Agatha Christie First Editions

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles — 1920 · John Lane CompanyTRUE FIRST is the US John Lane Company (New York) edition, October 1920 — Christie's debut and the first Hercule Poirot novel — which PRECEDES the UK Bodley Head edition (21 January 1921). US first points: the title page carries the John Lane Company, New York imprint with the 1920 date (Roman numerals, MCMXX) and the copyright page states 1920; bound in pale brown cloth lettered in dark green on the upper cover…. Major precedence point: the US John Lane edition (October 1920) precedes the UK Bodley Head / John Lane edition (21 January 1921). The Canadian issue (Ryerson Press, Toronto, 1920) was printed from the US sheets and also precedes the London edition. Collectors prize the US 1920 as the true world first; the UK 1921 Bodley Head is a separate, highly valued collectible. The UK 1921 Bodley Head is sometimes mis-described as 'the first' — distinguish by imprint, date, and country. The National Book Company reprint (c. 1922-23) retains the 1920 copyright date and is often offered as a first; verify the John Lane Company, New York title-page imprint. The Canadian Ryerson issue (1920) also precedes London.
• The Secret Adversary — 1922 · The Bodley HeadUK Bodley Head (John Lane), January 1922, priced the printed price. Title page dated 1922 with no printing statement, and only The Mysterious Affair at Styles listed opposite the title page. The US Dodd, Mead edition followed in March 1922. First Tommy and Tuppence. The UK Bodley Head edition (January 1922) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (March 1922) and is the true first. Later Bodley Head reprints and subsequent Collins editions are reprints.
• The Murder on the Links — 1923 · Dodd, Mead & CompanyUS Dodd, Mead & Co., March 1923, is the true first: green cloth lettered in orange, 298 pages, jacket with its printed price. The UK Bodley Head edition did not appear until May 1923. Second Poirot novel. Contrary to the usual UK-first assumption for early Christie, the American Dodd, Mead edition (March 1923) precedes the UK Bodley Head edition (May 1923). Library of Congress deposit of March 17, 1923 and a New York Times review of March 25 confirm US issue weeks before the London edition. Dodd, Mead is the true first. Later Bodley Head and Collins printings are reprints.
• Poirot Investigates — 1924 · The Bodley HeadShort-story collection first published in the UK by The Bodley Head, March 1924, containing eleven stories, with a W. Smithson Broadhead jacket illustration of Poirot. The US Dodd, Mead edition of 1925 adds three further stories, making it a distinct first-thus in content. The eleven-story UK Bodley Head edition is the true first; the fourteen-story US Dodd, Mead 1925 edition is a distinct first-thus for its added contents. Later reprints follow the first edition.
• The Man in the Brown Suit — 1924 · The Bodley HeadFirst published in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane), 22 August 1924, with the copyright page stating 'First published in 1924'. Bound in light tan to olive-brown cloth stamped in dark brown with an art-deco border design to the front board and spine; the text collates to 310 pages plus two pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear, with fore and lower edges uncut. Introduces Colonel Race. The scarce…. UK Bodley Head precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1924. Later reprints lack the original first-issue pictorial dust jacket, which is very often supplied only in facsimile.
• The Secret of Chimneys — 1925 · The Bodley HeadFirst published in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd), London, June 1925, at the printed price; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. Introduces Superintendent Battle in his debut appearance. The UK first is bound in publisher's light blue cloth, lettered in black on the front and spine, with the top edge stained blue, and collates x, [2], 306, [2] pages. The recognised first-issue…. UK Bodley Head precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1925. This was the last title under Christie's original six-book Bodley Head contract. Later reprints follow the first edition. Note the 1927 Bodley Head 'popular' edition and the US Dodd, Mead printing are distinct from the June 1925 Bodley Head first with its two rear advert leaves and blue top-stain.
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd — 1926 · William CollinsWilliam Collins (pre-Crime-Club imprint), 1926. Orange/red cloth. Copyright/title page with 1926 date and no later-impression statement; ad listing of Christie titles ends at her then-current title. Earliest issue confirmed by the advertisement leaf states. UK Collins 1926 is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead 1926. The landmark twist novel; the UK first is the prize. Later Collins printings carry impression statements; US Dodd Mead is the separate American first. Club reprints are obviously later by imprint.
• The Big Four — 1927 · William Collins & SonsFirst published in the UK by William Collins & Sons, 27 January 1927; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. A Poirot novel worked up from twelve linked short stories. Not a Collins Crime Club book: that imprint did not launch until May 1930. UK William Collins & Sons precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1927. Later reprints follow the first edition.
• The Mystery of the Blue Train — 1928 · William Collins & SonsFirst published in the UK by William Collins & Sons, 29 March 1928; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. A Poirot novel. Not a Collins Crime Club book: that imprint did not launch until May 1930. UK William Collins & Sons precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1928. Later reprints follow the first edition.
• Partners in Crime — 1929 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyUS Dodd, Mead published August 1929 (277 pp); UK Collins followed 16 September 1929 (256 pp). Tommy and Tuppence short story collection. The US Dodd, Mead printing has no statement of later printings on the copyright page; the UK Collins first is in black cloth with reddish-orange spine lettering. The US Dodd, Mead edition (August 1929) precedes the UK Collins edition (16 September 1929) by about a month, so Dodd, Mead is the true first edition. This is one of several Christie titles of this period that appeared first in America. The original record's claim that UK Collins is the true first is incorrect. Later printings and book club editions follow; on the Dodd, Mead first there is no printing statement on the copyright page.
• The Seven Dials Mystery — 1929 · William Collins & SonsFirst published in the UK by William Collins & Sons, 24 January 1929; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. Features Superintendent Battle. Not a Collins Crime Club book: that imprint did not launch until May 1930. UK William Collins & Sons precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1929. Later reprints follow the first edition.
• The Murder at the Vicarage — 1930 · William Collins Sons / Crime ClubUK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 20 October 1930, retailing at the printed price. Note a genuine binding variant: first printings are found BOTH in the older black cloth with a 'Collins' spine imprint AND in orange cloth with a 'The Crime Club' spine imprint, reflecting Collins changing the imprint and cloth colour during production. First-issue jacket priced the printed price. The first novel to…. The UK Collins edition (October 1930) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (also 1930). The true first introduces Miss Marple in novel form. Later Crime Club reprints reset the title page. Book-club copies lack the original jacket price and use thinner boards.
• The Mysterious Mr. Quin — 1930 · William CollinsUK Collins (Crime Club) published 14 April 1930 in original black cloth with a pictorial dust jacket; US Dodd, Mead followed later in 1930 (290 pp) in peach cloth with black lettering to the spine and front board, cream-and-orange endpapers, and — distinctively — a yellow-paper-stock dust jacket, the only Dodd, Mead Christie jacket not printed on white stock, with the price present on the front flap. Twelve-story…. UK Collins (14 April 1930) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition, so the Collins black-cloth issue is the true first. Later printings follow; the Dodd, Mead US first carried no later-printing statement and is identified by its yellow-stock jacket and peach cloth, points that distinguish it from reprints.
• The Sittaford Mystery (US: The Murder at Hazelmoor) — 1931 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyUS Dodd, Mead published on 14 August 1931 as The Murder at Hazelmoor, in orange cloth with black lettering and a circular landscape silhouette stamped to the front board, black lettering to the spine, and illustrated (red badge) endpapers; the jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. UK Collins Crime Club followed on 7 September 1931 as The Sittaford Mystery. This is the first Christie novel…. The US Dodd, Mead edition (The Murder at Hazelmoor, 14 August 1931) precedes the UK Collins edition (7 September 1931) by roughly three weeks, so Dodd, Mead is the true first edition, under the variant US title. The original record's claim that UK Collins is the true first is incorrect. Later printings and book-club editions follow. There was no second Dodd, Mead printing, so a genuine US first shows no reference to a subsequent printing on the copyright page.
• Peril at End House — 1932 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyFirst US book edition published by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1932, about 270 pages, bound in tan cloth lettered in red on the spine and front board. It is the sixth Hercule Poirot novel, with Hastings and Inspector Japp. The first-issue dust jacket is a yellow Art Deco design; a first-state jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. The UK Collins Crime Club edition followed in March 1932…. The US Dodd, Mead edition (February 1932) precedes the UK Collins Crime Club edition (March 1932) by about a month, so Dodd, Mead is the true first edition. The original record's claim that UK Collins is the true first is incorrect. Later printings and book-club editions follow. On the true first, look for the tan cloth lettered in red and the yellow Art Deco jacket with its printed price intact.
• The Thirteen Problems (US: The Tuesday Club Murders) — 1932 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club published 18 June 1932 as The Thirteen Problems; US Dodd, Mead followed in 1933 as The Tuesday Club Murders. Early Miss Marple short story collection featuring Raymond West and Sir Henry Clithering. UK Collins (18 June 1932) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (1933, variant title The Tuesday Club Murders), so Collins is the true first. Later printings follow; the 1933 US Dodd, Mead is the first American edition under its variant title.
• Lord Edgware Dies (US: Thirteen at Dinner) — 1933 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, September 1933, priced the printed price on the spine; 252 pages plus advertisement leaves. A Hercule Poirot novel. Published almost simultaneously in the US by Dodd, Mead as Thirteen at Dinner (also rendered 13 at Dinner). The UK Collins printing is broadly accepted as the true first edition, first impression, despite the near-simultaneous US issue under the variant title. Later Collins impressions and reprints follow; a Book Club and cheaper reprints came afterward.
• The Hound of Death — 1933 · Odhams PressUK Odhams Press, October 1933, a collection of twelve stories, mostly tales of fate and the supernatural rather than pure detection. Notable as the first book appearance of Witness for the Prosecution. Not published by Christie's usual house, Collins. The Odhams Press printing is the true and only contemporary first. The first ordinary shop edition, from the Collins Crime Club, did not appear until February 1936. This was not a normal trade book: it was not sold in shops but obtained only by collecting coupons from the Odhams weekly magazine The Passing Show and sending them with a small payment. The Odhams printing is the true first; the 1936 Collins edition is a later, separate issue.
• Murder on the Orient Express — 1934 · Collins Crime ClubCollins Crime Club, January 1934. Orange cloth, spine and front board lettered black. Copyright page reads 'Copyright 1934' with NO reference to any subsequent impression (second/third impressions of Jan 1934 are explicitly noted as such). The list of 'Agatha Christie' titles facing the title page ends with 'Lord Edgware Dies' (her most recent prior title). Top edge and endpapers orange. UK Collins Crime Club (Jan 1934) is the true first, preceding the US edition titled 'Murder in the Calais Coach' (Dodd, Mead, 1934). Because the small first impression sold out, second and third impressions appeared within January 1934 — these are NOT firsts and far less valuable. The first-issue wrap-around 'Book of the Month' band is exceedingly scarce. US 'Murder in the Calais Coach' is a different-titled first for the US market, not a club edition. Later Collins impressions state 'Second Impression'/'Third Impression' on the copyright page — check for the absence of any impression statement.
• Murder on the Orient Express (US: Murder in the Calais Coach) — 1934 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, 1 January 1934, priced the printed price; a landmark Hercule Poirot novel. Published in the US by Dodd, Mead on 28 February 1934 as Murder in the Calais Coach. The US retitle was chosen to avoid confusion with Graham Greene's novel Stamboul Train, which had appeared in the US as Orient Express. The UK Collins printing is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition is a slightly later issue under the variant title. The first UK impression is scarce, with an unusually small print run. Later Collins impressions and reprints follow the first UK printing.
• Parker Pyne Investigates (US: Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective) — 1934 · Dodd, MeadA collection of twelve stories featuring Parker Pyne, and the first appearance of the character Ariadne Oliver. The US edition, Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective (Dodd, Mead, Red Badge Mystery imprint), was published in mid-1934, reportedly June 1934. The UK edition, Parker Pyne Investigates (Collins), followed in November 1934. Precedence here is unusual and disputed: multiple sources place the US Dodd, Mead edition (June 1934) ahead of the UK Collins edition (November 1934), which would make the US printing the true first. This should not be stated as a settled UK-first, unlike most Christie titles. Two of Christie's fourteen Parker Pyne stories are not in this collection; they were gathered later. Later impressions and reprints of both the US and UK editions follow their respective first printings.
• The Listerdale Mystery — 1934 · William CollinsUK Collins, June 1934, priced the printed price; a collection of lighter, often romantic mystery and crime stories. No contemporary US edition; the individual stories later appeared in various US collections. The UK Collins printing is the true first. There was no contemporary US book edition of this collection. Later Collins impressions and reprints follow.
• Three Act Tragedy (US: Murder in Three Acts) — 1934 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyUS Dodd, Mead, New York, October 1934 as Murder in Three Acts PRECEDED the UK Collins Crime Club edition (January 1935) titled Three Act Tragedy. One of the rare cases where the US edition is the true first. Features Hercule Poirot. Note the two editions differ in the killer's stated motive. The true first is the US Dodd, Mead edition (October 1934, as Murder in Three Acts), preceding UK Collins (January 1935) - an exception to the usual UK-first rule. Later reprints follow. Because US and UK differ textually in the murderer's motive, they are distinct issues, not mere reprints.
• Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (US: The Boomerang Clue) — 1934 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, September 1934, bound in orange boards lettered in black to the front board and spine. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price to the spine and, when present, the scarce 'Crime Club' wrap-around promotional band. Features the amateur sleuths Bobby Jones and Frankie Derwent. Published in the US by Dodd, Mead in 1935 as The Boomerang Clue. The UK Collins printing is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition, under the variant title, followed in 1935. A condensed magazine version ran in the US in Redbook in 1933; the full-text UK book of 1934 remains the true first edition. Later Collins impressions and reprints follow.
• Death in the Clouds (US: Death in the Air) — 1935 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyUS Dodd, Mead, New York, published 10 March 1935 as Death in the Air PRECEDED the UK Collins Crime Club edition (July 1935) titled Death in the Clouds. This is another case where the US edition is the true first. Features Hercule Poirot and Chief Inspector Japp. CORRECTION: the record claimed UK Collins was the true first, but the US Dodd, Mead edition (10 March 1935, as Death in the Air) actually preceded the UK Collins edition (July 1935). The US is the true first - an exception to the usual UK-first rule, like Murder in Three Acts. Later reprints follow the 1935 first editions.
• Cards on the Table — 1936 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, London, published 2 November 1936; US Dodd, Mead, New York, February 1937. Features Hercule Poirot, Colonel Race, Superintendent Battle, and the first appearance of Ariadne Oliver in a Poirot novel. UK Collins Crime Club (2 November 1936) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition (February 1937). Later reprints follow the 1936 first edition.
• Murder in Mesopotamia — 1936 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, London, published 6 July 1936, is the first edition. Bound in the publisher's orange cloth with the spine lettered in black, and issued with four pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Robin Macartney, the architect-painter who accompanied Christie and her husband Max Mallowan on their Near Eastern archaeological expeditions; the correct…. UK Collins Crime Club (6 July 1936) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition later the same year. Book Club editions are distinguished from the first printing by the jacket, which lacks the printed price on the front flap and carries a 'Book Club Edition' imprint; later reprints otherwise follow the 1936 setting.
• The A.B.C. Murders — 1936 · William Collins Sons / Crime ClubUK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 January 1936, retailing at the printed price, orange cloth, first-issue jacket priced the printed price. The copyright/printing statement should show no later-impression note. The UK Collins edition (6 January 1936) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (February 1936). The UK is the true first. Later reprints reset the title page. Book-club copies lack the original printed price and use cheaper cloth. Note that the original record's aside about an 'Alphabet Murders' title is unreliable: that title belongs to a later film tie-in, not a standard US first-printing variant, and should not be used as an identification point.
• Death on the Nile — 1937 · Collins Crime ClubUK Collins Crime Club first, published 1 November 1937, with its printed price Orange cloth lettered in black. Copyright page reads Copyright 1937 with no later-printing notice. First-state jacket (design by Robin Macartney) carries reviews for the immediately preceding titles to the rear flap and generic review matter to the rear panel. UK Collins (November 1937) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (1938), so the UK printing is the true first. Reprints reset and add later-impression notices; book-club editions lack the priced jacket.
• Dumb Witness (US: Poirot Loses a Client) — 1937 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, 5 July 1937, is the first edition. US Dodd, Mead published the American first later in 1937 under the variant title Poirot Loses a Client. A Hercule Poirot novel, narrated by Captain Hastings. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition is a separate American first under the changed title. Later reprints and book-club printings follow the first edition.
• Murder in the Mews (US: Dead Man's Mirror) — 1937 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, London, published 15 March 1937, a collection of four novellas (Murder in the Mews, The Incredible Theft, Dead Man's Mirror, Triangle at Rhodes). US Dodd, Mead, June 1937 as Dead Man's Mirror, omitting The Incredible Theft (three stories only). Content differs between editions. UK Collins Crime Club (15 March 1937), containing all four novellas, is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition drops 'The Incredible Theft'. Later reprints follow. The US first edition is a distinct, shortened issue, not a straight reprint.
• Appointment with Death — 1938 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, published 2 May 1938, is the first edition: a Hercule Poirot novel bound in orange cloth lettered in black. The pictorial first-issue dust jacket was designed by Robin Macartney (who travelled with Christie and her archaeologist husband Max Mallowan) and depicts the red cliffs of Petra; the jacket should carry its printed price on the front flap. The US Dodd, Mead first American edition,…. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (2 May 1938) is the true first; the Dodd, Mead edition, published later in 1938, is the American first and states "First American Edition" wording on its copyright page. Later reprints and book-club printings follow the first edition; the scarce Macartney pictorial jacket and orange cloth are the key first-issue tells.
• And Then There Were None — 1939 · Collins Crime ClubUK Collins Crime Club, 6 November 1939, published under the novel's original (now-retired and offensive) title — 256 pp, publisher's orange cloth lettered in black. The copyright page is dated 1939 with no later-impression statement; a first-issue priced dust jacket (price present at the flap) under the original title confirms the earliest issue. Jacketed copies are extremely scarce. Precedence: the UK Collins Crime Club first (6 November 1939), under the original title, is the true world first. The US Dodd, Mead first followed in January 1940 (264 pp) and introduced the enduring title 'And Then There Were None,' taken from the last line of the American form of the counting rhyme (US later editions and the stage version also used 'Ten Little Indians'). Both the UK 1939 and US 1940 firsts are…. The US Dodd, Mead first and all later editions use 'And Then There Were None' (or 'Ten Little Indians'), never the original UK title. Later Collins printings state the impression. Confirm a UK first by the 1939 Collins Crime Club imprint and the absence of any impression notice.
• Murder Is Easy (US: Easy to Kill) — 1939 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, June 1939, is the first edition. US Dodd, Mead published the American first in September 1939 under the variant title Easy to Kill. The investigator is Luke Fitzwilliam; Superintendent Battle appears only in a brief closing cameo, so the book is loosely grouped with the Battle novels but is not a Poirot title. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition is a separate American first under the changed title Easy to Kill. Later reprints and book-club printings follow the first edition.
• Sad Cypress — 1940 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, March 1940, is the first edition, a Hercule Poirot novel of 256 pages. The book is bound in the Crime Club's standard orange cloth lettered in black on the spine. The pictorial dust jacket, by an uncredited Collins artist, carries the printed original price on the front flap; a true first-edition jacket should show that printed price present (a clipped example is still a first, but the…. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (March 1940) is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition (September 1940) is the American first of the same year and is set from different type. Later Collins reprints and book-club printings follow the first edition; the first issue carries the Crime Club imprint with no later reprint or impression statement.
• Evil Under the Sun — 1941 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, June 1941, is the first edition. US Dodd, Mead published the American first in October 1941. A Hercule Poirot novel; wartime UK paper and jacket scarcity affects surviving copies. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition is the American first of the same year. Later reprints and book-club printings follow the first edition.
• N or M? — 1941 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe true first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, August 1941), which preceded the UK Collins Crime Club edition (November 1941). Wartime paper rationing delayed and thinned UK production, so the American issue came first. The US first is in blue cloth, pp. (vi) plus 289, with a dust jacket illustrated by Leo Manso; the UK first runs only about 192 pages on lighter rationed paper. Tommy and Tuppence. Corrected: the true first is US Dodd, Mead (1941), which preceded the UK Collins edition of November 1941 — not the other way around. Later printings and reprints follow the respective first editions.
• Five Little Pigs (US: Murder in Retrospect) — 1942 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe true first is the US edition, published by Dodd, Mead in May 1942 under the title Murder in Retrospect, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition titled Five Little Pigs (January 1943). Hercule Poirot. The true first is US Dodd, Mead (May 1942) as Murder in Retrospect, preceding the UK Collins edition of January 1943. Later printings and reprints follow the first editions.
• The Body in the Library — 1942 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe true first is the US edition, Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, February 1942, an octavo of 245 pages bound in bright orange cloth with the Red Badge Detective shield stamped in black on the front board. It preceded the UK Collins Crime Club edition (May 1942) by roughly three months; wartime paper rationing delayed the British production. The second novel to feature Miss Marple, closing the twelve-year gap…. Corrected: the true first is US Dodd, Mead (February 1942), preceding UK Collins Crime Club (May 1942) — not the UK edition as originally stated. The US printing precedes the UK by about three months. Later printings and reprints follow the first editions; the US first is identified by the orange cloth with the black Red Badge Detective shield to the front board.
• The Moving Finger — 1942 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe chronological first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, July 1942), preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition (June 1943). Important textual caveat: the US Dodd, Mead printing is abridged, with roughly 9,000 words cut (including the opening of Chapter 1); the complete text first appeared only in the UK Collins edition. Collectors of the full text therefore may prefer the UK first even though the US issue is…. The chronologically first edition is US Dodd, Mead (July 1942), preceding UK Collins (June 1943). Note the US text is abridged; the UK Collins edition carries Christie's complete text. Later printings and reprints follow the first editions.
• Death Comes as the End — 1944 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe true first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, October 1944), 223 pp, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition (March 1945), 160 pp. Ancient-Egypt setting (Thebes, 11th dynasty); no series detective. The true first is US Dodd, Mead (October 1944), preceding UK Collins (March 1945). Later printings and reprints follow the first editions.
• Towards Zero — 1944 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe true first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, June 1944), which preceded the UK Collins Crime Club edition (July 1944) by about a month; it introduces Superintendent Battle in this novel. The first US printing is issued in quarter cloth over brownish-gray paper-covered boards, with the spine and front board lettered in brown and the fore-edge left untrimmed. The original pictorial dust jacket should carry its…. The true first is US Dodd, Mead (June 1944), preceding UK Collins (July 1944); the official Agatha Christie site confirms Dodd, Mead as the true first. The book-club edition is bound in plain boards rather than quarter cloth and carries a jacket with no price and a 'Book Club Edition' imprint at the foot of the front flap; a jacket clipped at both top and bottom of the flap is a further BCE warning.
• Sparkling Cyanide (US: Remembered Death) — 1945 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe US Dodd, Mead edition was published in February 1945 under the title Remembered Death; the UK Collins Crime Club edition followed in December 1945 under the title Sparkling Cyanide. The novel features the last appearance of Colonel Race. The UK first is in red boards, spine lettered in black, with a pictorial dust jacket. Contrary to the assumption that the UK Collins edition is the true first, the US Dodd, Mead edition (Remembered Death, February 1945) precedes the UK Collins edition (December 1945) by about ten months, making the US printing the true first appearance in book form. Later printings and reprints follow. An earlier US magazine serialization (as Remembered Death) ran in 1944 but is not the book first edition.
• The Hollow (US: Murder after Hours) — 1946 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyThe US Dodd, Mead edition was published around September 1946, titled The Hollow (not Murder after Hours); the UK Collins Crime Club edition followed in November 1946, also titled The Hollow. The US first is a Poirot novel of about 279 pages in yellow cloth with black stamping. The title Murder after Hours was not used until the 1954 US Dell paperback. The US Dodd, Mead edition (about September 1946) precedes the UK Collins edition (November 1946), so the US printing is the true first, not the UK edition as originally recorded. Later printings and reprints follow the 1946 first editions.
• The Labours of Hercules — 1947 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyA collection of twelve linked Poirot stories framed around the labours of Hercules. The US Dodd, Mead edition (about 265 pages) was published around mid-1947; the UK Collins Crime Club edition (about 256 pages) followed in September 1947. The US Dodd, Mead edition (around mid-1947) precedes the UK Collins Crime Club edition (September 1947), making the US printing the true first, not the UK edition as originally recorded. Later printings and reprints follow the 1947 first editions.
• Taken at the Flood (US: There Is a Tide...) — 1948 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyA Poirot novel. The US Dodd, Mead edition was published in March 1948 under the title There Is a Tide...; the UK Collins Crime Club edition followed in November 1948 under Christie's original title Taken at the Flood — a gap of about eight months. The US Dodd, Mead edition (There Is a Tide..., March 1948) precedes the UK Collins edition (November 1948) by roughly eight months, so the US printing is the true first, not the UK edition as originally recorded. Later printings and reprints follow the 1948 first editions.
• Crooked House — 1949 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyStandalone novel, one of Christie's own favorites. US Dodd, Mead edition published March 1949; UK Collins Crime Club edition published 23 May 1949. The US edition therefore precedes the UK edition by about two months. UK first issued in orange cloth with black spine lettering at the printed price; first US in Dodd, Mead's standard Crime Club-style binding. Contrary to the usual Christie pattern, the US Dodd, Mead edition (March 1949) is the true first, preceding the UK Collins edition (23 May 1949). Later Collins and Dodd, Mead printings, book-club issues, and reprints follow the respective first editions.
• A Murder Is Announced — 1950 · William Collins SonsMiss Marple novel, heavily promoted as Christie's fiftieth book (the UK jacket proclaims the milestone). UK Collins Crime Club published 5 June 1950 in orange cloth at the printed price; US Dodd, Mead published the same month. Precedence between the two June 1950 editions is genuinely unclear. UK Collins and US Dodd, Mead both appeared in June 1950 and precedence is uncertain; collectors conventionally defer to the UK Collins edition as the first, but this is a convention rather than an established fact. Later printings, book-club editions, and reprints follow the June 1950 first editions.
• They Came to Baghdad — 1951 · William Collins SonsStandalone spy thriller set in Iraq. UK Collins Crime Club published 5 March 1951; US Dodd, Mead edition followed later that year (around September 1951). UK first in orange cloth at the printed price. UK Collins Crime Club (March 1951) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition (later in 1951) by roughly six months. Later Collins and Dodd, Mead printings and reprints follow.
• Mrs McGinty's Dead (US: Blood Will Tell) — 1952 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyPoirot novel that also features detective-story writer Ariadne Oliver. US Dodd, Mead edition published February 1952; UK Collins Crime Club edition published 3 March 1952, so the US edition precedes the UK by about a month. The US retitling 'Blood Will Tell' was used for the Detective Book Club edition (and the earlier newspaper serialization), not for the primary Dodd, Mead trade edition, which kept the original…. The US Dodd, Mead edition (February 1952) is the true first, preceding the UK Collins edition (3 March 1952). The Detective Book Club 'Blood Will Tell' issue and later Collins/Dodd, Mead printings and reprints follow the first edition.
• They Do It with Mirrors (US: Murder with Mirrors) — 1952 · Dodd, Mead and CompanyMiss Marple novel. US Dodd, Mead edition published around September 1952 under the title 'Murder with Mirrors'; UK Collins Crime Club edition published 17 November 1952 under Christie's original title 'They Do It with Mirrors'. The US edition therefore precedes the UK by about two months. The US Dodd, Mead 'Murder with Mirrors' (September 1952) is the true first, preceding the UK Collins 'They Do It with Mirrors' (17 November 1952). Note the two editions carry different titles. Later Dodd, Mead and Collins printings, book-club issues, and reprints follow the respective first editions.
• A Pocket Full of Rye — 1953 · William Collins, SonsUK first: Collins Crime Club, 9 November 1953. Bound in orange cloth with black spine lettering. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed net price on the front flap (an unclipped flap with the original price present is the wanted state). A Miss Marple novel. The US first followed from Dodd, Mead in 1954. The UK Collins Crime Club edition of 9 November 1953 is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1954. Later printings and book-club editions follow the 1953 Collins first. Book-club tells for this title include the absence of the printed price on the jacket front flap (or a flap clipped at both top and bottom) and, on later book-club issues, plain boards rather than the first edition's cloth.
• After the Funeral (US: Funerals Are Fatal) — 1953 · William Collins, SonsUK: Collins Crime Club, 18 May 1953, priced the printed price on the jacket, retaining Christie's original title After the Funeral. This title is the only Christie Crime Club book to print the publisher's date at the rear of the volume rather than on the verso of the title page. US: Dodd, Mead, March 1953, as Funerals Are Fatal. The US Dodd, Mead printing under the variant title Funerals Are Fatal actually appeared a couple of months before the UK Collins edition, so it is chronologically the earliest printed appearance. The UK Collins edition remains the first under Christie's original title After the Funeral; collectors should note the two titles are distinct issues and decide accordingly. Poirot. Later Collins and Dodd, Mead printings and book-club issues follow; the Crime Club first has no later-printing statement and the distinctive rear-of-book dating.
• Destination Unknown (US: So Many Steps to Death) — 1954 · William Collins, SonsUK first: Collins Crime Club, 1 November 1954, as Destination Unknown, in red cloth with the spine lettered in black, issued in a typographical dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap (export copies are found with no price present). US first: Dodd, Mead, 1955, under the variant title So Many Steps to Death. This is a spy thriller, not a Poirot or Marple case. UK Collins Crime Club (1 November 1954) is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition appeared in 1955 under the variant title So Many Steps to Death. Later printings and book-club editions follow the 1954 Collins first; the genuine first is the 1954 Collins printing in red cloth with the priced jacket.
• Hickory Dickory Dock (US: Hickory Dickory Death) — 1955 · William Collins, SonsUK first: Collins Crime Club, 31 October 1955, 192 pages, in red cloth with the spine lettered in black, issued as Hickory Dickory Dock in a dust jacket lettered in black and white with the printed price present on the front flap. US: Dodd, Mead, November 1955, retitled Hickory Dickory Death. A Hercule Poirot novel. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition (variant title Hickory Dickory Death) by roughly a month. Later printings and book-club editions follow the 1955 Collins first; a club copy lacks the printed jacket price.
• Dead Man's Folly — 1956 · William Collins, SonsUK: Collins Crime Club, 5 November 1956, in publisher's red boards with black lettering to the spine; the copyright page states "Printed in Great Britain" with the 1956 date and no reference to a later printing, and the list of Christie titles facing the title page runs to "Hickory Dickory Dock." The two-toned green dust jacket is lettered in black and white and should retain its printed price to the front flap.…. The US Dodd, Mead edition (October 1956) actually preceded the UK Collins Crime Club edition (5 November 1956) by about a month, so the US printing is chronologically the earliest appearance. Both carry the same title; collectors distinguish them by publisher, binding, and jacket rather than by title. The UK first is identified by red boards, the green jacket, and the title list running to Hickory Dickory Dock. Later printings and book-club editions follow the 1956 firsts; book-club copies are typically smaller, on thinner boards, and lack the printed jacket price and the correct facing title list.
• 4.50 from Paddington (US: What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!) — 1957 · William Collins, SonsUK: Collins Crime Club, 4 November 1957, priced the printed price on the jacket, as 4.50 from Paddington. US: Dodd, Mead, November 1957, as What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!. A useful point of issue: the title was changed from the working '4.54 from Paddington' to '4.50 from Paddington' at the last minute in the UK, but this change did not reach Dodd, Mead in time, so the US text refers to the 4:54 train rather than…. UK Collins Crime Club is the true first under the original title 4.50 from Paddington; the US Dodd, Mead edition carries the variant title What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! and the uncorrected 4:54 time reference in the text. Later printings and book-club editions follow the 1957 firsts.
• Ordeal by Innocence — 1958 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club first, published 3 November 1958, in red cloth with black lettering to the spine. The pictorial dust jacket carries the printed UK retail price and should be present on an unclipped copy. A standalone novel and a Christie favorite; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1959. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (3 November 1958) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1959. Later Collins printings and book-club issues follow the true first; a genuine first is the 1958 Collins printing in the first-issue dust jacket with the printed price present.
• Cat Among the Pigeons — 1959 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club first, published 2 November 1959, a Hercule Poirot novel of 256 pages. Bound in orange-red boards with black lettering to the spine. The dust jacket is a distinctive typographic design and should carry its printed price at the front flap corner; unusually, the rear panel bears a studio photograph of Agatha Christie in place of the customary promotional blurbs. The US Dodd, Mead edition…. The UK Collins Crime Club edition of 2 November 1959 is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of March 1960. Book-club issues and later Collins printings follow the true first; a book-club jacket typically shows no printed price at the flap and may carry a 'Book Club Edition' notice, unlike the priced first-issue jacket.
• The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding — 1960 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club story collection, published 24 October 1960 as 'The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrees.' No contemporary US collection under this title; the stories appeared piecemeal in US volumes (the title story ran in the US as 'The Theft of the Royal Ruby' in Double Sin and Other Stories, 1961). Features both Poirot and Marple. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first; this is a UK-only collection with no matching US edition. Later Collins printings and book club issues follow the true first.
• The Pale Horse — 1961 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 November 1961, bound in the publisher's red cloth with the spine stamped in black. The first-issue dust jacket is predominantly black with a red horizontal-line design, lettered in white and blue, and carries the original printed price on the front flap. Features Ariadne Oliver. The US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1962. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (6 November 1961) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1962. Book-club issues are distinguished by the jacket: the front flap lacks the printed price and a Book Club Edition line appears at its foot. Later Collins printings carry later dates and printing statements and follow the true first.
• The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (US: The Mirror Crack'd) — 1962 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club first, published 12 November 1962, octavo, 256 pages. First printings are bound in red cloth with black lettering to the spine and issued in the first-issue pictorial dust jacket printed on a light green ground, lettered in white and red with a jagged black design to the front panel, described on the jacket as a 'Crime Club Choice' and carrying the printed UK price. A Miss Marple novel set…. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (November 1962) is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition (September 1963) uses the shortened title 'The Mirror Crack'd.'. Book-club issues are identifiable by plain boards rather than the first-issue cloth, and their jackets omit the printed price on the front flap; later Collins printings state a reprint date on the copyright page. The true first shows no later-printing or book-club statement.
• The Clocks — 1963 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club first, published 7 November 1963, in publisher's orange cloth boards lettered in black on the spine, roughly 256 pages. The first-issue dust jacket is a typographic wrapper designed by Michael Harvey and carries the original UK price on the front flap (which should be present and unclipped on a true first). A Hercule Poirot novel; US Dodd, Mead followed in 1964. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition by roughly a year. The near-contemporary Book Club (London) reprint is a distinct later issue and is not the Crime Club first; watch binding and jacket details, and confirm the Collins Crime Club imprint and the printed price on the jacket flap.
• A Caribbean Mystery — 1964 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, 16 November 1964, is the first edition, 256 pages. Binding is the publisher's red and black cloth with the spine lettered in gilt. The pictorial dust jacket was designed by Kenneth Farnhill and carries the printed UK retail price, which should be present on an unclipped example. A Miss Marple novel; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1965. UK Collins Crime Club (16 November 1964) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition by a year. Later Collins impressions and book-club editions follow the first; a genuine first is the 1964 Collins printing in the first-issue Farnhill dust jacket with the printed price intact.
• At Bertram's Hotel — 1965 · William CollinsFirst published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 15 November 1965; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1966. The first-issue dust wrapper was designed by Brian Russell and carries the original net price on the front flap, present on unclipped copies. A Miss Marple novel. The UK Collins Crime Club edition of 15 November 1965 is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition by roughly a year. Later Collins impressions and the book club editions follow the first; the first has no additional printings listed on the copyright page and retains the 1965 date.
• Third Girl — 1966 · William CollinsFirst edition published by the Collins Crime Club (London) in November 1966, a Poirot and Ariadne Oliver novel, 255,[1] pp., octavo (roughly 200 x 135 mm). The binding is red boards with the spine lettered in gilt. The first-state dust jacket was designed by Kenneth Farnhill and carries the printed price on the front flap. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1967 by roughly a year. Later Collins impressions and book-club editions follow the first; check for the absence of later-impression statements and confirm the printed price Farnhill jacket.
• Endless Night — 1967 · William CollinsUK Collins Crime Club, 30 October 1967, is the first edition, an octavo of 224 pages in publisher's patterned red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, in the pictorial dust jacket designed by Kenneth Farnhill, which should retain its printed price on the front flap. US Dodd, Mead followed in 1968. Standalone suspense novel, one Christie counted among her own favourites. UK Collins Crime Club (30 October 1967) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition by a year. Later impressions and book-club editions follow; the genuine first is the 1967 Collins printing in patterned red cloth with the Farnhill jacket bearing its printed price.
• By the Pricking of My Thumbs — 1968 · William CollinsThe UK Collins Crime Club edition of November 1968 is the first edition and precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition of the same year. It is a Tommy and Tuppence Beresford novel, the fourth in that series. The first edition is bound in green boards and is issued in a yellow typographic dust jacket designed by Kenneth Farnhill; the first-issue jacket carries its original printed price, which should be present rather…. Both editions carry 1968, but the UK Collins Crime Club printing (November 1968) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition chronologically and is the true first. Identified by green boards and the yellow Kenneth Farnhill dust jacket. Later Collins impressions and book club editions follow the first; the priced first-issue Farnhill jacket and the November 1968 Collins Crime Club imprint distinguish the true first from later printings and from the US Dodd, Mead edition.
• Hallowe'en Party — 1969 · William CollinsThe UK Collins Crime Club edition of early November 1969 is the first edition and precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition of the same year. It is an octavo bound in red cloth with gilt lettering and the Crime Club device on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket, depicting a yellow gourd or pumpkin (artist uncredited), carries on the front flap both the pre-decimal printed price and the equivalent 1.25 in the new…. Both editions carry 1969, but the UK Collins Crime Club printing (early November) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (later November) and is the true first. Many hardbacks offered are later Collins book club editions; identify the first by the November 1969 Crime Club sheets and the dual-priced pumpkin jacket rather than by reprint or club sheets.
• Passenger to Frankfurt — 1970 · William CollinsFirst published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1970; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed later the same year. A spy thriller issued around Christie's 80th birthday. Notably the first Christie first edition to carry an ISBN. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition by several months. Later Collins printings, US Dodd, Mead, and paperback editions follow the UK first.
• Nemesis — 1971 · William CollinsFirst published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 5 November 1971; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed later the same year. It was the last Miss Marple novel Christie wrote (Sleeping Murder, written earlier, was published later). The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition. US Dodd, Mead and later paperback editions follow the UK first.
• Elephants Can Remember — 1972 · William CollinsFirst published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1972; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year. It was the last novel Christie wrote to feature Poirot and Ariadne Oliver, though Curtain (written in the 1940s) was published later. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition. US Dodd, Mead and later paperback editions follow the UK first.
• Postern of Fate — 1973 · William CollinsFirst published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1973; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year. A Tommy and Tuppence novel and the last novel Christie actually wrote (the two posthumous 1940s-written novels followed in publication). The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition. US Dodd, Mead and later paperback editions follow the UK first.
• Curtain: Poirot's Last Case — 1975 · William CollinsFirst published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1975; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year. Written during the Second World War and held in a bank vault for over thirty years; depicts Poirot's death. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first; the US Dodd, Mead edition appeared later the same year. US Dodd, Mead and later paperback editions follow the UK first.
• Sleeping Murder: Miss Marple's Last Case — 1976 · William CollinsPublished posthumously in 1976 by the Collins Crime Club in the UK and Dodd, Mead in the US. Written in the early 1940s and held back for decades; the final Miss Marple novel in order of publication. Sources disagree on precedence: most cite the UK Collins edition as first (October 1976), but some record the US Dodd, Mead edition appearing first (September 1976). Precedence is disputed. Most references treat the UK Collins Crime Club edition as the true first, but a US Dodd, Mead priority (September 1976, ahead of the UK October issue) is credibly reported. Priority cannot be asserted with certainty. Later Collins and Dodd, Mead printings and paperback editions follow the 1976 firsts.

More Mystery, Crime & Thriller shelves: Alistair MacLean, Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell), Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr), Chester Himes, Colin Dexter, Craig Johnson.

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