# Is "Elephants Can Remember" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie (William Collins, 1972) is identified by: First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1972; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year. The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1972; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year
- It was the last novel Christie wrote to feature Poirot and Ariadne Oliver, though Curtain (written in the 1940s) was published later
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | William Collins |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1972; the US Dodd, Mead… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1972; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year. It was the last novel Christie wrote to feature Poirot and Ariadne Oliver, though Curtain (written in the 1940s) was published later.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins Crime Club edition is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US Dodd, Mead and later paperback editions follow the UK first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Elephants Can Remember* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/elephants-can-remember
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.