# Is "Postern of Fate" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie (William Collins, 1973) is identified by: First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1973; 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 October 1973; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year
- A Tommy and Tuppence novel and the last novel Christie actually wrote (the two posthumous 1940s-written novels followed in publication)
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | William Collins |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1973; the US Dodd, Mead… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1973; the US Dodd, Mead edition followed the same year. A Tommy and Tuppence novel and the last novel Christie actually wrote (the two posthumous 1940s-written novels followed in publication).

## 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 *Postern of Fate* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/postern-of-fate
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.