# Is "Died in the Wool" by Ngaio Marsh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh (Collins Bros. and Co. Ltd., 1944) is identified by: An Inspector Alleyn mystery set in New Zealand. The true first is the 1944 New Zealand edition (Collins Bros.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- An Inspector Alleyn mystery set in New Zealand
- The true first edition was published in New Zealand in 1944 (Collins Bros. and Co
- Ltd., Auckland; printed by Coulls Somerville Wilkie, Dunedin), preceding the London Collins and Boston Little, Brown editions of 1945
- The 1944 New Zealand printing was issued because Marsh was resident in Christchurch during the war
- Publisher imprint reads Collins Bros. and Co. Ltd.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ngaio Marsh |
| Publisher | Collins Bros. and Co. Ltd. |
| Year | 1944 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | An Inspector Alleyn mystery set in New Zealand |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
An Inspector Alleyn mystery set in New Zealand. The true first edition was published in New Zealand in 1944 (Collins Bros. and Co. Ltd., Auckland; printed by Coulls Somerville Wilkie, Dunedin), preceding the London Collins and Boston Little, Brown editions of 1945. The 1944 New Zealand printing was issued because Marsh was resident in Christchurch during the war.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the 1944 New Zealand edition (Collins Bros. and Co. Ltd., Auckland), which precedes both the UK Collins and US Little, Brown editions of 1945.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1945 London and Boston editions and all later reprints follow the 1944 New Zealand first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Died in the Wool* by Ngaio Marsh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/died-in-the-wool
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.