# Is "Dead Man's Folly" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie (William Collins, Sons, 1956) is identified by: UK: 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.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK: 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
- US: Dodd, Mead, October 1956
- Features Poirot and Ariadne Oliver
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins, Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | William Collins, Sons |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK: Collins Crime Club, 5 November 1956, in publisher's red boards with black lettering… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK: 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. US: Dodd, Mead, October 1956. Features Poirot and Ariadne Oliver.

## Is this the true first?
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.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dead Man's Folly* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dead-mans-folly
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.