# Is "Ordeal by Innocence" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (William Collins, 1958) is identified by: UK Collins Crime Club first, published 3 November 1958, in red cloth with black lettering to the spine. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (3 November 1958) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1959.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Collins Crime Club first, published 3 November 1958, in red cloth with black lettering to the spine
- The pictorial dust jacket carries the printed UK retail price and should be present on an unclipped copy
- A standalone novel and a Christie favorite; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1959
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | William Collins |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Collins Crime Club first, published 3 November 1958, in red cloth with black lettering… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Collins Crime Club first, published 3 November 1958, in red cloth with black lettering to the spine. The pictorial dust jacket carries the printed UK retail price and should be present on an unclipped copy. A standalone novel and a Christie favorite; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1959.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins Crime Club edition (3 November 1958) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1959.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Collins printings and book-club issues follow the true first; a genuine first is the 1958 Collins printing in the first-issue dust jacket with the printed price present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ordeal by Innocence* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ordeal-by-innocence
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.