Crime Wave (1999) Signed First Edition Reference

Crime Wave was published by Vintage in 1999, collecting Ellroy’s essays, reportage, and short fiction. The book showcases a side of Ellroy that his novels only hint at: the reporter, the essayist, the cultural commentator who brings the same obsessive intensity to nonfiction that he brings to fiction. Pieces on the O.J. Simpson case, the LAPD, Hollywood, and American violence demonstrate that Ellroy’s vision extends beyond the historical periods of his novels into the contemporary landscape.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Vintage Books (Random House), New York Publication date: 1999 Format: Trade paperback original

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition: $50–$150
• Inscribed copies: $75–$250
• Unsigned first edition: $10–$25

A secondary Ellroy title valued primarily as a complement to the major novels. The essay format reveals aspects of Ellroy’s thinking that his fiction compresses and transforms.