# Is "Crooked House" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Crooked House by Agatha Christie (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1949) is identified by: Standalone novel, one of Christie's own favorites. 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).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Standalone 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
- Publisher imprint reads Dodd, Mead and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | Dodd, Mead and Company |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Standalone novel, one of Christie's own favorites |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Standalone 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.

## Is this the true first?
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).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Collins and Dodd, Mead printings, book-club issues, and reprints follow the respective first editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Crooked House* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/crooked-house
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.