# Is "Colour Scheme" by Ngaio Marsh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh (Collins, 1943) is identified by: An Inspector Alleyn mystery with a wartime New Zealand setting. UK Collins and US Little, Brown are both 1943 and effectively simultaneous; clear precedence between them is not established.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- An Inspector Alleyn mystery with a wartime New Zealand setting
- The UK Collins Crime Club and US Little, Brown editions were both issued in 1943 as effectively simultaneous transatlantic first editions; the author's bibliography records both as London and Boston, 1943
- Publisher imprint reads Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ngaio Marsh |
| Publisher | Collins |
| Year | 1943 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | An Inspector Alleyn mystery with a wartime New Zealand setting |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
An Inspector Alleyn mystery with a wartime New Zealand setting. The UK Collins Crime Club and US Little, Brown editions were both issued in 1943 as effectively simultaneous transatlantic first editions; the author's bibliography records both as London and Boston, 1943.

## Is this the true first?
UK Collins and US Little, Brown are both 1943 and effectively simultaneous; clear precedence between them is not established. Both are recognized first editions.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Colour Scheme* by Ngaio Marsh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/colour-scheme
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.