was the publisher of the poisoned pencil during its inception and for the first year and a half of its existence . she guided me during those most important months . ” tribble is now managing editor at brilliance audio , but the imprint’s mission remains the same .
“in my 14 years with poisoned pen press , every last staff member has been a wonderful colleague , unfailingly so . barbara peters has been a caring and intelligent editor , and rob rosenwald has worked tirelessly to get my books in front of reviewers , award committees and , most of all , readers . i’m so lucky to be a part of it all . ”
in celebration of our 20th anniversary , poisoned pen press has commissioned original short stories from thirty - five of its authors , past and present . some names will be immediately recognizable to mystery aficionados - - kerry greenwood with her phryne fisher mysteries , now also a popular television program , or laurie r . king who has charmed sherlockians worldwide with her beloved mary russell series
other work : death will have your eyes , st . martin’s drive , poisoned pen press / harvest the killer is dying , walker & company chester himes : a life , canongate ; walker & company . ny times notable book of the year difficult lives : jim thompson , david goodis , chester himes , gryphon books the potato tree ( poetry ) , host publications
these very cool shirts are a big hit at the poisoned pen . my personal favorite being a toss up between about six of them , one being the brave new world shirt for kids . ( click here to see all the different choices )
peters and rosenwald trade credit for the ongoing success of poisoned pen press . “rob did the deals for our bestselling books , ” peters said . “miss fischer came to us complete , so i can’t claim any responsibility for that . and james [ sallis ] always writes a clean novel , without any extra words , so my work was very limited there as well . ”
the new imprint will publish four titles in 2014 , but may increase its output next year depending on how the brand is received . poisoned pen , which is distributed by ingram publisher services , is headquartered in scottsdale , ariz . ; larson lives and works in upstate new york . “i’m the east coast branch of poisoned pencil , ” she said with a laugh .
the authors are responsible for most of their own signings . because they all have day jobs and / or a variety of other commitments , authors can arrange their events more easily than the press staff can—especially given the press’s small staff and volume of publishing .
speaking of accolades , next month poisoned pen founders barbara peters and robert rosenwald will receive the 2010 ellery queen award from the mystery writers of america for “their generous and wide - ranging support of the genre . ” the husband and wife , who founded the press in 1996 , were also honored in 2008 with a lifetime achievement award at the 2008 bouchercon crime and mystery conference .
“to me , being published by poisoned pen press first means being rigorously ( and compassionately ) checked , edited , and presented to the world . my story and words are buffed and polished so that i know my best foot goes forward . second , it means i have a community supporting me–friends , taskmasters , fans , confidants and colleagues among the staff and my fellow authors . ”
“i first met barbara peters at a bouchercon event years before the founding of poisoned pen press . during our brief conversation , i was struck by–nearly bowled over by ! –her enthusiasm for mystery novels and her insights into my books . ‘wow , ’ i thought to myself , ‘she would make a great editor–better than any i’ve had . ’ well , my wish has come true ! ”
i may have been clueless about what it takes to be successful publishing mysteries when i telephoned jessica tribble , associate publisher at the well - established and well - respected poisoned pen press . but an hour later , i had discovered why this ibpa member can now produce and promote at least three books a month , support a backlist of some 450 titles , and garner industry accolades .
atheism books for teens books for young adults bullying canadian authors chaos theory drug abuse ellen larson endangered species food good books good books for teens hardware hipster holidays james ryan daley jesus jackson kate jaimet light lisa m . cronkhite mac magical realism meg dobson melissa tantaquidgeon zobel mental illness m evonne dobson mysteries native american fiction place poisoned pen press rumors teen fiction teen issues teen noir the poisoned pencil treva hall melvin troubled teens video - 2 writing ya books ya fiction ya mystery young adult books young adult fiction young adult mystery
“my generation was taught to be readers , not writers . i started down that dubious path in response to a challenge by my ( then ) new bride . why not write a book ? she said . after many years and rewrites , poisoned pen press bought artscape , the first of many i would write for them . numbers 20 and 21 currently rest uneasily on my hard drive . ”
“writers should root for the success of their colleagues , because sharing in the joys of your friends’ accomplishments enhances the wonder of your own journey . yes , that principle is far easier to preach than achieve , which is precisely what makes poisoned pen press such and extraordinary place to call home . ppp camaraderie goes a long ways towards assuring that a writer’s solitary existence never becomes a lonely one . ”
i recall speaking to a publishing industry insider who once proclaimed that anyone venturing into the world of publishing was swimming in precarious water . “you can’t defy the odds , ” he said . “publishing is fraught with all sorts of pitfalls . ” one of the few companies that has defied all odds , growing every year and earning the respect of publishers , authors , and other industry professionals , is poisoned pen press .
founded in 1997 by robert rosenwald ( president and founder ) , barbara peters ( editor - in - chief ) , and their daughter susan malling , poisoned pen press is an independent publisher of mystery novels . our award - winning mystery writers and our commitment to excellence for our readers set us apart . based in scottsdale , arizona , in 2017 we celebrated 20 years of publishing some of the best novels of the genre .
at a time when major publishing companies have fewer and fewer resources to support their authors , tammy kaehler lauds poisoned pen for its publicity and marketing support . “they let me be me , whether that’s my unusual topic or unconventional marketing approaches—and they support me where and how they can . ”
“i ' m very proud of our authors and of the poisoned pen press staff , which inevitably has evolved over the years . with a great team and list in place we ' re experimenting with a line of paperback originals as well as working to bring the work of our authors to a wider range of readers , plus publishing the sterling work of the british library crime classics program here in the united states , ” peters added .
in 1996 , the poisoned pen bookstore hosted a crime conference called az murder goes . . . classic . the conference featured current crime writers talking about classic crime writers . after the conference the authors , who had all presented papers at the conference , asked what the bookstore would do with them .
our books routinely earn starred reviews from trade publications and the general press and have also won or been nominated for every major award in the mystery genre .
“we hosted its first thrillerfest the next year at the biltmore . now it meets each july in nyc . if i have a theme for this year it would be ‘experience the unexpected’ , and authors include qiu xiaolong , marcia clark , steve hamilton , susanna kearsley , and jane cleland , a cupcake cozy with aavery aames , kate carlisle , and jenn mckinlay , and two of my own authors from poisoned pen press , michael kahn and sheldon siegel , ” peters continues .
pppress books routinely earn starred reviews from trade publications and the general press and have also won , or been nominated for , every major award in the mystery genre .
keeping in line with no corporate policies , the poisoned pen doesn’t do author events like other stores where an author just does a reading or pitch . “we offer an evening ( or afternoon , or whole day ) out with an interview of 60–90 minutes that might include some reading , very interactive with questions , ” peters states .
when it comes to different kinds of events , it seems like the poisoned pen has tried it all . “we host big events offsite at the arizona biltmore or various libraries or other locations . we support offsite events publishers set up , say a business event . we’ve hosted teas and rum - tasting parties and potlucks and book launches and author lunches and dinners and once a new year’s eve party with readings . this year we’ll get to do a halloween party with sara paretsky so we may do prizes for costumes , ” peter states . all of the events ring true to the poisoned pen’s motto , “it’s more than a bookstore , it’s an experience . ”
the poisoned pen bookstore , founded in 1989 by barbara g . peters is an independent bookstore with strong specialties in crime fiction , especially british mystery and noir , history and literature of the american southwest . the store is well known for its heavy schedule of author events and for autographed first editions and does business nationally and internationally .
most new titles are about 250 pages , and their texts are designed with a standard template . print specs are standardized , too : 50 # text stock and 10 pt cover stock , coated to ensure the books travel well . this standardization is another reason that poisoned pen can release three dozen titles annually in three editions each—more than 100 products—with its very small staff .
the poisoned pencil is particularly interested in works with off - beat approaches young adults can really feel connected to and narrative choices that reflect the complexity and ambiguity of today’s world . read more >
it ' s a well - deserved honor . i appreciate all of barbara peters ' efforts to bring authors to the community . she ' s worked hard over the years to build an outstanding independent bookstore . the poisoned pen bookstore also works closely with the libraries in the area , to assist us in bringing authors to our communities . the bookstore provides the books that are sold when authors appear .
* baby blue * by pol koutsakis translated by anne - marie stanton - ife , june 2018 , 292 pages , bitter lemon press , isbn : 190852491x * reviewed by lynn harvey . * . . .
before the poisoned pen , peters was a librarian for a university and the library of congress as well as a lawyer . the store would have never have been born if peters hadn’t chosen crime fiction titles over law . “after a serious medical mishap sidelined me , i moved to arizona where my husband to be one day said , ‘now that you can do whatever you want , what is it you’re going to do ? ’”
“the common thread in poisoned pencil is that each book features a unique crime experienced through young adult eyes , ” said larson . “they don’t necessarily provide all the happy answers , but they challenge the mind . ”
here is the list of new releases for july 9 to july 15 ! lorna barrett ( aka l . l . bartlett & lorraine bartlett ) poisoned pages ( this will be the 12th in the . . .
the recent move in bookselling away from the chain model and to online outlets has led to some changes in what the poisoned pen sells . “we’ve been pushed for say a decade out of crime fiction and into a bookstore that specialized in fiction and whatever else we like . the great thing about being an independent is when people ask , ‘why is this book here ? ’ we reply , ‘because we like it . ’ no corporate policy controls , ” she continues .
is an independent publisher of mystery novels . its award - winning mystery writers and commitment to excellence for its readers set the press apart . based in scottsdale , arizona , pppress now celebrates 20 years of publishing some of the best novels in the genre .
although sales promotion is a focus for the press , its authors vary significantly in their promotional ability . the authors with young children often have complicated schedules , while older ones tend to be calmer and can adapt to the unpredictabilities of event venues and attendance .
“our online customers , who outnumber our local customers , participate in drawings for prizes and can watch webcasts of some of our events , ” barbara peters states . their webcasts on their livestream account allow fans of their bookstore to personalize their experience with the poisoned press . this is especially helpful since nearly 15 percent of their business is global now . there are over 60 webcasts with authors such as sue grafton , lauren beukes , john sandford , and craig johnson with new ones being added all the time .
first of all - happy new year to all of our customers ! at the beginning of each year , we , at the poisoned pen , look forward to the new titles that will be released throughout the year . in a way , we help keep america reading - which is very important . more importantly , we would like to thank every customer who has bought a book from us this past year ; it is because of you that we are able to keep this independent bookstore running . thank you !
that independent spirit has inspired loyalty to poisoned pen , from their employees who have worked there for a long time to their authors who have nothing but praise for the team . author warren easley said , “their support of me goes back to before i signed a contract with them . they turned down two of my manuscripts , but each time it was with a detailed critique of the book and encouragement to stay at it and query them again . i took their critiques to heart and the third manuscript i submitted led to a three - book deal . ”
larson put out the call for manuscripts in the fall of 2012 . “i received 20 or 30 submissions right away , from both agents and authors , and read every single one of them , ” she said . out of that group she plucked a half - dozen with protagonists in the 13 - to 18 - year - old range , which she signed for poisoned pencil . although larson and rosenwald knew what they weren’t interested in , including paranormal , science fiction , and vampire novels , it took a bit longer to establish the poisoned pencil brand .
i’m ellen larson , and i’m the editor of the poisoned pencil . which means i’m the one who reviews the submissions , reads those that meet our criteria , and recommend to jessica those that i think we should acquire . once we’ve acquired a book , i . . .
“i wish i were able to attend the anniversary party , as i’d love to toast ppp’s twenty remarkable years . my novels have benefited enormously from its wise editors . more importantly , i treasure the friendly , personal relationships that the press fosters . in my experience , that is truly unique in the industry . ”
robert kanigel the man who knew infinity , scribner . ny times notable book of the year ; l . a . times book award nominee ; nbcc award nominee apprentice to genius , johns hopkins univ press the one best way , viking . ny times notable book of the year high season in nice , little , brown
it only takes a quick glance at the calendar to see that the poisoned pen has an author event nearly every day . due to the large crowds each event draws , there are fewer books stocked in the store and more daily deliveries to ensure they can sit over 160 people and have standing room for 200 . “we add visuals , power point presentations , music . food works , so we serve a lot of it free . we give away arcs at events to customers who have supported the author by buying a book ( we gets hundreds of arcs so it’s a great use for them ) , ” peters explains .
liz mugavero is the author of the pawsitively organic mysteries , published by kensington books , kneading to die , a 2013 agatha nominee , a biscuit , a casket , the icing on the corpse , and murder most finicky . liz also writes the cat about town series as cate conte for st . martin ' s press , coming soon .
kimberly kurth gray is a recipient of the william f . deck - malice domestic grant for unpublished writers . in addition to her monthly post as the detective ' s daughter , she writes for scenes from a baltimore kitchen . her latest short story can be found in the boardwalk , a rehoboth beach anthology published by cat and mouse press .
the new imprint seeks “works with off - beat approaches and narrative choices that reflect the complexity and ambiguity of today’s world . ” tribble explained more in the release : “our goal with the poisoned pencil is to publish young adult mysteries that are fast - paced and relevant to today’s teens—books that adults will also want to read . ”
here are the april 2018 books by some of our members . they may all be found at your local independent bookstore . visit this link to find a store near you : urltoken books barbara allan , antiques wanted , kensington baron r . birtcher , fistful of rain , permanent press w . edward blain , passion play , pegasus christine e . blum , murder most
here are the february 2018 books by some of our members . they may all be found at your local independent bookstore . visit this link to find a store near you : urltoken books j . d . allen , 19 souls , midnight ink kelley armstrong , this fallen prey , minotaur edward arno , coronation souvenir , victory rose press alex berenson , the deceivers , penguin
throughout the years , robert rosenwald and barbara peters have won awards for their work at the press . they received a lifetime achievement award at the bouchercon crime and mystery conference in 2008 and the ellery queen award at the mystery writers of america in 2010 . some of their recent titles include michael bowen’s “ a michaelson and marjorie mystery “ series , jon talton’s the night detectives , and michael kahn’s the flinch factor .
delving into the ya category , rosenwald says , gives poisoned pen “a chance to give mysteries to an audience that is constantly facing the unknown , the unexpected , and even the dangerous . ” the 17 - year - old protagonist in lisa m . cronkhite’s disconnected ( june ) can’t remember much of her past , and struggles to understand what happened to her family – and why there is a grave with her name on it . in jesus jackson by james daley ( sept . ) , a 14 - year old boy searches for meaning – and a killer – following the death of his idealized older brother at their catholic school . treva hall melvin’s mr . samuel’s penny ( nov . ) features an african - american girl searching for clues that will help identity the killer of a friend and his two - year - old daughter .
rosenwald saw an opportunity to take advantage of still - developing print - on - demand technology to do paperback originals , which was unorthodox at the time . but the publisher quickly shifted into producing original titles . “we started with four books , that first year , and are now doing 60 a year , ” he said . “it has gotten a little out of hand . ” the press’s backlist is now more than 700 titles .
in addition , les co - edited with s . e . dahlinger a collection of mystery - related material from the bookman magazine ( 1895 - 1933 ) , to be published in 2007 by wessex press . wessex also will publish a collection of his sherlockian essays in 2007 . klinger writes occasional book reviews for the los angeles times . his current project is the new annotated dracula , to be published by w . w . norton in 2008 .
like a good novelist , tribble has a clear idea of each kind of press author , and she segmented them as a , b , c , or d level . as many as 20 percent belong in the first category : they do frequent signings , maintain blogs and / or web sites , know their customers well , and publish a book each year . some work in advertising , and when it comes to promotion , “they really get it . ”
when it comes to promotion , tribble also works in high volume , with an average of 20 ( and sometimes as many as 40 ) messages a day on twitter . “i’m an addict , ” she admits , pointing out that the high number is partly because she and the press authors retweet each others’ messages . she cuts down the work involved by using tweetdeck , an online service that automatically sorts incoming tweets into files such as “must read” and “author tweets . ”
the deborah knott series , mysterious press and grand central publishing : bootlegger’s daughter . winner , edgar , anthony , agatha , macavity awards for best novel . washington post bookworld bestseller southern discomfort shooting at loons up jumps the devil . winner , agatha award best novel killer market home fires storm track uncommon clay slow dollar high country fall rituals of the season winter’s child hard row . ny times bestseller death’s half acre . ny times bestseller sand sharks christmas mourning three - day town
which meant i understood completely the desire of the older generation of the abrahams family to find a just solution to the crime as quickly as possible . too much attention from the police or especially from the press would be seen as inviting just the kind of trouble that they had all left behind in europe . not that there weren’t occasionally violent impulses and certainly casual anti - semitism in australia , but so far , those impulses had not broken out in pogroms and outright persecutions .
, editor of the poisoned pencil , commented ,
we ' re not looking for clones of last year ' s hits . we aim to be known for our own list of smart , edgy mysteries that explore subjects real teens face every day - - books that will appeal to teens and adults alike , because they ' ll make you think . our first four titles give you a hint about the scope of the pencil : you can ' t define us , but you ' ll know it ' s a pencil title when you read it .
peters : i think that , like all genre fiction , mystery swings up and down . it crested in the early ' 90s and is still down , while thrillers and big box books are up , largely because big publishers need immense numbers . i think readers are becoming bored with big books with high stakes and are willing to return to the smaller mystery . romance and history work well . so does the regional book , with its deep sense of place . i have expanded my definition of mystery to include the crime novel , and i think there are enough readers to keep us going at the bookstore , which survived 2002 intact , and at the press .
“both are successful and challenging and as neither of us draws a paycheck , true labors of love . neither of us can imagine retiring but we are making provision for both in case one of us is sidelined by age or illness . meanwhile we bucket along , doing the nuts and bolts but working on reinventing ourselves as often as we can . to that end , i’ve just promoted the 21 - year - old to fill a vacancy so she can keep dragging us along into the future , and we’ve hired a more seasoned copy editor for the press to improve the quality of our production . you can never afford to sit still , ” barbara peters states .
hi folks , has anyone out there ever worked with poisoned pen , or have knowledge of their editorial process . being fairly knew to the ' game ' , i ' m somewhat aware of the agent - publisher relationship and the rejection vs . acceptance processes with the big houses , but as i ' ve decided to seek a small independent house for my first mystery novel , i thought that ppp was a good choice . after querying , i was asked to send a 30 - page sample , which got reviewed and then sent on to a couple readers . i then was informed that the readers found enough promise in the project to have me send them the full mss . to be sent to a couple more readers . apparently if all of these readers are favorable toward the mss . it goes to four others , and then possibly to the executive editor . is this a fairly common practice ? i have had a wonderful experience with ppp thus far and was even pleased with some of the harsh criticism i got , as i know it will just make my work better . do other houses work in this manner , and if there is someone who has experience or knows about ppp , do you know how many full mss . they actually review ? i ' m just curious and would love to hear from anyone ' s insight . thanks , : hat jay
british author - illustrator katie green discusses her graphic memoir ‘lighter than my shadow , ’ which traces her long struggle with and recovery from anorexia , as well as why telling the story visually was so important .
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vancouver , british columbia—land of psychotically expensive real estate , high - grade cannabis , and jake constable . a man adrift . after jake quits the drug business , his realtor / ex - wife , nina , gets him a job as . . .
ramsay evokes a time and a place so vividly through jesse ' s voice that i didn ' t read this novel so much as savor every page .
—new york times best - selling author dana . . .
there ' s trouble brewing in the woods of beauville , and the only witness isn ' t talking . when pru marlowe is called to a forest clearing to help with an illegally trapped bear , . . .
with an introduction by martin edwards
never had i been given a tougher problem to solve , and never had i been so utterly at my wits ' end for a solution .
. . .
mondo mega money is a murder magnet . ten months ago allie harper—smart , feisty , too broke to get her car fixed—rescued thomas bennington iii—a hot , blind , college professor—from a crosswalk in . . .


peerless motor company was an american automobile manufacturer that produced the peerless brand of motorcars in cleveland , ohio , from 1900 to 1931 .

one of the " three ps " - packard , peerless , and pierce-arrow-the company was known for building high-quality , luxury automobiles .

peerless popularized a number of vehicle innovations that later became standard equipment , including drum brakes and the first enclosed-body production cars .

peerless motor company

peerless custom 8 was a car produced by peerless motor company . . . . more on wikipedia
peerless series 69 was a car produced by peerless motor company . . . . more on wikipedia
peerless series 67 was a car produced by peerless motor company . . . . more on wikipedia
peerless deluxe custom 8 was a car produced by peerless motor company . . . . more on wikipedia
peerless was an american automobile produced by the peerless motor company of cleveland , ohio . the company was known for building high - quality , precision luxury automobiles .
peerless motor car co . , cleveland , oh . peerless motor cars 1910 , 1909 , man driving car and woman sitting on porch .
national museum of american history library , nmah library , peerless cars , peerless motor car co . ,
peerless motor car co . , cleveland , oh . peerless motor cars 1910 , 1909 , tool box with receptacle for prest - o - lite tank and seat covers for peerless cars ( car driving in city ) .
the peerless motor car company began in 1869 as the peerless wringer and manufacturing company . it became the peerless manufacturing company in 1891 when it added bicycles to its line of wringer washing machines . the plant on lisbon street , adjacent to the cleveland and pittsburgh railroad tracks , had a rectangular , two - story office . the cleveland rubber company , whose general manager l . k . mcclymonds presided over the peerless manufacturing company , stood next door .
ford motor company , cleveland branch assembly plant , euclid avenue & east 116th street , cleveland , cuyahoga county , . . .
peerless motor car co . | encyclopedia of cleveland history | case western reserve university | case western reserve university
soon automobiles came along , and in 1902 , the company became peerless motor car co . at first , peerless manufactured racing cars , notably the green dragon driven by barney oldfield , but then went on to build luxury cars . the last car built on the assembly line by peerless motor car co . was in 1931 .
like many american automobile manufacturers , the great depression proved to be too much of a challenge to the peerless motor vehicle company . the company built its last cars in june 1931 , although some of these cars were sold as new models in 1932 .
in 1925 a new company peerless trading was set up in the uk to build british peerless trucks from spare parts and locally sourced components .
peerless was a united states automobile produced by the peerless motor car company of cleveland , ohio , usa . the company was known for building high - quality , precision luxury automobiles . peerless ' factory was located at 9400 quincy avenue in cleveland , ohio . [ 1 ] the company also built heavy trucks from 1911 to 1918 , with a large number being shipped to the uk during world war one .
established in 1869 in cincinnati to build clothes wringers , the peerless manufacturing company relocated to cleveland in the 1880s and began to build bicycles in 1891 , then switched to cars around the turn of the century . peerless soon found a pretty good niche in automobiles , building some of america’s most prestigious luxury cars , and found enough success at it to warrant changing the company name to peerless motor car company in 1905 .
this 1932 peerless , with a complete aluminum body and engine , was one of only 3 built by the peerless motor car co . crawford auto - aviation museum , wrhs .
along with pierce - arrow and packard , peerless was one of the “three ps” known for making cars . but peerless did not always manufacture cars . before the company was peerless motor car co . , it was known as peerless manufacturing co . their products included clothes wringers , bicycles , and eventually horseless single - cylinder * buggies called motorettes .
peerless roots dates back to 1874 in cincinnati , ohio as a manufacturer of clothes wringers , clothespins , and washboards . from the beginning , the peerless company was successful and within a short fifteen years , had outgrown their facilities and were searching for new space . the company formed with the mercantile manufacturing company in cleveland and the new organization became the peerless manufacturing company . the cleveland location offered several advantages over cincinnati , mainly better access to shipping .
the peerless motor car company remains something of an enigma in the cleveland automobile industry . while the peerless car ranked among the nation ' s most expensive , its production outlasted moat of cleveland ' s medium - priced automobiles . while the peerless factory
foreshadowed the best in modern architectural trends ,
the plant ' s manufacturing methods were twenty years behind the times when the company folded in 1931 .
and find catalogs by automobile manufacturers . let’s take a look at one of these catalogs , a catalog describing the 1910 car models for peerless motor car co .
historic american engineering record , creator , et al . peerless motor car company , east ninety - third street & quincy avenue , cleveland , cuyahoga county , oh . documentation compiled after . photograph . retrieved from the library of congress , < urltoken > .
in 1902 , the company reorganized as the peerless motor car company with a capitalization of $ 600 , 000 . the company maintained l . k . mcclyraonds as president and appointed lewis h . kittredge as its general manager and lewis d . mooers as its mechanical engineer . mooers
designed a range of cars which were very advanced for their time ,
with shaft drive , bevel gears , and pressed steel - frame construction .
the peerless motor car company produced 90 automobiles in 1902 , raising that total to 400 in 1903 . the company manufactured many of its own components , becoming one of the first cleveland automobile plants to achieve a degree of self - sufficiency . that self - sufficiency did not lower the cost of the company ' s automobiles . ranging in price from $ 2 , 800 to $ 11 , 000 , the peerless was , in 1903 ,
the most costly touring car built in america .
the peerless motor vehicle company was located in cleveland , ohio . the peerless company originally built clothes wringers and bicycles but in 1900 began producing its first automobiles . in its early years , peerless was known for its innovation in automobile design . it was the first american automobile manufacturer to mount the engine in the front , using it to power the rear wheels through a solid drive shaft . this design dominated the american automobile industry throughout most of the twentieth century .
peerless motor cars 1910 is located in the trade literature collection at the national museum of american history library . take a look at galaxy of images to see more pages from this catalog .
the peerless motor car co . , noted for its luxury automobiles , was established in cleveland in 1889 as the peerless wringer & mfg . co . , located on the city ' s east side at the junction of the cleveland & pittsburgh and the new york , chicago & st . louis railroads . by 1892 it had become the peerless mfg . co . originally a producer of washing - machine wringers , peerless moved to 2654 lisbon st . in 1895 and began making bicycles in the late 1890s . the company was manufacturing automobiles and parts in 1901 and was renamed the peerless motor car co . 2 years later . the company ' s factory , built in 1906 at 9400 quincy ave . , was designed by architect j . milton dyer .
in the early part of 1900 , the peerless manufacturing company became a parts supplier for the dedion - bouton matoretta , a french automobile manufactured in brooklyn , new york . when that company ceased production late in 1900 , peerless began manufacturing its own motorette automobile as well as offering general machining and brass foundry services .
in 1930 - 31 , peerless commissioned murphy body works of pasadena , california , to design what the company envisioned as its 1933 model . the task was assigned to a young frank hershey . hershey ' s design for peerless was a remarkably clean , elegant vehicle , powered by the company ' s planned v16 engine .
company director ron ham . it was set back to 2 litre form sometime in the 70’s or 80’s .
below is a list of all peerless cars & models that have come out so far . this peerless vehicle model list includes photos of peerless vehicles along with release dates and body types of each car . did you used to drive one of the old peerless cars on this list ? the company has had hits and misses , but definitely have put out some great cars . this poll features items like peerless series 67 and peerless custom 8 this list of car models made by peerless is a great way to see how peerless has evolved over the years . peerless types also have car class information available if you click on their names and go to their dedicated page .
historic american engineering record , creator , j milton dyer , john mcgeorge , j c schultz , ernest mcgeorge , and l k mcclymonds . peerless motor car company , east ninety - third street & quincy avenue , cleveland , cuyahoga county , oh . cleveland cuyahoga county ohio , 1968 . documentation compiled after . photograph . urltoken
whatever the rationale , peerless converted its factory at 9400 quincy avenue in cleveland from auto plant to beer brewery . hendry noted that peerless officially changed its name to the peerless corporation in 1934 , but just about every other source refers to post - automotive peerless as the brewing corporation of america , and we’ve found no reference to the peerless name being used afterward . carling’s black label beer proved its most popular product , and the company grew rapidly during the mid - 1950s , changing its name once again in 1954 to carling brewing company .
during the first world war , the company supplied trucks and military automobile chassis in support of the war effort .
the peerless manufacturing company of cleveland , ohio became the world leader in laundry equipment and continued to find new business in licensing its designs and name to manufacturers outside north america .
the body was designed and built by murphy body co . of california . while work was underway on a coupe body murphy received word from the peerless company to stop the project ; all automobile manufacturing was being ended . the sedan was driven back to cleveland and stored in the old peerless plant - which had been taken over by the carling brewing company .
to promote the company and its products , the company hired a famous race car driver , barry oldfield , to drive one of its cars . the car soon earned the nickname the
green dragon .
oldfield set a number of speed records in the green dragon , making peerless a respected name in automobile manufacturing . over time , a number of
green dragons
were built to advertise the company .
wonderful writing and photo , dan ! i found a peerless once with a 6 - digit patent number which proved to go back to 1869 . the company goes back to 1865 .
unfortunately , production was halted before the coupe versions could be completed . the decision was made to switch to beer production . the peerless sedan would be the final vehicle produced by the company .
the company survived for many years , struggling through the great depression era , and after completing one v - 16 prototype the company shut down in mid - 1932 . when the volstead act was repealed , ending prohibition , the peerless applied for a license to brew carling ' s black label beer and red cap ale . the company prospered and by the 1960 ' s had twenty - three breweries in the us . , canada , and overseas .
as with all peerless cars , this prototype is built largely of lightweight aluminum to a design by murphy . peerless was one of the very few companies to use a v - 16 engine , and the 465 - cubic - inch v - 16 in this prototype offered 173 bhp , enabling the car to cruise at speeds around 100 mph in great comfort . due to the economic climate at the time , the company decided that luxury cars were not the way to go . peerless ended car production entirely in 1932 , and redirected its efforts into the far more lucrative brewing business . as such , this car is the very last car produced by the pioneering peerless motor car company . the prototype was later purchased by the crawford auto - aviation museum .
by 1960 , peerless cars ltd . were in considerable financial difficulty and they were soon forced into liquidation . despite this , the enthusiasm of the directors continued , and rather than sell off the large quantities of spares and equipment for next to nothing , it was decided that they should form a new company and restart production on a more modest scale . the phase 2 peerless had ( in company press releases ) been describe
a sixty - horsepower four - cylinder peerless was created by mooers by 1904 . it was used by the company ' s new driver , eli ' barney ' oldfield for use in competition . the car was given the nickname , the ' peerless green dragon ' and would become a pillar in defining peerless ' s reputation for high performance coupled with quality and durability .
established in cleveland in 1900 , peerless motors began producing de dion ' machines ' under license from the french company . at the time , cleveland was the thriving center of automotive production in the united states . peerless employed barney oldfield as a driver of its green dragon racecar ; in early speed races peerless proved the durability of the product and setting world speed records .
soon , peerless began to promote its automobiles as luxury cars . the company ' s slogan became
all that the name implies .
advertising for the car described
an interior resembling a cozy and luxuriously furnished drawing room .
the focus on luxury meant that only wealthy americans could afford to own a peerless . unfortunately , although peerless had been known for its technical innovations in automotive design in the early years , it began to stagnate by the 1910s and 1920s . eventually , peerless no longer focused on the luxury market and began to manufacture automobiles for mainstream markets . the company changed its slogan to
now there ' s a peerless for everyone .
but let’s go back to 1910 when the company was busy making cars . peerless motor cars 1910 illustrates two models for that year . model 27 is a four - cylinder thirty horsepower car and model 28 is a six - cylinder fifty horsepower car . the catalog begins with a description of both models including improvements for the 1910 models . one improvement was “a larger gasoline tank , holding about 22 gallons . ”
established in cleveland in 1900 , peerless motors began producing de dion - bouton
machines
under license from the french company . at the time , cleveland was the thriving center of automotive production in the united states . peerless employed barney oldfield as a driver of its green dragon racecar ; in early speed races peerless proved the durability of the product and setting world speed records . peerless was noted for its use of flat - plane crankshafts in its engine designs .
carling itself remained in business afterward , merging with national brewing company in 1975 before being bought out by g . heileman brewing in 1979 . stroh then bought out g . heileman in 1996 and pabst in turn bought the carling brand from stroh in 1999 . pabst continues to market carling black label in the united states today , while carling products overseas continue to be marketed by the descendant company of the original canadian carling company .
my grandfather rh collins and his associates purchased peerless motor car company in may of 1922 . prior to that he was the president of cadillac . he left gm in 1922 along with his friend billy durant . he met durant in 1908 when he was general sales manager of john deere . he also was a general manager at buick and a vice president at gm exports sales prior to joining cadillac as president in 1918 . i think that he left peerless in about 1926 and retired in pasadens , ca . his son wilbur collins and son - in - law frank miller were on the board at peerless also . .
historic american engineering record , c . , dyer , j . m . , mcgeorge , j . , schultz , j . c . , mcgeorge , e . & mcclymonds , l . k . ( 1968 ) peerless motor car company , east ninety - third street & quincy avenue , cleveland , cuyahoga county , oh . cleveland cuyahoga county ohio , 1968 . documentation compiled after . [ photograph ] retrieved from the library of congress , urltoken
you can take todays peerless for a drive , you might get in trouble if caught .
peerless ' downfall was in its quality . [ citation ( source ) needed ] in the 1920s , the company was producing conservatively - styled vehicles that would last for ten or more years . current peerless owners held onto their cars , which ran very well ; new money buyers of luxury cars were attracted to lasalle , packard and the studebaker president series .
this article is about the american automobile . for other uses , see peerless ( disambiguation ) .
the peerless la type was a 7 - tonner of forward control layout fitted with a gardner engine .
two years after moving to cleveland , the company embarked on new business ventures ; bicycle building had become popular and peerless followed the boom , entering the business around 1891 . success again followed , but the business of bicycle making was short - lived , as auto production soon surpassed bicycles . peerless decided to follow the trend , and entered the new and uncharted world of automobile production .
the disagreement also resulted in peerless motors losing its franchise , which meant it eventually fell back into receivership . there had been an urgent need to find another project to keep the company afloat and john gordon managed to persuade jim keeble to join him as chief designer and ( the only ) engineer to help him develop a chassis for use with the corvette engine and gearbox . this car became know as the gordon gt . the new company ( the gordon automobile company ) approached many people in an endeavour to find strong financial backing without success and eventually , with only the prototype built , john gordon and jim keeble parted company . as it happens the project was resurrected at a later date and premises were established at eastleigh ( hampshire ) where ' gordon keeble ltd ' was founded . a total of 99 gordon keebles were built and many still survive to this day .
so it’s a bit of a fallacy to think that all automakers live and die by the car alone . as companies , they often have multiple streams of revenue and multiple paths to continued survival that frequently have nothing to do with cars . and sometimes , those non - automotive ventures keep the carmakers’ names – or even certain components , like engines – around long after auto production ceases , long after the official end dates given in the encyclopedias . no less , some of them make for good stories , as is the case with the peerless motor car company .
so in a way , you can still buy a peerless product . just don’t take it for a drive .
just as the car was ready to be shipped back to cleveland , the board of directors pulled peerless out of the automotive business and reoriented the company to brew beer under the carling black label brand . hershey ' s prototype was walled up in a room at the peerless factory where it sat until the end of world war ii . hershey ' s prototype is now owned by the crawford auto - aviation museum in cleveland .
peerless was the first company to successfully use a flyball governor to maintain speeds . they were the first to use a hinged steering wheel which allowed easier access into the cockpits for the driver . another first was the use of aluminum in their side - entrance tonneau along with being the first closed formal body in american production .
i have a lot of car pictures , including 2 of the 3 p’s packard & pierce arrow , but peerless has escaped me so far . metal recycling drives for war production were especially hard on peerless cars because of their high aluminum content .
of documentation regarding the factory . their documentation addresses the history of the structure and of the peerless operations in cleveland in detail .
around 1971 , i found 17 peerless automobiles sitting in sheds on a farm in illinois , along with about 200 packards . the peerless cars were very large and beautifully appointed on the inside . there used to be a saying : the three p’s , packard , peerless , pierce arrow . i visited that farm nearly 40 years later and most of the cars on that farm had rotted into the ground .
throughout the catalog are images of several peerless cars . one of these is the peerless limousine . “planned and built on attractive lines calculated to please the most refined tastes , ” the peerless limousine seated five people . passengers had the luxury of electric reading lights , armrests , and a speaking tube to communicate with the driver . other cars illustrated in the catalog include the touring car , roadster , and landaulet .
the following peerless vehicles are deemed
classic cars
by the classic car club of america ( ccca ) : 1925 series 67 ; 1926 — 1928 series 69 ; 1930 - 1 custom 8 and the 1932 deluxe custom 8 . however , all peerless vehicles are considered collectible .
peerless ' downfall was in its quality . in the 1920s , the company was producing conservatively styled vehicles that would last for ten or more years . current peerless owners held onto their cars , which ran very well ; new buyers of luxury cars were attracted to lasalle , packard and the studebaker president series . the great depression made it difficult for many to afford these high - priced vehicles . the small group of individuals who could afford one slowly diminished and the competition from other builders decreased the number of potential buyers .
were published in march / april 1961 by autosport , the motor and the autocar . although
the motor
considered that there was a little understeer or oversteer , with the handling remaining well balanced at all times , john bolster , writing for
autosport
, thought that the handling was not as sure as the peerless he had previously tested . he initially believed that the warwick had a tendency to bounce on bumpy corners , whereas his colleague in the passenger seat had been very impressed with the roadholding , so he discounted his first assessment . meanwhile , stuart bladon of
the motor
tested the same car and criticised the roadholding and suspension , suggesting that the combination of tr front suspension and the de dion rear end did not work , with the matching springs not being ideal . little roll was reported and although remaining stable and following the chosen line , he believed there was a tendency to understeer . for some unaccountable reason the car was at its best on right hand bends ! steering was noted to be heavier than the tr but redeemed itself at speed . lack of ground clearance and ineffectiveness of the handbrake were common complaints . the tr handbrake fitted to the peerless was excellent , however the warwick had an umbrella type pull handle located under the dashboard which lacked sufficient leverage .
a wonderful boost to sales followed and it was apparent that the available space at peerless motors was becoming insufficient to set up full production . fortunately a newly vacated factory became available on the farnham road ( slough ) , it was large shabby and neglected but ultimately cheap . peerless cars ltd was then set up with the production facilities while ' peerless motors ' continued to handle the sales . although not eligible for the 1958 london motor show , they were allocated a stand at earls court the following year . here they displayed a red model with steel wheels and a stripped lhd chassis with wire wheels . the display formed part of a select group of moulded plastic bodied vehicles which attracted much attention . the peerless was highly acclaimed by the press for is standard of finish and the simple layout of the de dion rear suspension , considered by some to be the most technically interesting feature of the show .
in 1931 peerless closed its business , unable to find a market for luxury cars during the depression . the business was reorganized and eventually became the
louis p . mooers had some experience in building automobiles , and he was tasked with leading the peerless company in this new direction . peerless licensed dedion bouton designs , building both four - wheeled motorettes and three - wheeled tricycles from the single cylinder dedion engines . mooers first design for peerless used a two - cylinder engine with a single - throw crankshaft in which both pistons moved in he same direction . the engine layout followed the panhard system design which had the engine in the front and drive taken through to transmission and on to the rear axle by a driveshaft . this two - cylinder vehicle was elegant , built of high quality , and suitable to traverse the continually evolving roadways .
the slough ( berkshire , england ) built peerless gt believe it or not , derives its name from the premises at which it was originally manufactured more than 50 years ago . these premises had long had the association with the peerless marque , though not for anything as exotic as 2 + 2 sports cars . the peerless works had derived its name from the world war 1 american army lorries that it once prepared for re - sale .
jim is correct in noting that the peerless prototype is in the crawford collection . the main gallery has just undergone a multi - million dollar renovation . the peerless is part of the fantastic “setting the world in motion” exhibit which highlights the cleveland area’s historic contribution to the transportation industry . definitely worth a visit .
in 1931 a new updated range was introduced as the peerless 90 series and heavy duty 12 - tonner model on a six wheel chassis with shaft drive .
a very unusual and technically advanced aspect of the design was the cambered rear axle which was positioned at a three - degree positive angle in each rear wheel and required a complete rear axle to cope . according to the peerless company , the benefit of this design was higher ground clearance for the differential and strong wood - spoke wheels . in modern terms , it would be similar in design to the ' positive offset rims . '
not withstanding all the criticism , even
the motor
considered that although the warwick may have seemed unacceptably rough , noisy and imperfect in some departments , at the basic price of £1666 it offered a distinctive combination of size , price and performance unique amongst british sportscars . at 105 mph , it was faster than any other closed four seater in it ' s price range .
following the armistice of 1918 , many lorries that had seen active service on the ' western front ' were brought back to a vehicle storage depot in slough ( berkshire england ) in order that they may be sold off as government surplus . a large majority of the lorries were american and a good proportion of these , were originally from the peerless lorry company in cleveland , ohio ( u . s . a . ) . sales continued well in to the roaring twenties but gradually what remained of the lorries required considerable re - conditioning . slough lorries and components ltd were set up to recondition these ex - wd ( war dept . ) lorries and as time progressed they began to incorporate more and more british material into them . eventually they were making most parts of the vehicles themselves and indeed the british firm outlasted the original american company ( as a lorry manufacturer ) by several years . as a point of interest , the american company transferred it ' s efforts to brewing alcoholic beverages !
throughout its history , peerless lagged behind in sales to cadillac and pierce - arrows , but it endured through many internal problems and management changes . in 1921 the company was sold to richard collins , the former president and general manager of cadillac . many of cadillac’s top level executives came with him . peerless assests were $ 14 , 000 , 000 . 00 and all looked well . sales soared where other companies were stumbling along . even with this success , troubles continued and collins and his team were out . this team would make the 1926 pontiac . the peerless continued in business with different models until 1931 , when it was decided that brewing a keg of carling black label beer would be more profitable . rh collins retired to pasadena , ca in about 1926 .
yet , peerless automobiles sold well . by 1906 , the company had outgrown its lisbon street facility . it purchased , as a site for a new plant , a former farm at the corner of quincy avenue and oakdale street ( e . 93rd street ) abutting the new york and st . louis railroad tracks . that same year , 1906 , lewis kittredge became president ; edwin parkhurst , vice - president ; and charles schmidt , chief engineer .
i have always respected peerless , and this car . it was designed by frank hershey , a renown walter m . murphy co . , coachbuilder ( pasadena ) designer . frank once told me that designing the peerless was his “proudest moment . ” i’ve seen it at the crawford museum ( cleveland ) and then drove by where the peerless plant “use” to be located . my understanding is that after the owner paid a huge amount for the car , that he didn’t keep it very long .
as the peerless evolved , it along with makes packard and pierce - arrow , became known as the ' three - p ' s ' of premium vehicles in the united states .
my grandmother was james bohannon’s personal secretary and she would often mention the ‘peerless 16 cylinder all aluminum’ . i think i saw that car at bohannon’s estate ‘greystone’ when she would visit him .
as the peerless evolved , it , along with makes packard and pierce - arrow , became known as the
three - ps of motordom
( premium vehicles ) in the united states .
interest generated from the paris motor show alone had suggested that the sales potential could be at least 1500 cars a year . one american distributor had asked for 80 a month , rising to 150 . the first three production peerless models came off the line toward the end of may 1958 and were displayed to the worldwide motoring correspondents early in june . press releases throughout the world acclaimed the peerless as the
sports car for the family man
. no longer was it a case of
either - or
for the young man who wanted a wife , a family and a sports car . another publicity stunt soon emerged as by far the most daring , in the form of an entry in the most demanding test of durability imaginable , le mans . what better publicity could there be than to enter the 1958 24 hour race ( please see the le mans page for the full story ) . they managed to get two entries , one confirmed and one reserve . the result of this race surpassed all expectation . after 24 hours of almost continuous rain , the peerless finished 16th , winning it ' s class .
unfortunately , at about this time trouble was brewing for the two peerless companies . it was proposed by another director that a further member , robert thornton , be brought onto the board . john gordon had reasons to disapprove of this move , but after a stormy meeting of the peerless cars directors , the entry of thornton was approved by a vote of three to two . john gordon and sam rostron promptly resigned . the resignation of this , the driving force behind the company caused some unease within the component supply companies and confidence was soon lost in the project . the last recorded factory built phase 2 peerless on record is chassis number gt2 / 00296 , although gt2 / 00294 was registered at a later date . so it would appear that only about 50 phase 2s were ever built . ( we do know that some were later assembled by various companies and registered following the demise of the even more short lived warwick project , built from spares left over but easily identified by their odd chassis numbers .
oldfield and mooers both left peerless in 1905 to join a st . louis business called moon . charles schmidt was given mooers position ; schmidt was the former chief engineer for packard and an experienced high speed driver .
in regard to the last line , back in my younger ( and stupider ) days i took many peerless products for a drive , and i grounded my kids for months when i caught them doing the same thing .
peerless was one of the first companies to use electric lighting . they used a gray & davis system as early as 1910 and then upgrading in 1913 to a single voltage gray & davis system which now included an electric starter .
howell , james w . and hershey , hershey franklin q . franklin q . hershey ' s murphy - bodied peerless v - 16 prototype collectible automobile , volume 12 , number 4 , december 1995 . pp . 56 - 63 .
that ’32 peerless prototype is indeed a gorgeous car . i can easily understand why , among all the terrific designs frank hershey created at murphy ( and of course elsewhere later ) , this was his “proudest moment . ” but in general i’m not very fond of peerless cars of the classic era . for some reason they usually had slab - flat sides , a look that ( to me ) suffered in comparison to the somewhat more rounded contours of the big packards and other contemporary classics .
with john gordon now firmly ' on board ' , a second alloy bodied four - seater prototype was built and exhibited at the 1957 paris motor show where it was subjected to close scrutiny by some of the standard triumph board . needless to say , words of encouragement were expressed . on returning to england , the car was driven to the triumph factory were lyndon mills , harry webster , martin tustin and alick dick ( of the triumph board of directors ) made the proper congratulatory remarks . the object of that visit was achieved , standard triumph agreed to supply all the components needed to start full production .
as much as we auto enthusiasts hyperfocus and sometimes glorify the carmakers that brought us our favorite four - wheeled finery , at the end of the day , they’re simply businesses doing what they can to make a buck . sure , car guys oftentimes took the helm and cranked out some magnificent machinery , but they wouldn’t do so unless somehow , some way , they were sure that what they were doing would benefit the company in the long run .
in the 1912 peerless catalog were the 415 cubic - inch engine rated at 38 horsepower , a 578 cubic - inch unit with nearly 50 horsepower available , and a massive 825 cubic - inch engine that produced an astonishing 60 horsepower . these horsepower figures were really about half of what the engine truly produced . peerless did not bother giving horsepower figures ; their patrons did not car for these details . the 825 cid engine still holds the guinness record as the largest engine ever cataloged and built for consumer use .
a good friend owns a 1931 peerless custom 8 club sedan that is under restoration . i have followed the progress on the car over the past several years and it is a magnificent looking machine with really excellent styling and attention to details such as curved door bottoms and splash pan that repeats that curve etc . there is a peerless club and they held a meet at the gilmore / ccca museum site this past summer . i hope one of the members writes in and lets us know how they can be contacted .
in 1930 a british 8 - tonner was introduced with a 4 - cylinder gardner diesel and optional pneumatic tyres based on a strengthened chassis of the earlier model . this was then followed by the peerless trader a new 8 - tonner with a meadows 6 - cylinder engine .
prior to it being displayed at the paris motor show , john bolster had tested the prototype for auto sport magazine , and the following year he carried out a more comprehensive test of a production car . the general finish had ( by then ) improved but some details needed more work . although heavier than the triumph and morgan two - seaters with the same power unit , the peerless was quicker off the mark . this was no doubt due to the de dion axle , which virtually eliminated wheelspin . also , the peerless accelerated better at the top end of the scale because of the more streamlined body which also gave the impressive top speed of 107 mph on test . the car ran straight and true at the high speeds it was capable of , and was surprisingly quiet when cruising in overdrive , but he felt that the engine could be heard and felt excessively at other times . the wheelbase in this new car was six inches longer and the track five inches wider that the equivalent triumph , giving a surprising improvement to the ride with virtually no roll , the de dion axle providing better wheel adhesion than the conventional rear end . this increase of track and wheelbase fulfilled the designer ' s intention of making this a comfortable four - seater coupe with the strength and reliability of the tr mechanical components .
peerless continued to promote their product through endurance challenges and racing . they faired rather well in the early glidden tours , with perfect scores achieved in 1906 - 1908 . they set a 1 , 000 - mile endurance record and the fastest time ever in the mt . washington hillclimb in new hampshire .
by the early 1910s the company was producing nearly every important component in their cleveland factory for their automobiles . in 1912 a new line of t - head six - cylinder models were introduced , each featuring seven main bearings and dual ignition . also in their engine line up was the tried - and - true four - cylinder t - head unit which was rated at about 25 horsepower . the companies products were durable , effective , and built to last . their methods employed advanced manufacturing processes and use of the finest materials available .
this vehicle was once in the possession of mr . barney pollard , a legendary collector who had a vast collection of exquisite cars . it was featured in the automobile quarterly article on peerless by maurice d . hendry in 1937 . it was restored sometime in the 1960s and again at a later point in history .
this example shown here represents a valiant attempt by james bohannon , the president of the company , to create a technically advanced vehicle with superb styling that could revitalize sales . the body is constructed of aluminum which was provided by alcoa . the engine is a massive 464 . 6 cubic - inch v - 16 engine capable of producing nearly 175 horsepower . peerless was one of the few marques to ever use a 16 - cylinder engine in one of their automobiles , and joined the ranks of cadillac and marmon . the coachwork was the result of the famous builder , murphy . the main designer on the project was the 22 - year old franklin hershey . the result was a four - door , five - passenger sedan sitting atop a 145 inch wheelbase . designs in other bodystyles , such as coupe , roadster , and convertible were also created giving bohannon a selection to chose .
in a little over 12 months since jimmy byrnes and bernie rodgers had first sought the opinion of john gordon , they managed to build a thriving company that was so overwhelmed by demand for their product , they could barely keep up . in fact production was lagging five weeks behind orders , which was mainly attributable to the meagre output of five cars a week . simon hill ( the sales manager ) is reported to have said that he never actually had to sell the cars , anyone that was interested got a quick ride up the road in the demonstrator ( if they were lucky ) , paid the deposit and mearly joined the growing waiting list . the fact that orders still came flooding in was made all the more astonishing when you discover that the list price of a peerless in 1958 was £990 + £500 purchase tax , yet a triumph tr3 could be bought for less than £1000 ( including tax ) .
precisely how many 2 and 3 . 5 litre warwicks were ever made is not known as records are simply not available , the normally accepted figure however is about 40 , although even that may be an exaggeration . if only to confuse matters even further , peerless and warwick registrations continued well into the 1960 ' s , made possibly by the liquidation sale of the remaining components after the closure of the factory . even up until june 1964 a magazine was advertising a
final consignment of new peerless phase 2 ' s at £895 - 0 - 0d ( including purchase tax ) prepared by lawrencetune of acton and sold by d . a . mullard ltd . , of middlesex .
the company started building tucks during 1911 fitted with their own 4 - cylinder gasoline engine in the 3 to 6 ton class . these early designs were of the bonnedted layout with a chain drive transmission . [ 2 ] in 1916 they launched a 2 - tonner with a shaft - drive . a large number were shipped to the uk following world war one to meet demand for trucks after large numbers were lost in france during the war and the military place orders with us supliers . when the war ended the military started to sell them off to the civilian market through distributor slough lorries and components ltd .
it’s kind of tragic to see a fine automaker discontinue cars and switch to something else , but in the 30s survival was everything and those willing to make radical changes were the ones that pulled through . of course we are plagued with a lot of what - ifs , in wondering what kind of car peerless would produce if it were still in business today .
this page uses some content from wikipedia . the original article was at peerless . the list of authors can be seen in the page history . as with tractor & construction plant wiki , the text of wikipedia is available under the creative commons by attribution license and / or gnu free documentation license . please check page history for when the original article was copied to wikia
for jimmy byrnes , it had been a natural choice to consider using triumph tr mechanical components , as more or less the entire management board of standard triumph were regular customers at his new restaurant , the saxon mill at warwick . in fact , lyndon mills ( one of the triumph board of directors ) was to become one of the strongest supporters of the peerless venture .
this vehicle , as with many other peerless automobiles , has cast aluminum body panels . it has the highly desirable electric starter and correct gary & davis electric headlights and sidelights . it is upholstered in maroon leather with a black cloth top and leatherette top boot . there are swivel - mounted jump seats in the rear which affords additional passenger room , bringing the total to seven .
the peerless model 36 - six , also known as the model k , was outfitted with the 578 cid engine and powered the elegant body which rested on a wheelbase that measured 137 - inches . the engine was inline with three pairs of cast - iron cylinders bolted to a large aluminum crankcase . it had a seven main bearing crankshaft made of imported steel and drove through a unique internally - expanding clutch to the four - speed transmission . the transmission was separately mounted to the frame . peerless used an open driveshaft and a separate arm between the transmission and the rear axle to help absorb the torque from the rear axle . the suspension was comprised of a live axle setup in both front and rear , with semi - elliptical leaf springs in the front and platform suspension in the rear .
the western development museum in saskatoon , saskatchewan , canada has a peerless model 36 right hand drive on display . it has only 100 miles on it . the wikipedia entry has a picture of it . apparently the family that ordered it never took possesion of it and it was parked until donated to the museum . it is displayed next to a pierce arrow . two beautiful limousines back to back from different eras .
james byrnes was an avid motor racing enthusiast who decided that he wanted a racing car built to his own specification . the car was to be for his own use on the racetrack , with a view to possibly supplying fellow club racers , if the project proved to be a success . with all this in mind , james byrnes ( known to many as jimmy ) approached bernie rodger ( an experienced racing engine tuner and
special
builder who was always referred to a bernie ) with a proposition to build such a car . mr rodger had an excellent pedigree , which not only included bodywork design and race engine tuning , but also the well acclaimed beart - rodger race car project ( francis beart being a meticulous norton expert ) . however , it wasn ' t long before the idea of a pure racing car had been set aside in favour of a more commercial venture . byrnes and rodger had decided that money could be made in the low volume production of a readily available low cost sports gt .
it may have also helped that cleveland was familiar ground for carling . founded in 1840 in london , ontario , carling’s first foray into the u . s . market came in 1880 when it bought out a cleveland brewery and sold carling beer either itself or through licensees in the united states until 1911 . and as hendry noted , peerless still had cash , facilities , and organizational capabilities ; it just needed a new product .
in 2008 , this model 36 peerless was brought to monterey , california where it was offered for sale by rm auctions as part of their ' sports & classics of monterey ' auction . it carried an estimated value of $ 600 , 000 - $ 700 , 000 and was offered without reserve . a high bid of just $ 368 , 500 including buyer ' s premium was enough to secure new ownership . the lot was sold .
owing to the increased speed of the new manufacturing process , it was expected that 25 bodies and thus 25 cars could be produced each week . meanwhile , the first two lhd phase 2 cars were shipped to the usa prior to john gordon visiting john posselius in detroit and dorothy dean in los angeles to promote the new model , on his return the future looked particularly bright . shortly afterwards a request was made by jim keeble , he wanted to know if peerless would sell him a chassis . his intention was to install a chevrolet corvette engine and gearbox for an enthusiastic customer of his , rick nielson . this was a remarkable coincidence , for at that moment john posselius ( of detroit ) was shipping two corvette engines to slough for a similar project . john gordon agreed , but only if the conversion was done in the peerless motors workshop . this was a wise move as someone else was thereby funding the necessary development work .