Houghton Mifflin is considered the publisher of the first
edition of this title. The Mysterious Aviator is the only first
edition Nevil Shute book that this publisher printed. There is
another edition of this title printed by Grosset Dunlap.
Although the Houghton Mifflin 1st edition printing is far more
valuable, the Grosset Dunlap edition is still very collectable
due to the scarcity of this title.

Right from the start you can see the most obvious difference in the
Houghton Mifflin and Grosset Dunlap dust jackets.....the color! The
images on the front of the dust jackets are the same, but the H. M.
(Houghton Mifflin) edition has a purplish/brown background of this
image, while the G & D (Grosset & Dunlap) edition is orange. Even
without the color difference, each dust jacket is plainly marked as to
who the publisher is, of that edition, in several areas.

Have a book without the dust jacket? It is just as easily identified.
Take a look at the book spine, title page, or copyright page to quickly
identify your edition. The publisher is listed in all of those places.
While on the copyright page, you might check for additional printings
to verify whether your's is a first or later printing. I am not aware of
addition printing of this title by H. M., but certainly it is not an
impossibility.

The publisher is listed
clearly on the book
spine of both editions