# Is "Black As He's Painted" by Ngaio Marsh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Black As He's Painted by Ngaio Marsh (Collins, 1974) is identified by: UK Collins Crime Club, London 1974, is the British first edition. Both editions carry 1974.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Collins Crime Club, London 1974, is the British first edition
- The US Little, Brown first American edition also appeared in 1974
- The UK Collins edition is generally cited as the first
- The 28th Roderick Alleyn novel
- Publisher imprint reads Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ngaio Marsh |
| Publisher | Collins |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Collins Crime Club, London 1974, is the British first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Collins Crime Club, London 1974, is the British first edition. The US Little, Brown first American edition also appeared in 1974. The UK Collins edition is generally cited as the first. The 28th Roderick Alleyn novel.

## Is this the true first?
Both editions carry 1974. The UK Collins edition is generally cited as the first; strict month-level precedence over the US Little, Brown edition is not firmly documented.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints follow the respective first editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Black As He's Painted* by Ngaio Marsh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/black-as-hes-painted
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.